Votive Relief of Pensive Athena, Detail

Alternative Title

Mourning Athena

Creator

• Attic workshop

Files

Publisher

Saskia, Ltd., Cultural Documentation

Publication Date

1966

Time Period

circa 460 BCE

Abstract

Detail of Athen's upper portions

Keywords

Greek Classical period, Sculpture (Visual works), Reliefs (Sculptures), Stelae, Severe Style (Greek sculpture art)

Alt Text

A stone carving depicting a robed figure with detailed facial features and flowing drapery. The figure's hand is positioned near the face, holding an object.

Extent

1 color photograph

Geographic Location

Greece; Athens (Greece); Acropolis (Athens, Greece)

Rights

This material is licensed by USF Libraries for the research and teaching needs of USF students, staff, and faculty only. See: https://lib.usf.edu/collections-and-discovery/collection-management/user-terms/

Access Restrictions

Only thumbnail images and descriptive information are available to non-USF users. Full access to this collection is available only to authorized users on the USF network on campus or via VPN.

Media Type

Color photographs

Format

Digital Only

Note

This relief was discovered in two pieces, south of the Parthenon in 1888 and is a prime example of the sculptural art during this time called 'Severe Style' following the Persian Wars of 480 BCE. Shown is Athena in front of a low stele. She is adorned in a peplos, secured around her waist with a belt, along with a Corinthian-type helmet atop her head. She leans on her spear that she hold with one hand, with the other on her hip. Her feet are bare, with her bodyweight primarily placed on the right for, while the left is extended backwards. Her head is bowed, directing her gaze at the stele in front of her. Some scholar consider this to be a boundary marker of the goddess's sanctuary, while others think it was inscribed with an archive of the sanctuary's offerings. Some also believe it recorded the names of fallen warriors, matching the saddened facial expression. While the relief appears as white today, spectrographically analysis has indicated that the background would have been painted blue in ancient times. This object is currently housed in the Acropolis Museum, Athens, Greece.

Identifier

A01-JGC0425

Recommended Citation

Attic workshop, "Votive Relief of Pensive Athena, Detail" (1966). Art and Art History Collection (Saskia). 452.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/saskia/452