STATUE OF A GODDESS: THE SO-CALLED HESTIA GIUSTINIANI

Dimensions
200 x 78 x 50 cm
Period
Material
Production place
Inventory
Ag.376
ID
Hyp-6435
References
Hekler, Gipszgyűjtemény, no. 65

Statue of a goddess wearing a thick robe (peplos) and a mantle pulled over her head. She steps slightly to the back with her left foot; the gesture is only visible from the side or the back — from the front it is completely hidden by the peplos. The right hand rests on the hip, the bent left hand may have held a sceptre. The statue was formerly identified with Hestia, the goddess of the home and the hearth, but it may also depict Hera or Demeter. It probably follows an early Classical (Severe style) Greek bronze. This is suggested by the block-like structure, the posture, and the simple rhythm of the drapery.