Grave stele of a little girl.Grave stele stele (stē`lē), slab of stone or terra-cotta, usually oblong, set up in a vertical position, for votive or memorial purposes. Upon the slabs were carved inscriptions accompanied by ornamental designs or reliefs of particular significance. of a little girl, 450-440 BC, Greek, Parian marble Parian marble: see Páros. , H. 31 1/2" (30 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Fletcher Fund, 1927. 27.45. Grave stelae, like this one, would have been erected in Greek cemeteries in memory of the deceased. On this particular relief, a little girl, standing in profile, bows her head with seriousness unusual in someone so young; her face is serene and strong. The child wears a peplos peplos /pep·los/ (pep´lohs) envelope (2). pep·los n. pl. pep·los·es The coat or envelope of lipoprotein material that surrounds certain virions. , a simple woolen wool·en also wool·len adj. 1. Made or consisting of wool. 2. Of or relating to the production or marketing of woolen goods. n. Fabric or clothing made from wool. Often used in the plural. garment folded over at the top and fastened at the shoulders. Children often appear with their pets on Classical grave reliefs. The gentle gravity of the child is beautifully expressed through her sweet farewell to her pet doves. She holds one bird affectionately close, and it seems to nestle up to her; the other perches on her left hand. Many of the most skillful skill·ful adj. 1. Possessing or exercising skill; expert. See Synonyms at proficient. 2. Characterized by, exhibiting, or requiring skill. stone carvers in ancient Greece came from the Cycladic Islands, where marble was plentiful. Since the girl's profile resembles those of several of the cavalry riders on the frieze frieze, in architecture, the member of an entablature between the architrave and the cornice or any horizontal band used for decorative purposes. In the first type the Doric frieze alternates the metope and the triglyph; that of the other orders is plain or of the Parthenon, the sculptor of this stele might have been among the artists who congregated in Athens during the third quarter of the fifth century BC to decorate that famed building. Activity: Form Find places where the artist used light and shadow to give shape to her body, clothes, and expression. Where are the deepest shadows? Where are the brightest areas? Which parts seem the most naturalistic and which are decorative? If this sculpture was placed in a dimly lit space, how might it change our understanding of the girl? Timeline of Art History www.metmuseum.toah |
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