Greek Grave Stele Of A Little Girl

The representation of figures on Greek grave relief is common for the Classical period. By looking at this work of art, one may not realize all the underlying beauty and mystery within the meanings foreshadowed in the relief sculpted into the stone. This Grecian relief carving of a “Grave Stele of a Little Girl” represents a sweet and solemn young child who looks down at her two pet birds resembling doves that embrace her, welcoming to another life of peace, purity, and innocence. This Greek piece of art is simple, but also ideal by making depictions look timeless. The surface of the marble used to carve this relief of a little girl is smooth and creates a three-dimensional illusion of the detailed naturalistic rendition of the human anatomy. The function of the grave stele was a memorial documentation that stands as a tombstone signifying the prominence of the person that has been buried in the place of the graveyard where people have been commemorated. The relief figure is the size of a real-life little girl who would have adored her pet birds. The composition is balanced with a positive and negative space, enforcing light and shadows presented by the three-dimensionality of the relief figure.
The back of the stele is believed to be flat with no engravings on the polished marble. With a strong, serene expression on the girls face and her head bow down is where seriousness is interpreted as unusual for a young-looking child to portray in this sense. The wave-patterned strands of long hair on her scalp that fall and flow in a naturalistic way emphasize that the figure's gender is feminine and the gentle, soft sheen skin of the rippled baby fat texture that is polished in a natural three-dimensional way mimics the youthful, luminous flesh of a real, young female