Marble grave stele of a little girl

ca. 450–440 BCE
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 156
The gentle gravity of this child is beautifully expressed through her sweet farewell to her pet doves. Her peplos is unbelted and falls open at the side, while the folds of drapery clearly reveal her stance. Many of the most skillful stone carvers came from the Cycladic Islands, where marble was plentiful. The sculptor of this stele could have been among the artists who congregated in Athens during the third quarter of the fifth century B.C. to decorate the Parthenon.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Marble grave stele of a little girl
  • Period: Classical
  • Date: ca. 450–440 BCE
  • Culture: Greek
  • Medium: Marble, Parian
  • Dimensions: Height: 31 3/4 in. (80.6 cm)
    Width (top): 14 9/16 in. (37 cm)
    Width (base): 15 1/2 × 4 in., 131 lb. (39.4 × 10.2 cm, 59.4 kg)
  • Classification: Stone Sculpture
  • Credit Line: Fletcher Fund, 1927
  • Object Number: 27.45
  • Curatorial Department: Greek and Roman Art

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