Girl with Doves and Dionysos and Retinue
Museum Paper Assignment: Girl with the Doves and Dionysos and Retinue
Art History I
Professor E. Gibson
December 2, 2009
In ancient Roman and Greek cultures it is evident that many sculptures were utilized to honor the deceased. Funerary art such as the Greek Grave Stele of a Little Girl and the Roman Triumph of Dionysos and the Seasons Sarcophagus are deeply connected by the purpose and medium of which the sculptures were created yet dissimilar in the style and themes portrayed.
The Grave Stele of a Little Girl depicts a young girl in profile standing with her left foot in front of her right. This piece is a low-relief sculpture carved in marble in which the depth of the image is relatively shallow. Along with the position of her feet her stomach is pushed forward and her shoulders rest behind the bulk of her body creating an arch in her back. The position of her limbs, in which her left foot is bent in front of the right, and the arch in her back create a contrapposto stance typical of historical Grecian works. This stance gives form to a relaxed and reflective scene in which the young girl is holding two birds, seemingly doves.
The little girl’s left hand is in an upright position acting as a base for one of the doves to stand on and her right hand is in an upward position as if she is petting the bird in an affectionate manner with a relaxed and stretched forefinger. Her deeply carved eyes are staring down at the bird perched on her left hand, whereas her right hand and forearm are delicately clinging the second bird towards her body. The dove adjacent to her body is facing her head in which the beak of the dove is touching the young girls lips. The girl’s hair is loosely carved to depict light waves and curls that lay effortlessly on her head. Half of her hair is pulled into a tight bun at the back of her head, whereas the bottom half is loosely draped along the back of her neck. She is wearing a floor length Peplos
Art History I
Professor E. Gibson
December 2, 2009
In ancient Roman and Greek cultures it is evident that many sculptures were utilized to honor the deceased. Funerary art such as the Greek Grave Stele of a Little Girl and the Roman Triumph of Dionysos and the Seasons Sarcophagus are deeply connected by the purpose and medium of which the sculptures were created yet dissimilar in the style and themes portrayed.
The Grave Stele of a Little Girl depicts a young girl in profile standing with her left foot in front of her right. This piece is a low-relief sculpture carved in marble in which the depth of the image is relatively shallow. Along with the position of her feet her stomach is pushed forward and her shoulders rest behind the bulk of her body creating an arch in her back. The position of her limbs, in which her left foot is bent in front of the right, and the arch in her back create a contrapposto stance typical of historical Grecian works. This stance gives form to a relaxed and reflective scene in which the young girl is holding two birds, seemingly doves.
The little girl’s left hand is in an upright position acting as a base for one of the doves to stand on and her right hand is in an upward position as if she is petting the bird in an affectionate manner with a relaxed and stretched forefinger. Her deeply carved eyes are staring down at the bird perched on her left hand, whereas her right hand and forearm are delicately clinging the second bird towards her body. The dove adjacent to her body is facing her head in which the beak of the dove is touching the young girls lips. The girl’s hair is loosely carved to depict light waves and curls that lay effortlessly on her head. Half of her hair is pulled into a tight bun at the back of her head, whereas the bottom half is loosely draped along the back of her neck. She is wearing a floor length Peplos