Detail of a Terracotta Statuette of an Emaciated Woman in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, June 2010

Terracotta statuette of an emaciated woman
Greek, Asia Minor, Smyrna, 1st century BC
Said to have been found near Ephesos.

Accession # 89.2.2141

This statuette of an emaciated woman with elongated proportions is a striking portrayal of the human condition. At first glance, she looks like an old woman, with her bony frame and sagging, ill-shapen breasts that hang above her slightly bulging belly. But her statuesque contrapposto pose, diaphanous dress that slips of f her right shoulder, and the style of her hair, which is worn long and down, suggest that she is a young woman who is suffering from a debilitating disease.

Text from the Metropolitan Museum Art label.