Reduced representations of the human figure

In Greek art, the human figure is typically represented as an organic whole, but in some depictions the head receives special emphasis. The body may be schematic (1–3), or completely absent, as in the case of the two plastically modelled vases (4–5) or in that of the protomes in relief (6–10). These female heads wearing a diadem and a veil were produced in series. They were votive gifts, and could equally depict those visiting the sanctuary and the goddess worshipped there.

Representations focusing on the human face offer an opportunity to observe the stylistic features that characterise the Archaic and Classical periods of Greek art (see Hellas in the exhibition of Classical Antiquities). On pieces made in the 7th and 6th centuries, the naturalism of certain details goes together with an abstract overall structure (4, 6, 9). The face may be triangular (6), the eyes smoothed onto a curved surface (4). The structure of the face undergoes significant changes on pieces from the 5th century BC: the eyes now fit plastically into the eye-sockets (7–8, 10).

The bronze female head (11) is also a reduced representation, but is not ancient – it was made in the late 19th century. The edge of the neck is not a fractured surface – the head was cast to be this way: the piece was originally meant to be a fragment.

1/11. Seated plank figurine. Athens or Boeotia, late 6th century BC