Marble grave stele with a family group

Unknown

ca. 360 BCE · Marble, Pentelic · Greek and Roman Art

Because the framing niche that once surrounded this relief is missing, there are no inscriptions that might identify the deceased. Both the seated man and the veiled woman behind him stare straight ahead, as if the young woman who gazes down at them were invisible. Do they mourn their dead daughter? Does she mourn her dead father, or is she the sole survivor of the group? Despite its ambiguity and solemn sadness, the relief conveys an intense, though restrained, sense of family unity. Carved by a master, this grave stele is one of the most magnificent examples that have survived from the classical period.

Artist

Unknown

Date

ca. 360 BCE

Medium

Marble, Pentelic

Culture

Greek, Attic

Department

Greek and Roman Art

Credit line

Rogers Fund, 1911