Head and part of the back of a marble statue
1st or 2nd century CE
Medium
Marble, Parian
Dimensions
H. 17 1/4 (43.8 cm.) width 8 1/4 (21.0) depth 8 1/2 (21.6 cm.)
Classification
Stone Sculpture
Culture & Period
Roman · Imperial
Department
Greek and Roman Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1908
Accession Number
08.258.43
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite marble fragment, depicting the head and part of back of a statue attributed to the renowned Greek sculptor Praxiteles dates to the 1st or 2nd century CE Rome's Imperial period. Carved from prized Parian marble—a fine, translucent white stone quarried on the island of Paros favored by ancient sculptors for its purity—this piece stands just over 17 inches tall. Acquired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art through the Rogers Fund in 8, it exemplifies the Roman tradition of replicating celebrated Greek masterpieces, preserving Praxiteles' legacy for posterity. Praxiteles (active ca. ...
About the Artist
Praxiteles
Praxiteles (flourished 370–330 BCE) stands as one of the most original and influential sculptors of ancient Greece, whose revolutionary approach to the human form profoundly altered the course of Western sculpture. Active during the fourth century BCE in Athens, Praxiteles transformed the detached, majestic style of earlier Greek sculpture into one of gentle grace and sensuous charm, introducing a...