Marble Statuette of a Seated Philosopher in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, May 2008

Marble Statuette of a Seated Philosopher
Roman, Imperial period, 1st or 2nd century AD
Copy after a Greek statue of ca. 250 BC

Accession # 24.73

Several other small-scale copies of this type have been identified. The best preserved example is a bronze in the British Museum. Much of the intellectual intensity of the portrait is conveyed in the figure's face. The body language- the crossed legs, the position of the left arm in the himation (cloak), and the forward-leaning pose- adds to the evocation of a man deep in thought. According to one interpretation, this work depicts the Stoic philosopher Kleanthes of Assos (331-232 BC), the foremost pupil of Zeno.

Text from the Metropolitan Museum of Art label.