Comparing Sleeping Eros and a Stele of a Little Girl
Joyce Salame
Art History Paper
Whether in the fifth century B.C.E or the first century C.E, Greek art has maintained continuity among its theories since its inception. Throughout history, the Greeks have been perfecting their human sculptures. The Metropolitan Kouros (600 B.C.E) and the Spear Bearer (450 B.C.E) are made centuries apart but have the same Greek interest of the human anatomy. However, because of the time difference, it is clear that the Spear Bearer is more advanced. The same idea goes to the marble grave Stele of a Little Girl (440 B.C.E) and the bronze statue of Eros Sleeping (1st century C.E). They share many similarities such as the Greek touch; conversely, they have their differences. The two sculptures, Stele of a Little Girl and Eros Sleeping, are two Greek sculptures that have survived throughout history and are now located at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Although the sculptures represent different things, they complement each other in many ways. They are both sculptures of a child and display child-like peacefulness but at the same time have adult like characteristics. The marble grave Stele of a Little Girl, which is similar to a present day tombstone, is a 31 and a half-inch Classical Greek Sculpture made in 450-440 B.C.E. This stele is built from marble because it was found in Parlos, a Greek island, where marble was plentiful (metmuseum.org). The fact that the stele is a relief sculpture makes the feeling it brings out more tense and serious. During the Classical Greek time, the picture in the stele would represent what the person who died looked like. Greeks identify people by gender and age. This stele is one of a young girl. Her clothing is unbelted making it open on the sides, which reveals her stance. She is standing with one leg bent, which shows a naturalistic form of movement. Moreover, her mouth is curved down into a frown while her head is bowed. This characteristic gives her a very serious face that
Art History Paper
Whether in the fifth century B.C.E or the first century C.E, Greek art has maintained continuity among its theories since its inception. Throughout history, the Greeks have been perfecting their human sculptures. The Metropolitan Kouros (600 B.C.E) and the Spear Bearer (450 B.C.E) are made centuries apart but have the same Greek interest of the human anatomy. However, because of the time difference, it is clear that the Spear Bearer is more advanced. The same idea goes to the marble grave Stele of a Little Girl (440 B.C.E) and the bronze statue of Eros Sleeping (1st century C.E). They share many similarities such as the Greek touch; conversely, they have their differences. The two sculptures, Stele of a Little Girl and Eros Sleeping, are two Greek sculptures that have survived throughout history and are now located at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Although the sculptures represent different things, they complement each other in many ways. They are both sculptures of a child and display child-like peacefulness but at the same time have adult like characteristics. The marble grave Stele of a Little Girl, which is similar to a present day tombstone, is a 31 and a half-inch Classical Greek Sculpture made in 450-440 B.C.E. This stele is built from marble because it was found in Parlos, a Greek island, where marble was plentiful (metmuseum.org). The fact that the stele is a relief sculpture makes the feeling it brings out more tense and serious. During the Classical Greek time, the picture in the stele would represent what the person who died looked like. Greeks identify people by gender and age. This stele is one of a young girl. Her clothing is unbelted making it open on the sides, which reveals her stance. She is standing with one leg bent, which shows a naturalistic form of movement. Moreover, her mouth is curved down into a frown while her head is bowed. This characteristic gives her a very serious face that