Terracotta statuette of an emaciated woman

Unknown

1st century BCE · Terracotta · Greek and Roman Art

This statuette of an emaciated woman with elongated proportions is a striking portrayal of the human condition. At first glance, she looks like an old woman, with her bony frame and sagging, ill-shapen breasts that hang above her slightly bulging belly. But her statuesque contrapposto pose, diaphanous dress that slips off her right shoulder, and the style of her hair, which is worn long and down, suggest that she is a young woman who is suffering from a debilitating disease.

Artist

Unknown

Date

1st century BCE

Medium

Terracotta

Culture

Greek, Asia Minor, Smyrna

Department

Greek and Roman Art

Credit line

Gift of Joseph W. Drexel, 1889