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Terracotta statuette of an emaciated woman

1st century BCE
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 164
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.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Terracotta statuette of an emaciated woman
  • Period: Late Hellenistic
  • Date: 1st century BCE
  • Culture: Greek, Asia Minor, Smyrna
  • Medium: Terracotta
  • Dimensions: H. 6 5/8 in. (16.8 cm)
  • Classification: Terracottas
  • Credit Line: Gift of Joseph W. Drexel, 1889
  • Object Number: 89.2.2141
  • Curatorial Department: Greek and Roman Art

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