Loan from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC, on view
The San Antonio Museum of Art is pleased to announce that Statue of a young man from ancient Cyprus is now on view in the Greek Gallery. This impressive limestone statue, which stands approximately three-and-a-half feet tall, is on loan from the Metropolitan Museum of Art for the next two years.
One of many votive statues dedicated to the gods in a sanctuary at Golgoi, in southeastern Cyprus, the statue is part of the collection assembled in the 1860s and 1870s by the American consul to Cyprus, Luigi Palma di Cesnola. The Cesnola collection, which the Metropolitan Museum acquired between 1874 and 1876, includes the most important group of Cypriot limestone statues outside of Cyprus.
Though now missing its lower legs and feet, the statue was probably intended to stand in the sanctuary as a perpetual worshipper on behalf of the man who dedicated it. The man's distinctive outfit consists of a tunic worn over a pleated undergarment, a band of cloth draped over his left shoulder and tucked under his belt, and an elaborate headband with rosettes. He carries a sword and a perfume bottle in his left hand. The man's facial features and slight smile reflect Cypriot familiarity with Greek art of the late sixth century B.C.
“We are fortunate to be able to display this engaging statue from the Metropolitan Museum. The statue enhances our presentation of the art of ancient Cyprus, which is not well represented in our permanent collection,” said Jessica Powers, The Gilbert M. Denman, Jr. Curator of Art of the Ancient Mediterranean World
The statue is on view in the Greek Gallery along with other Cypriot works in the Museum's collection, including a head of Herakles and several vases.
Image:
Statue of a young man
Cypriot, ca. 500–450 B.C.
limestone; h. 41 1/4 in. (104.4 cm), w. 17 in. (43.2 cm), d. 10 in. (25.4 cm)
Lent by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Cesnola Collection, purchased by subscription, 1874–1876
L.2014.4
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The San Antonio Museum of Art is housed in the historic Lone Star Brewery on the Museum Reach of the San Antonio Riverwalk. The collection contains more than 25,000 works representing 5,000 years of history and cultures from around the world. The Museum houses the largest collection of ancient Egyptian, Greek, and Roman art in Texas.
