COLLECTION NAME:
The AMICA Library
Record
AMICA ID:
AIC_.1926.441
AMICA Library Year:
1998
Object Type:
Sculpture
Creator:
Greek (Hellenistic) or Roman copy of a fourth-century B.C. Greek original
Creator Name:
Unknown
Creator Nationality:
European; Southern European; Mediterranean
Creator Dates/Places:
Ancient Greece Early Western World, Ancient Mediterranean, Ancient
Creator Name-CRT:
Greek
Creator Nationality:
European; Southern European; Roman
Creator Role:
Artist
Creator Dates/Places:
Roman Republic and Empire
Creator Name-CRT:
After Roman
Title:
Torso of a Youth
Title Type:
preferred
View:
front view
Creation Date:
Hellenistic Greek or Roman, 2nd/1st century B.C.
Creation Start Date:
-200
Creation End Date:
-1
Materials and Techniques:
Marble
Subject Description:
This torso is an adaptation, perhaps from the later Hellenistic or early Imperial era, of a Greek original of the fourth century B.C. The pose of the hips shows that the original staue stood with its weight on the left leg. The thrust of the left hip andthe slanting shoulder create a pronounced S curve, often associated with Praxiteles and typical of torsos of the later fourth century. Smooth modeling of the surface and soft forms suggest the youth of the figure. A diagonal swath of drapery across the back perhaps originally ran across either arm and fell down either side, thus framing the figure.
Creation Place:
Early Western World,Roman Republic and Empire
Dimensions:
H.: 66.2 cm (25-1/2 in.); Max. W.: 38.7 cm (15-1/4 in.)
AMICA Contributor:
The Art Institute of Chicago
Owner Location:
Chicago, Illinois, USA
ID Number:
1926.441
Credit Line:
Robert A. Waller Fund
Context:
Hellenistic or Roman copy of fourth-century B.C. Greek original. During the second and first centuries B.C. the Romans conquered the cities and kingdoms that made up the Greek world; however, they promptly turned to Greece for much of their artistic inspiration. Educated Romans spoke Greek, studied with Greek scholars in Athens and Ionia, and copied Greek styles in writing, speaking, architecture, painting, and sculpture. They removed original art from the Greek world to decorate their private and public buildings, and when demand outstripped supply, they commissioned copies of Greek originals. Sculptures with mythological references were sought because they bespoke educated and cultured Roman patrons who placed sculpture in their gardens, baths, and living rooms according to the meanings they wanted to convey.
Related Image Identifier Link:
AIC_.E28713.TIF
