Zeus, the god of the sky and leader of the Olympian gods, is known in Greek mythology for his quick temper and coercive sexual schemes. At Texas Tech, students may know him for his nude statue by the library.
A replica of “Zeus or Poseidon of Artemision,” an important piece of art at the National Archaeological Museum of Athens, was installed west of the library in August.
“Zeus or Poseidon of Artemision” stands west of the library. Justin Rex/The Hub@TTU.
Chris Witmore, associate professor of classics and archaeology, said the original statue was found by fishermen at the bottom of the sea off Cape Artemision as part of a shipwreck. He said the statue was identified by its form—a god in motion—appearing to be throwing something. The object being thrown is thought to have been a lightning bolt or a trident. That piece was lost long ago, making identifying the statue more difficult.
“The striding figure is casting something, and the idea is that it is perhaps not Poseidon, because the trident would come too far out and obscure the face,” Witmore said. “It’s an artistic argument based on the form of the statue in comparison to other statues or images of Zeus.”
“Zeus or Poseidon of Artemision” is a bronze nude sculpture. Witmore said nude art was not new for the Greeks, it had been around for over a century, and the bronze material allowed more freedom in the depiction of movement. Even though Zeus and Poseidon are both known for lusting after women, Witmore said, the nudity of the statue was tied to a series of non-sexual values, including athletic excellence. In ancient Greece, athletes competed in the nude.
“The development of the human form itself follows a trajectory of form from the archaic kouros to the Classical severe style,” Witmore said. “Sculptors moved towards a more naturalistic, if you will, depiction of the male body.”
Emily Wilkinson, public art director for the Texas Tech University System, said the piece was donated to the university in 2013. The statue was placed in its location as a parallel to the “Prometheus” figure on the east side of the library. It is also a part of the campus beautification project between the library and the historic dairy barn.
Justin Rex/The Hub@TTU
Wilkinson said every piece of public art must be approved by the Public Art Committee, the president of the system institution where the art will be installed, and Chancellor of the Texas Tech University System Robert Duncan.
“One of the good things about our process is that it’s been approved at the highest level, so we’re never going to put anything on there that’s just intentionally shocking. There’s always a good reason to have it there,” Wilkinson said. “Even if somebody doesn’t particularly like a sculpture, maybe they can sit there and kind of wonder why it’s there, because it’s not just there randomly.”
There are almost 100 public art pieces on the Lubbock campus of Texas Tech and Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Wilkinson said. However, relatively few represent human figures, which is why nude depictions are few and far between.
“Zeus or Poseidon of Artemision” is one of four pieces of art on campus that could be interpreted as nude. Other pieces include “The Way West” by John Buck near Gordon Hall, “Tornado of Ideas” by Tom Otterness in the free speech area, and the abstract “Agave Dreams” near the Biology building.
Find out where the nude public art is on campus on The Hub@TTU’s story map!
“It’s not something that we’re intentionally shying away from,” Wilkinson said. “I just don’t think that nudity needs to be put in just for shock value or just to have nudity on campus. If you need it, you have it, and if you don’t, then there’s no reason for it.”
Kate Peaslee, art appreciation course coordinator at Tech, said the artistic decision to create a nude piece could have many inspirations, including timelessness.
“The Way West” by John Buck depicts a nude woman, with symbols representing knowledge for her head. Justin Rex/The Hub@TTU.
“You don’t have this clothing that anchors it,” Peaslee said. “You know, he’s not in a toga or something that makes him of this one moment.”
Public art collections intend to have a broad appeal, Peaslee said, which is why there are few nude figures in any public art collection, not just Tech’s.
Witmore said although the nudity of the statue may be the first thing people notice, it is important to remember that for the Greeks, it was about the celebration of the human form. From this, we can all learn.
To see more of the Texas Tech Public Art Collection, check out The Hub@TTU’s Guide to Public Art.
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