Panel from a Sarcophagus Depicting the Abduction of Persephone
190-200
Medium
Marble
Dimensions
99 × 170.2 × 17.8 cm (39 × 67 × 7 in.)
Classification
sarcophagus
Department
Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
210830
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
This panel—once the long side of a sarcophagus, or coffin––depicts the abduction of the maiden Persephone by Hades, the Greek god of the underworld. On the left, Demeter, the Greek goddess of the harvest, drives a chariot in search of her daughter. Kneeling in front is Persephone, who looks upward in the moment before her abduction. On the right, Hades flees with the girl thrown over his shoulder. While searching for her daughter, Demeter stopped cultivating the land, and a great famine ensued....
About the Artist
Ancient Roman
The artists attributed to "Ancient Roman" in museum collections represent the anonymous craftsmen who produced the vast output of sculpture, frescoes, mosaics, and reliefs defining Roman visual culture from the Republic (c. 509–27 BCE) to the late Empire (c. 395 CE). Individual identities remain elusive, as Roman makers were typically viewed as skilled tradesmen—often enslaved Greeks or provincial...