Accession Number1984/2.58.1
TitleTemple of Poseidon
Artist(s)Mary PeckArtist NationalityAmerican (North American)Object Creation Date1979; printed 1982 Medium & Supportgelatin silver print on paperDimensions 5 1/8 in x 4 3/16 in (13.02 cm x 10.64 cm);14 in x 11 in (35.56 cm x 27.94 cm)
Credit LineGift of Mr. and Mrs. David C. Ruttenberg through the courtesy of the Ruttenberg Arts FoundationSubject matterThis is a photograph of the Temple of Poseidon in Sounion, Greece; the first of eight photographs in Mary Peck’s portfolio,
The Temples of Greece which is comprised of black-and-white photographs depicting dramatic Greek landscapes, each accented by ancient ruins. The rich tonal ranges in the prints reflect the majesty of the expansive scenes. As described in the introduction of the portfolio,
in this photograph, “the promontory pushes out like an animal, the sea swims around it, the sky hovers, and the far-off island sails across the water in the sun sheen. The temple appears on the headland, a man-made embodiment of divinity; it sets the human scale of the god in relation to his presence in the natural forces.” -Vincent J. Scully, 1982
Physical DescriptionThis photograph depicts a temple atop a cliff; the rockface descends to water on the left. The sky is full of clouds, another land formation is visible in the distance.
Primary Object ClassificationPhotographCollection AreaPhotographyRightsIf you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit
http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.
Keywords
Ancient Greek (culture or style)
cliffs
clouds
modern and contemporary art
monuments
mythology (literary genre)
ruins
seascapes
temples (buildings)
water