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Lot Essay
Commonly, representations of Artemis (Diana) in post-antique sculpture followed the 4th century BC model of the Diana Chasseresse; arrested in motion, reaching for a bow from her quiver with one hand and grabbing a stag by the antlers with the other. Here, however, the virgin huntress is depicted in marble boldly striding forward, yet with a rigidity of pose that is reminiscent of archaic Greek sculpture.
The highly stylised features of this figure, such as the 'archaic smile' and the varying thickness of drapery are typical of Athenian sculpture from the middle of the 6th century BC. The closest stylistic examples are the group of korae found on the Athenian Acropolis, especially numbers 681 and 647 (Stewart, loc. cit.) which demonstrate the same fascination with drapery and stylised facial types. The pose, while unusual for a neo-classical sculpture, is probably an adaptation of relief sculpture from the early classical period.
The highly stylised features of this figure, such as the 'archaic smile' and the varying thickness of drapery are typical of Athenian sculpture from the middle of the 6th century BC. The closest stylistic examples are the group of korae found on the Athenian Acropolis, especially numbers 681 and 647 (Stewart, loc. cit.) which demonstrate the same fascination with drapery and stylised facial types. The pose, while unusual for a neo-classical sculpture, is probably an adaptation of relief sculpture from the early classical period.