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| Ancient Greece Head of Kouros ca. 550 BC marble Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| Roman Empire Head of Apollo ca. 27 BC - AD 68 marble Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| Ancient Greece Sphinx ca. 580-575 BC marble capital (top of a grave shaft) Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| Roman Empire Herakles with Erymanthian Boar ca. 27 BC - AD 68 marble relief panel (fragment) Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
Sonnet 31
Devoid of reason, thrall to foolish ire,
I walk and chase a savage fairy still,
Now near the flood, straight on the mounting hill,
Now midst the woods of youth, and vain desire.
For leash I bear a cord of careful grief,
For brach I lead an over-forward mind,
My hounds are thoughts, and rage despairing blind,
Pain, cruelty, and care without relief.
But they perceiving that my swift pursuit
My flying fairy cannot overtake,
With open mouths their prey on me do make,
Like hungry hounds that lately lost their suit.
And full of fury on their master feed,
To hasten on my hapless death with speed.
– from Phillis, by Thomas Lodge (1558-1625)
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| Ancient Greece Grave Stele of Youth ca. 530 BC marble relief (fragment) Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| Roman Empire Torso of Youth AD 118-161 marble statue (fragment) Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| Roman Empire Torso of Youth (gallery view) AD 118-161 marble statue (fragment) Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| Ancient Greece Female Figure (gallery view) ca. 400-350 BC marble statue (fragment) Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| Ancient Greece Female Figure (drapery detail) ca. 400-350 BC marble statue Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| Roman Republic or Empire Young Woman 1st-2nd century BC marble statue Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
Sonnet 28
Weary with serving, where I naught could get
I thought to cross great Neptune's greatest seas
To live in exile, but my drift was let
By cruel Fortune, spiteful of such ease.
The ship I had to pass in was my Mind,
Greedy Desire was topsail of the same,
My Tears were surges, Sighs did serve for wind,
Of all my ship Despair was chiefest frame,
Sorrow was Master, Care the cable rope,
Grief was the mainmast, Love the captain of it,
He that did rule the helm was foolish Hope,
But Beauty was the rock that my ship split,
Which since hath made such shipwreck of my Joy
That still I swim in th' ocean of Annoy.
– from Diella, by Richard Linche (active 1596-1601)
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| Ancient Greece Grave Stele of Draped Woman ca. 350 BC marble relief Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| Roman Empire Two Goddesses 1st-2nd century AD marble relief panel (fragment) Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| Ancient Greece Grave Stele of Youth ca. 350 BC marble relief Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| Roman Empire Marsyas bound by Slaves AD 210-230 marble sarcophagus fragment Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
The Instability of Mortal Glory
Triumphant arches, statues crowned with bays,
Proud obelisks, tombs of the vastest frame,
Colosses, brazen atlases of fame,
Fanes vainly builded to vain idols' praise,
States, which insatiate minds in blood do raise
From the Cross-Stars unto the Arctic Team,
Alas! Only constant is in constant change;
What done is, is undone, and when undone
Into some other figure doth it range;
Thus moves the restless world beneath the moon:
Wherefore, my mind, above time, motion, place,
Thee raise, and steps not reached by nature trace.
– from Flowers of Sion, by William Drummond of Hawthorndon (1585-1649)