COLLECTION NAME:
The AMICA Library
Record
AMICA ID:
MIA_.25.25
AMICA Library Year:
1998
Object Type:
Sculpture
Creator Name:
Unknown
Creator Nationality:
European; Southern European; Greek
Creator Role:
sculptor
Creator Name-CRT:
artist unknown
Title:
Crouching Lion
View:
Side
Creation Date:
330 B.C.
Creation Start Date:
-330
Creation End Date:
-330
Materials and Techniques:
marble
Creation Place:
Athens
Dimensions:
H.29 x L.48 in.
Component Measured:
overall
Measurement Unit:
in
AMICA Contributor:
The Minneapolis Institute of Arts
Owner Location:
Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
ID Number:
25.25
Credit Line:
The Ethel Morrison Van Derlip Fund
Context:
Although the ancient Greeks used a variety of animals, including bulls, griffins and lions, to decorate tombs, lions were the most popular, typically functioning as guardian figures. This lion was discovered in a cemetery north of the Acropolis in 1914.
This sculpture illustrates the difficulty in using style to date a work. The Classical period in Greek sculpture, ending in 323 B.C. with the death of Alexander the Great, emphasized accuracy of physical details, as shown here in the veins and musculature of the feline body. However, the tufted mane, furrowed brow and facial features are more typical of the succeeding Hellenistic period, known for its greater expressiveness and variety of sculptural poses.
Related Image Identifier Link:
MIA_.1686c.tif
