Griffin By Carl Tashian

The Griffin statue is a limestone statue made in Northern Italy during the 12^th century. During the Middle Ages, art from some cultures tended to revert to earlier styles. Though this statue is from the Romanesque period, it closely resembles late Egyptian statues, with its simplicity, blocky forms, and highly stylized attributes.

A griffin (or gryphon) is a mythical animal with the head and talons of an eagle and the body and hind legs of a lion. It represents the union of strength and intelligence, and it was thought that a griffin hoarded vast treasures and guarded them with its life.

Griffin depicts a griffin clutching a human, and though its talons maintain a tenacious grip on its victim, the creature has a solemn and grievous look on its face, as if its feelings have been hurt. Perhaps the griffin, with its gaunt ribcage, must kill out of necessity alone, either for food or to fulfill its duty as a guard. The human has a sword and is trying to stab the griffin, but his dismayed look suggests that his effort is in vain.

As a subtractive medium, limestone must be chiseled to form a sculpture. This subtractive nature is evident in the stylized hair of the human, where signs of the original chisel marks are visible.

Griffin appears to have been cut from a large block, and its closed form may have been out of necessity. For example, the legs of the human figure are small, disfigured, and bent in to fit within the perimeter of the base. They suggest that the sculptor poorly planned the space for the figure. The human may have even been a late addition to the sculpture.

Limestone is much cheaper and softer than marble, so it is likely that this statue was not produced for the richest segment of society. The simplicity of the forms and imperfections also suggest this. If this sculpture were made for royalty, it may have had a more elaborate or taller base—something that would bring it closer to the spectator. Perhaps this statue was originally painted with bright colors to emulate the luster of burnished marble.

The wings, mane, and eyes of the griffin are also highly stylized, and they resemble Egyptian and Greek sculptures. The wings recall Nike of Samothrace from ancient Greece, and the stylization of the eyes is similar to the lions in Daniel in the Lion’s Den, which is also from the Romanesque period.

The eyes are of particular interest because they are similar to those of Egyptian votive figures and, like the Egyptian statues, may have originally had stones as pupils. It is interesting to note that in the later 13^th century, the griffin is associated with the dual nature of Jesus Christ, because the eyes of earlier griffin statues such as Griffin may have foreshadowed the later religious association.

The stylization of the wings and tail makes them appear to be glued on to the griffin’s back rather than part of its basic form. The wings resemble drapery and present a discontinuity in the body of the griffin, while the tail appears too much a part of the body. This often happens with such closed form sculptures, since the sculptor doesn’t have the ability to separate elements of the sculpture.

As a symbolic guard, Griffin may have been used at a gate or entrance of a building. Its placement in the museum, opposite another griffin statue at the front of a hallway, suggests this usage. The head is turned slightly to the right—evidence that this particular griffin may have sat on the left side of an entranceway. Though this statue is in the round, the sculptor probably intended it to be viewed from the front right side; there is less detail on the left side of the statue and almost no detail in the back.

The viewer’s eyes are directed to the round, protruding head of the griffin and its pointed beak. Though it is intended to impress or scare the viewer, when seen eight hundred years after its creation and at a high angle, the impact is diminished.

Moreover, the sculpture has sustained damage over the centuries. The griffin’s ears appear to have been removed or broken, and only holes remain. The back is flat with additional holes in it, suggesting that another figure, now missing, may have originally ridden on its back. Nature has taken its toll here, as well: cracks have developed in the limestone and the texture of the limestone is worn and coarse.

Griffin is a Northern Italian piece that resembles other pieces of the Romanesque period. Heavy stone is used to enforce the idea of vigilant strength that a griffin symbolizes, and its pose implies a moment frozen in time and depicts an event which forever characterizes the beast.

Carl Tashian