Sculpting the Metamorphoses

The creation and the transformations that life constantly undergoes are the subjects for the artist of the Metamorphoses . Ovid painted a poem about mythology, morality, and literature, but in order to fully understand the themes in the Metamorphoses it is necessary to study its art. The metamorphoses result in different forms: a bird, a tree, a stone which share the essential properties of a work of art. Parallelism between the individual metamorphoses and art is drawn through a simile used in the beginning of the poem which makes connections between the processes of metamorphosis and the creation of art. A complete understanding of the Metamorphoses is transcended through the realm of nature and its relationship to art. The poem examines two opposing views of nature and its connection to art: nature over art and art over nature. Most essential in Ovid's masterpiece is the figure of the artist who is the creator of order out of chaos, and who is also responsible for the beauty that enwraps each creation. The two most important artists of the Metamorphoses are Pygmalion and Ovid who are the sources of life for the objects which they create. Art gives a sense of clarity to life and reality in the Metamorphoses which is the domain where art and experience are joined.

A parallel between the processes of metamorphosis and artistic creation is very easily drawn through a simile found in the beginning of the poem. Mankind is almost completely destroyed in the flood, but is restored through the stones which Deucalion and Pyrrha are told to toss behind them. As the stones transform, Ovid describes the formation of art: "The form of man could be seen. It was some kind of form, though not a very clear one. It closely resembled a half-worked statue of marble, begun but not yet finished." This simile is central because several passages of poetry throughout the Metamorphoses relate to the language that is used to reinforce the themes of art. Two famous poets have referred to art in recalling their own artistic creations. The word "finished" which Ovid uses in this simile recalls Horace's verses in his own artistic creation: "I have completed a monument more enduring than bronze." In describing the transformations of the stones that Deucalion and Pyrrha threw, Ovid uses the words ducere forman which mean "mold their shape". These words are suitable descriptions in looking at sculpture, which also relates to the Virgilian vivos ducent de marmore vultus "they will mold lifelike faces from marble." Deucalion makes the observation that they were the only two mortals left and he said to his wife "we remain the exempla of mankind." Question surrounds the true meaning of the word "exempla," but it is definite that it belongs to the realm of art. Two possible meanings of "exempla" are "sole copies" with regard to the other, lost originals, or "artist's models," with regard to the people who will be created.

The implication of the simile and its context stems from the language that Ovid chooses in carrying out the metamorphosis which is directly representative of a work of art in the form of either a painting or a sculpture. Many characters throughout the poem are changed into stones and some are thought to be changed into statues. Aglauros refuses because of jealousy to allow Mercury to enter the bedroom of her sister and she slowly looses all movement and turns into a rock: "she sat still, a bloodless statue." Anaxrete treated her suitor extremely harshly and she also becomes a rock: "the city of Salamis still preserves her statue in the likeness of its mistress."

A key term used in the intertwined vocabularies of art and metamorphosis is imago which means "image or representation." This word is applied very frequently throughout the poem and is evidence of the strong feelings that Ovid has toward the works of art that are being created. Imago can be applied to statues, as in the passage: "he remained stone unmoving, an armed imago." Imago can also have the more specific sense of "picture" which suggests the art of painting. This specific meaning of mago is explained in the portrait of Lycaon: eadem feritatis imago est, which translates to "he is the very same picture of savagery." Ovid shows Procne and Hecuba as each being possessed by thirst for revenge and her metamorphosis when her metamorphosis is begun "her entire being is in the image of punishment." Ovid's art form is such a strong representation in itself that terms related to art are used even where they would not seem to fit. These terms that don't seem to fit are seen when the dead Adonis is addressed by Venus:

While individual words create invoke the sense that the poem is a work of art, the world of the poem widens the understanding of metamorphosis. The world that Ovid speaks of is nature, and throughout the Metamorphoses the relationship between art and nature is examined. In looking at the ways in which nature acts over art, there is a sense that art is the imitation of nature and art is better in proportion as it succeeds in imitating nature. While art imitates nature it will always remain secondary to it because in striving to match it, it cannot do so completely. The imitation of nature in art emphasizes the realism of works of art and the extent to which they actually seem to be what they represent. An important example of this is shown through the sculpture created by Pygmalion. Pygmalion's sculpture is described: "The appearance is that of a real maiden: you would believe she was alive and if not prevented by modesty, eager to move." The attitude that is present within the Metamorphoses is that nature is the norm and it is, in all aspects, superior to art.

While asserting the position that nature is superior to art, the poem also paints a picture that shows the complete opposite in that nature imitates art. With this view, the artist becomes the "prime creator or definer of reality." The understanding of metamorphosis is possible because the doctrine that art follows nature allows the reverse vision that nature follows art. The comparison of the beauty of a person to that of a work of art often has implications that a work of art is far superior. In Ovid's description of the centaur Cyllaron, the centaur's human parts are esteemed as extraordinarily beautiful: "his neck and shoulders, hands and breast were most like the renowned statues made by artists." The looks of Adonis are also based upon a set of standards based on art. Judgment can be made about the looks of Adonis from the following passage: "Like the bodies of naked Cupids painted on canvas, such was he; but so, that adornment not make a distinction between them, either give a lightweight quiver to the one or take it away from the other!" Throughout Ovid's Metamorphoses the comparisons of people to works of art continually show that the beauty of art is superior.

The superiority of art over nature is not confined to beauty and Ovid's strong statements in regard to something which is neither beautiful nor ugly suggests that this superiority is more general. A passage from the Metamorphoses illustrates this position of superiority of art: "and in the middle was a grotto: it was uncertain whether made by nature or art, yet more by art." A description of one of the most important passages in the Metamorphoses is of Diana bathing when she is seen by Actaeon: cuius in extremo est antrum nemorale recessu

Metamorphosis, as a form of art, plays the same role as the definer and creator of reality. Ovid begins his poem with a brilliant description of the evolution of the world out of utter chaos. Chaos is the first thing to be transformed and worked with in the creation of Ovid's masterpiece. The words pondus iners which means "a mass" that is both "inert" or "sluggish" and "inartistic." The physical mass of the unpopulated earth is called rudis et sine imagine, which translates to "crude and without recognizable appearance." As the world became increasingly populated with animals, plants, and objects, following its evolution into a recognizable form, the path of creation led in the direction of a greater meaning of art. In the process of the metamorphosis, the creatures passed from the realm of nature which they had previously lived in, and entered into the higher realm of art. "Art/metamorphosis transmutes what was personal or individual into a monument for all, and these monuments give us our bearings, identifying and representing and even creating for us notions such as ferocity." In the Metamorphoses, art is "poetic" rather than mimetic and it creates reality instead of attempting to imitate it. Not only does Ovid's Metamorphoses view the relationship between art and nature, but it also examines the alliance between language and experience. Each metamorphosis becomes real through the words that are used to sculpt it and to bring it to life in its specific form. Evidence that an artwork is alive is most visible through movement of the mouth. Ovid writes: "You would think his opened mouth wishes to speak." Speeches are the principal tool by which characters shape themselves and the world around them.

Studying the art of Ovid's Metamorphoses leads to a careful examination of the artist who becomes an extremely important figure as the creator of the masterpiece. The beginning of the poem leads the world our of chaos and into some semblance of order which is all orchestrated by the artist, god of creation. The creator of the world is an artist which therefore implies that every metamorphosis thereafter will be the work of the Great Artist. Ovid makes his position regarding art clear through his definition of god as "better nature" and by calling him "the origin of a better world" the poet shows that "the world, in becoming art-filled, becomes clearer and better."

Pygmalion is regarded as the greatest, or nearly the greatest artist in the poem. Ovid's views of art and nature are evident through Pygmalion's sculpture. After sculpting an ivory statue, Pygmalion falls in love with it and prays to Venus that he may have a wife like the ivory statue. Upon returning home, Pygmalion finds that his statue grows warm when he touches it and it comes to life, becoming his bride. Ovid's ideas that art can only strive towards an unattainable imitation of nature are very clearly shown through this illustration by Pygmalion. In the Metamorphoses art is not only the means of achieving an imitation of nature, but it is also the means of hiding this achievement: "to such an extent is art hidden by its own art." Ovid's other view that art is superior to nature is also shown through Pygmalion's sculpture: "By his miraculous art" Pygmalion "gave to the ivory a beauty such as no woman can be born with." Pygmalion's sculpture is regarded as such a powerful object of beauty that it far surpasses what is real and natural. His artistic representation is an imitation of nature that reaches a point of perfection that goes beyond an attempt to imitate nature and produces something so beautiful that nature is unable to create anything that would equal it. In the second half of the story, Pygmalion brings the statue to life. Venus aids him in giving life to the marble statue which represents "direct divine participation in the creation of art, or an inexplicable superhuman element, or the need for love to be present in addition to skill." While Venus helps in giving the statue life, it is clear that the artist is responsible for the creation and the metamorphosis. Pygmalion's art is superior to nature, and implicit in this fact is that the function of nature, the creation of animate life; human existence depends on art.

Ovid is the only other artist in the Metamorphoses that can be more highly esteemed than Pygmalion. Objects are summoned to life through Ovid's extraordinary art and his presentation of "a gallery of images." Ovid's work is characterized by attention to visual effects which are often represented by paintings and sculptures. The narration of the poem gives a very clear image of the characters and it is through his use of words and stories that he creates his most exquisite art. In the Metamorphoses there aren't any characters who are writers, but figures that represent the place of the writer take the form of great singers and musicians. Ovid is aware of the different aspects that go into the creation of a work of art. Critics write: "A certain paradox informs Ovid's creation. It strives for visible clarity and for the public and permanent qualities of a monument. And yet at the same time it remains a feat of triumphant subjectivity." The artist of the different transformations metamorphosizes himself through the poem's constantly shifting subjects, tones, points of view, and emphases. Ovid's creation is a private compilation of art that has originated in him and the results of his Metamorphoses are pure glory. The poem speaks for Ovid's accomplishments, even beyond the realm of human individuality. The Metamorphoses is Ovid's personal creation.

In the Metamorphoses art is clarity. Ovid's poem is a piece of clay that has been finely molded into many different objects and in its transformations, human experience surfaces. Art is not only the final product, but it also defines and creates reality. The aim of the Metamorphoses is to create an illustration of the world to facilitate perception and understanding of the universe. Ovid's concerns lie within the chaotic, confusing and deceptive world, and his discovery is an element of purity where the senses are still open and perception can still take place in the form of art. Each of the figures that is a result of a metamorphosis in the poem is a beacon enlightenment and provides a focus for our own recognition. Metamorphosis is the culmination of the meeting of two domains: art and experience. Ovid clearly acknowledges the limitations that surround the implications in creating a balance between these two domains. Emphasis on the ways in which art and experience intertwine and compliment each other is the way in which the Metamorphoses is transformed. Ovid is skeptical towards the possibilities of art, but yet has faith in it as a means for making sense of experience. Ovid's Metamorphoses is a poem that has come to occupy a very important place in Western tradition. This masterpiece serves as an explanation of our perceptions of art and experience, and it is through Ovid's artistic creation of the universe that chaos has become order and clarity of the human experience arises.