Lion Statues Outside of the

¶ … lion statues outside of the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington DC and Chimera of Arezzo Outside of the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington DC, two large lions flank the exterior of the main entrance. Lions are synonymous with ferocity. A common phrase is "as fierce as a lion" Because of this alleged fierceness, lions are traditionally guardian figures in architecture and art in Western culture. Lion statues also flank the New York Public Library, and a lion, with a unicorn, is on the 'seal' of Great Britain.

These symbolic resonances may be one of the reasons that the lions were chosen to adorn the art museum. However, it is striking that the lions are not particularly frightening-looking as they sit in front of the Gallery. The animals are identical in shape and size. They each sit on two slabs of metal and have a kind of languid appearance. Although they are bronze, they are black in color, which gives them a kind of static quality. Their mouths are slightly open as if in a yawn.

Their legs are tucked beneath their languid, floppy bodies. The lions do not look as if they are waiting to spring into action as true guardian figures. The most notable physical aspect of the lions is their swirling manes, which have a textured, relief-like quality. The manes are full and lush, and their fullness and softness adds to the relatively non-threatening quality of the lions. The eyes of the lions are slightly closed, as if they are dozing while on guard.

The main hint of the danger an adult lion might pose is the lion's large (almost disproportionately so) paw that hangs off the block. This suggests the creature's potential fierceness, even though the limp wrist of the animal indicates that because he is at rest, the viewer has nothing to fear from him. The eyes are not entirely closed and depending on where the gazer stands, the lion can seem slightly more likely to be roused or not.

Standing and looking at the lion eye-to-eye suggests a more alert creature, although his expression is not unfriendly. The effect of the lions is that the art gallery is guarded and watched by them, but they are not unhappy that the legitimate visitors are entering and exiting the museum. Many visitors take pictures of themselves with the friendly lions.

According to the brochure provided by the National Parks Service, these lions date back to the 19th century, and while originally placed facing the street, now face one another (which further adds to their non-threatening nature, as they do not appear to be gazing at people who enter the structure, as if trying to prevent their entrance). The lions originally had a religious resonance: "The lions are copies from the originals by Antonio Canova, which adorn the cenotaph of Pope Clement XIII in Rome" ("The Corcoran Gallery of Art," NPS, 2011).

The lion is a traditional symbol of Christ and were originally supposed to be flanked by other statues symbolic of knowledge and the flowering of peace at the museum. In stark contrast to the relatively friendly visages of the lions is the Chimera of Arezzo of the Etruscan art period (480-350 BCE). Chimeras are lion-like monsters from Greek mythology that have lion's and goat's heads, lion's bodies and a snake's tails. The Chimera is a relatively small bronze statue, and its spine is arched as its tail points upward.

According to the legendary myth of Bellerophon and Pegasus, the Chimera terrorized the city where it lived until it was slain by the great hero. The statute is said to be relatively 'stereotypical.' "The posture of the beast, with the mouth open, the body arching up, and the legs stiffly stretched forward, is always the same.

It seems that the ancient artists who took up the task of painting or sculpting a Chimera thought that it was their duty to be as faithful as possible to the well-known and accepted canons" (Bardi 1997).

Similarly, the lions adorning the front of the Corcoran Gallery could be said to be fairly typical of depictions of reclining lions (there is no notable innovation in their features and manner) although it is somewhat unusual that unlike most guardian lions they are not standing and alert, and do not show any particular signs of either pride or fierceness. The Chimera, in contrast, is very fierce and belligerent in its posture. It is clearly waiting to strike, in the manner it arches its back and snarls at the gazer.

Its eyes are hollow, which give it a kind of inhuman, furious quality. Its mouth, unlike that of the lions', is wide open and menacing. Its mane is spiky and looks like a weapon itself. The less terrifying goat's head attached to its body curls back and gives the monster an otherworldly quality. There is none of the domesticity of the Cochran lions. However, like the original inspiration of the Corcoran Gallery of Art lions, the Chimera was originally used as a work of religious significance.

The Chimera is inscribed with the words 'For Tinia,' indicating it was designed as an offering to the Etruscan god. To the modern eye, it looks strange that a monster could be a religious offering ("The Chimera of Arezzo," The Getty Museum, 2011). "The fiery, fire breathing monster is shown as a lean, perhaps hungry, creature in a moment of suffering. The body is curled in a posture.