Marble Statue of a Seated Woman in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, July 2007

Marble statue of a seated woman
Roman, Early Imperial, 1st century AD
Roman version of a Greek statue type of the 3rd-2nd century BC

Accession # 18.145.55

Statues of women proliferated during the Hellenistic period. Some represented nymphs, young female divinities who were thought to be associated with some aspect of nature, such as a river or a great tree. Others portrayed the nine Muses, who followed Apollo and brought inspiration to artists, poets, and musicians, and were displayed in groups, each holding an identifying attribute.

Text from the Metropolitan Museum of Art label.