What's so significant about the nudity in this early Greek sculpture?

"His power resides in his beautiful body and the steadfast gaze."

Curator Joan Mertens on a marble statue of a youth.

Throughout 2013, The Met invited curators from across the Museum to each talk about one artwork that changed the way they see the world. Each episode is interpreted by a Museum photographer.


Contributors

Photography by Eileen Travell


A woman thoughtfully gazes at a painting in a gallery. The painting depicts a lady in a blue skirt and white bonnet pouring liquid by a window.
Video
Join Ana Gasteyer, actress, comedian, and singer, for a look at one of her favorite Met objects.
April 23
A blonde, angel looking downwards with a green wing coming out of its back. The angel is draped in a white and red robe.
Explore the biography of the famed Renaissance artist through a selection of extraordinary works.
Caroline Elenowitz-Hess
March 23
Detail of a painting of a pale-faced woman with pink cheeks and light brown hair against a dark background.
Learn about the artist’s subversive and probing representations of herself and others.
Patricia G. Berman
March 13
More in:Portraiture
A slider containing 1 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Marble statue of a kouros (youth), Marble, Naxian, Greek, Attic
Greek, Attic
ca. 590–580 BCE