Comparison Between Estate Figure and Marble Statue of an Old Woman

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Comparison between Estate Figure and Marble Statue of an Old Woman
The Marble Statue of an Old Woman was carved during the Hellenistic period, a historical period that saw a trend toward the presentation of the ordinary or lowly and the real. Compared to the artists of the Classic Period, the art from the Hellenistic period showed a dramatic transformation when artists represented a range of subjects, including aged courtesans, fishers, and peasants (Metropolitan Museum). The Marble Statue of an Old Woman also known as The Old Market Woman represents a shift in this trend. Upon its first discovery in 1907, in Rome, at the foot of the Capitoline hill, the statue was thought to represent a woman selling a basket of vegetables or fruits and some chicken. However, the woman was then said to represent an old courtesan traveling to a festival hosted by Dionysos, the god of wine (Metropolitan Museum). The woman is depicted to be old, but with loose garments that partially expose her breasts. The ivy wreath worn on her head shows that she is associated with Dionysos, and the wreath is normally worn during funerals (Metropolitan Museum). The Marble Statue of an Old Woman is also said to give the idea of the extravagant festivals and processions that took place in honor of the wine god.
The Estate Figure represents a finely carved statue of an Egyptian female servant balancing a basket on her head and carrying a foul on her right hand. The figure was discovered in a hidden chamber in the tomb of Chief Steward Meketre (Metropolitan Museum). The statue was part of twenty-two other types of models offering boats and bearers. These models offering bearers are depicted as tall figures, and a majority of them tend to be female. The woman is shown walking with a basket on her head filled with meat and live ducks on her hand (Metropolitan Museum). The figure is also large because she exemplifies products of Meketre’s entire estate, which she is meant to be the source that gives offerings for his funeral cult in the afterlife. The figure was found during an excavation in 1920 (Metropolitan Museum).
The two art forms have some differences and similarities as well. The material from which the two figures are carved from is different. As mentioned in the name, the Marble Statue of an Old Woman is carved from marble. This material was commonly used during the classical period and the Hellenistic period because it enabled the artists to create sculptures that had smooth curves. The Estate Figure, on the other hand, is made of wood, a material that is also easy to carve but does not result in curves that are as smooth as marble. The two sculptors also differ in dimensions. The Marble Statue of an Old Woman has a height of 125.98 centimeters, which is taller than the Estate figure, which is 112 centimeters (Metropolitan Museum). The dressing of the two figures also represents the difference in status. The period in which the sculptures were carved is also different. The Marble Statue of an Old Woman was carved during the Early Imperial era, which is...