Classification
Dimensions
125 x 86 x 74 cm
Date
early 20th century
Period
Material
Iconography
Inventory
Ag.155
ID
Hyp-5864
References
Demeter sits on a throne, her hands, now missing, probably held a torch or a libation bowl. Her thick mantle covers her body and her head. This solemn tranquility befits the goddess, the divine model for women. With one foot slightly forward — a sign of tension —, she gazes into the distance. Spectators of the statue must have known the myth: the goddess is searching and grieving for her daughter, Persephone, abducted by Hades, the lord of the Underworld. The myth was more than just the story of an abduction: the statue was found in the sanctuary of Demeter at Knidos, where Persephone and Hades were also worshipped.
