Ancient Greek (Unknown), CC0 1.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Bronze statuette of a veiled and masked dancer
by Ancient Greek (Unknown), -200
Artwork Details
Details
- Year
- -200
- Medium
- Bronze
- Size
- 8 1/16 × 3 1/2 × 4 1/2 in., 65.6oz. (20.5 × 8.9 × 11.4 cm, 4.1 lb.)
Cite or Embed This Work
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Ancient Greek This small Hellenistic bronze captures a dancer mid-spin, her entire body wrapped in thin fabric that clings to her form. The drapery swirls around her in an effect known as "wet drapery," making the bronze look like transparent cloth. Her face is covered by a veil and mask, adding mystery to the figure. She dates to the 3rd-2nd century BCE.
The technical skill required to cast fabric this thin in bronze is extraordinary. The artist achieved something almost paradoxical: hard metal that looks soft and weightless. The dancer is likely performing in a theatrical context. Greek and Hellenistic art pushed the depiction of fabric in motion to extreme levels, and this piece is among the finest surviving examples.
She stands about 20 cm (8 inches) tall and is on view at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
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About Bronze statuette of a veiled and masked dancer
The drapery looks like real fabric despite being cast bronze. The 'wet drapery' technique makes the thin veil cling to the dancer's body while swirling outward from her spin. Casting bronze to look this delicate required extraordinary skill.
She's likely a theatrical performer, not a specific individual. Her face is covered by both a veil and mask, which was common in Greek theatrical performances. The piece dates to the 3rd-2nd century BCE, during the Hellenistic period.
It's at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, in the Greek and Roman Art galleries. Standing about 20 cm (8 inches) tall, it's small but considered one of the finest Hellenistic bronzes in the collection.
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