Figure of a Youth from a Funerary Stele (Monument)

Description

This young man’s angular nose, bow-shaped mouth, and softly muscled body reflect the ideals of male beauty that prevailed in the fourth century BCE. His mantle, attached at one shoulder, suggests that he was a servant or enslaved person. This fragmentary portrait was likely part of a more complex scene; perhaps this figure accompanied his master in a larger composition.

Provenance

Said to be from Kerameikos Cemetary, Athens [according to registrar documents]. Mathias Komor (1909-1984), New York City; sold to the Art Institute, 1960; price reiumbursed by Srma and Silvain S. Wyler, 1960.

Figure of a Youth from a Funerary Stele (Monument)

Ancient Greek

about 380 BCE

Accession Number

11625

Medium

Marble

Dimensions

77 × 26 × 18 cm (31 1/2 × 10 1/4 × 7 in.)

Classification

marble

Museum

The Art Institute of Chicago

Chicago, United States

Credit Line

Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Silvain S. Wyler