Meeting Athena goddesses for the first time at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! Mine was absolutely amazing, as I had an encounter with the goddess Athena herself, just as people of Antiquity may have imagined her. If there is one figure from the ancient Greco-Roman world who truly fascinates me, it is Athena. My astrological sign is Virgo, and Virgo is often associated with the figure of Athena, which makes her even more special to me.

This weekend, I finally met my idol at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, which is currently presenting The Torlonia Collection: Masterpieces of Roman Sculpture. I had no idea that Athena would be among the sculptures on display. I cannot even begin to describe how excited I was to come face to face with her! This is sincerely one of the best museum exhibitions I have ever seen in my life.

Here she is, the very great Athena in all of the glory:

Take a good look at these pictures, at all the details of the sculpture. She radiates finesse, purity, and power. And yet, the pictures are only a pale copy of what you can actually see with your own eyes.

It is quite unbelievable that such a beautiful statue could be seen by my own eyes. I was in total shock, not only because I was meeting my favorite figure from Greek Antiquity, but also because of the history behind her. This Statue of Giustiniani Type Athena is dated by the Fondazione Torlonia to the Antoninian age, within the Roman Imperial period. That means the actual marble statue is roughly from the 2nd century A.D., making it about 1,830 to 1,890 years old today. But wait, the model is even older than that!

The Athena Giustiniani type goes back to a Greek bronze prototype from the late 5th century B.C. or early 4th century B.C., which means the artistic original behind it is about 2,400 years old. And what truly takes my breath away is thinking that this image of Athena, this form, this presence, may have been admired by countless people more than two thousand years ago, long before our own time, and even before the calendar we use today, which counts 2026 years from the traditional birth of Jesus Christ.

To think that Athena was admired, honoured, and possibly even prayed to more than 2,400 years ago is simply breathtaking.

This fabulous exhibition is on display until July 19. My plan is to join the museum membership program, which is $92 per year, and visit her several times before the exhibition ends, because what I saw this weekend was sincerely unthinkable.

I just don’t understand how it is possible to have such an exhibition here in Montreal. I don’t understand how the Fondazione Torlonia can take the risk of transporting such extraordinary sculptures across the world. These works are not only priceless; they are relics from the ancient world.

How can they risk it all? For money? For prestige?

I could express my feelings quite coldly about such madness, but at the same time, thanks to them, my heart bloomed this weekend in a way I never thought possible. I simply cannot express how beautiful and special this exhibition is.

Some may think that the problems related to such exhibitions are always the same: the transportation of extremely valuable pieces, the insurance, the logistics, the security. But these statues are much more than works of art. They were once at the very center of ancient life. Many of them were venerated. They are not simply “pieces of art”, they are so much more important than that.

There is something quite offensive about seeing these statues moved around the world as if they were ordinary museum objects. Italy needs to do a better job of protecting its cultural heritage and enforcing stricter rules around the movement of such treasures. Anyone visiting the exhibition could, at any moment, cause extreme and irreversible damage to one of these statues. When you enter the museum, there' so screening. No one is being search for paintings or weapons. No security rules are being taking and it's sincerely revolting. Anyone visiting the exhibition could, at any moment, cause extreme and irreversible damage to one of these statues. When you enter the museum, there is no screening. No one is searched for paint, weapons, or anything that could be used to damage the works. No serious security measures seem to be in place, and it is sincerely revolting.

It should not be considered normal to see such sculptures travelling around the world. It is not normal that I was able to see Athena with my own eyes here in Montreal. This is not okay.

And yet, before her departure, I know I will go back to see her many times. She's so beautiful that it almost made me cry. I am in love with her.

When you look at these sculptures directly in the eyes, something happens. It is so powerful, so mysterious, so deeply moving. The purity of the white marble shines under the artificial light, and for a moment, time seems to disappear. You look at them, and they look back straight at you.

Here are a few more pictures, but they still don’t do justice.

Look at the details, it's so realistic, look a the hair on the top of his head!

This one is also very delicate and very special!

I found this little hat to be really funny!

You are not ready for this one!

Look at those eyes!

So this is how I spent part of my weekend: in total disbelief over what I had seen!