The Metropolitan Museum of Art is offering a unique opportunity for its patrons: the chance to adorn the museum’s Greek and Roman sculptures with noses modeled after their own. This innovative initiative, known as the Smellowship program, was announced yesterday and allows participants to sponsor a rhinoplasty for the statues, starting at $800 each.
The program targets the famously noseless Greco-Roman marble statues, dating from the 9th century BCE to the 5th century CE. Statues of deities such as Aphrodite, Dionysus, and Athena have already attracted interest. The museum has teamed up with Nasonex Studios, renowned for its cosmetic surgery expertise, to bring this project to life.
Following the announcement, Brad Smellini, founder and lead surgeon at Nasonex Studios, took to Instagram live, offering advice to potential Smellowship sponsors. He expressed a desire to see the museum filled with “bunny-slope noses” and “chiseled Chads.” However, some social media users quickly pointed out that the original sculptures likely featured aquiline or bridged noses, while others applauded the effort to enhance the statues’ appearance.
A Met spokesperson clarified the initiative’s goal is to humorously critique modern beauty trends by connecting them to their classical origins. Meanwhile, a statue, remaining anonymous, shared concerns with Hyperallergic about the influence this project might have on younger statues. “This isn’t the first time we’ve had work done,” they remarked. “It’s just the first time it’s public.”
In an email interview, Smellini expressed his enthusiasm: “I’m thrilled to provide these sculptures with the rhinoplasties they deserve. I guess you could say I’ve got a knack for picking noses!”
