Statuette of a Female Figure
Early Bronze Age, 2600–2400 BCE
Medium
Marble
Dimensions
39.9 × 11.6 × 4.9 cm (15 11/16 × 4 9/16 × 1 15/16 in.)
Classification
statuette
Department
Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
52201
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Cycladic sculpture is characterized by the abstract treatment of the human form. The vast majority of the white marble statuettes depict pregnant females, suggesting an association with fertility or regenerative forces. Although they are admired today for their stark simplicity, these statuettes once had hair, eyes, jewelry, or other ornaments added in red, blue, and black pigment, which has since faded.
About the Artist
Ancient Greek
The artist known simply as "Ancient Greek" represents the anonymous masters of Attic vase painting, a cornerstone of Classical Greek art from the Archaic and Classical periods (circa 700–300 BCE). Little is known of their personal life, as ancient Greek potters and painters rarely signed their works or left biographical traces; early life and training remain not well documented. These creators ope...