Hellenistic Greek Marble Head of a Young Woman

The head, preserved at approximately half life-size, is carved from a block of fine white, coarse-grained marble. Despite the present losses, the workmanship is clearly that of a skilled sculptor, who succeeded in endowing the piece with harmonious plastic forms and a precise rendering of anatomical detail. The modeling of the muscles on the right side of the neck (almost entirely intact) shows no sign of movement or torsion, indicating that the head was held upright; the gaze is concentrated and directed toward a point directly ahead.

The left side of the head is broken away diagonally in a regular manner (the fracture surface is flat and slightly pitted), though the steep inclination of the break remains puzzling. At the back, the nape bears a deep, diagonally cut groove with a central perforation, which most likely attests to the attachment of an artificial chignon, probably made of plaster. On the crown of the head, slightly off-center to the right, is a vaguely square area whose purpose is uncertain, though it may have supported another separately fashioned element, such as a diadem or additional plaster hair.

It is difficult to reconstruct precisely how the work originally appeared. The straightforward gaze and the neutral disposition of the neck muscles suggest a simple arrangement: the head probably belonged to a statuette of a female figure, completed – as was customary – by separately made elements (in this case, the coiffure). The fractures may have resulted from accidental damage (the fall of the statue causing the breaks) or possibly from the later reuse of the piece. Another hypothesis is that the head formed part of a relief, as suggested by the break on the left side; however, the pronounced inclination of the surface would have placed the head in a most unnatural position.

The sculpture represents a youthful adult female, characterized by a long, slender face forming an oval that tapers into a pointed chin. The features are refined and idealized; the skin is smooth and taut, modeled without wrinkles or marked expression. A slight asymmetry is discernible in the eyes and cheeks; the eyes are almond-shaped, the nose fine and regular, the lips small yet full.

The hairstyle is typical of many female representations in the Classical and Hellenistic periods. The mass of hair, finely rendered in wavy locks, frames the face like a small pediment, descending over the temples and ears from a central parting. Bound by a ribbon encircling the head, the hair is drawn back to form what was likely a large chignon. As noted, the crown may also have supported an additional element. Only the lower portion of the right ear is preserved.

The absence of specific attributes prevents a precise identification of the figure. Yet the typology points toward a divine rather than a mortal subject, above all because of the lack of individualized features. Within the Greco-Roman pantheon, three divinities are most often represented as youthful women with long hair: Aphrodite, goddess of love (who, from the beginning of the Hellenistic period, became one of the most central figures in ancient iconography); Artemis, associated with hunting and, more broadly, with the natural world; and Persephone, goddess of agriculture and vegetation, daughter of Demeter and consort of Hades (whose cyclical descent to and return from the underworld symbolized the seasonal renewal of spring).

If one of these identifications is accepted, the statuette may originally have adorned a small sanctuary, perhaps even a domestic shrine: either as a cult image or as an ex-voto offering from a devotee – certainly from a wealthy and cultivated milieu – dedicated to the favored deity in gratitude.

Broken on the left side at the level of the ear and at the nape, where it bears a deep groove; the neck and most of the coiffure remain intact; surface is smooth, polished, and well cleaned, with a light, uniform beige patina.

Ex- private collection, Northern France ; ex- Dizard private collection, acquired in 1980’s; Sens-Enchères, Sens, 28 June 2003, lot 74.

Sens-Enchères, Sens, 28 June 2003, lot 74.

On the Hellenistic sculpture :

QUEYREL F., La sculpture hellénistique, Tome I : Formes, thèmes et fonctions, Paris, 2016.

SMITH R.R.R., Hellenistic Sculpture, London, 1991.

On the iconography of three goddesses:

Lexicon Iconographicum Mythologiae Classicae (LIMC), vol. II, Zurich – Munich, 1984, s. v. Aphrodite, pp. 2 ff.; s.v. Artemis, pp. 618 ff.

Lexicon Iconographicum Mythologiae Classicae (LIMC), vol. II, Zurich – Dusseldorf, 1997, s. v. Persephone, pp. 956 ff.