Richelieu · level 0

A human face, spreading wings and the body of a bull come together in the great guardians of Cour Khorsabad. Look at a guardian from the front and, where visitor space allows, compare the side view. The sculptor gave it five legs: it can appear planted firmly when faced head-on and walking when seen sideways. These creatures guarded important openings in the palace of Sargon II, an Assyrian king of the eighth century BCE. His capital stood in what is now Iraq. Their scale and combined forms made the approach to royal power a memorable encounter. The palace reliefs once carried colour too, adding another layer to the carved surfaces. Richelieu’s level 0 also includes French sculpture rooms and upper views of the covered sculpture courts. As you explore, keep that question of viewpoint in mind. A figure changes as its outline separates from the background or one part overlaps another. The Assyrian guardians make that especially clear, but the same patient looking can help you find movement and intention in very different works.