Blog Post #5

                           


                           



                          The Old Market Woman






           Sculpted in the Hellenistic period in Ancient Greece, this piece (Roman copy) accurately represents characteristics of art during the Hellenistic period. In Greece, prior to the Hellenistic period, artists were consumed with the idea of perfectionism and idealism; they loved to show flawless people in their prime. Obviously, this piece goes against perfectionism. This is the first veristic piece in Ancient Greece. Here, the artists' intent was to portray an overwhelming sense of pain through pathos.


Through rhythmos in her clothing and tensed muscles in motion, her pain is quite visible. Her expression shows her old age and years of being beaten down. These are common characteristics of Hellenistic art. During this time period, artists became obsessed with accurate representation of childhood, old-age, and even physical deformity.


The crown on the woman's head associates her with Dionysus, the Greek god of wine. Veneration of Dionysus was widespread during the Hellenistic period, so perhaps this piece was created in his commemoration. The basket she carries suggests either an offering to Dionysus, to herself after a long day of work, or simply something to bargain as a trade in the market.


This is, in one notable way, a Roman copy of the original piece. While still a beautiful work of art, there is a feature here that Greeks would absolutely not allowed. Greeks only created free-standing statues, not statues that were attached. However, it is still outstanding and intricate.