Greek; Athens
Fragment of a Funerary Naiskos (Monument in the Shape of a Temple)
INV-5588
Greek; Athensabout 330 BCE
Fragment of a Funerary Naiskos (Monument in the Shape of a Temple)
Greek; Athens →late classicalClassicalarchitectural fragmentmarble
Date
about 330 BCE
Medium
Marble
Dimensions
152.4 × 111.8 × 33 cm (60 × 44 × 13 in.)
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Location
Chicago, IL
Credit
Alexander White Collection
Travelers in ancient Greece and Rome regularly encountered large stone monuments like this along the roadsides, marking the burial sites of elite families. They were made in a range of shapes and sizes and often preserve visual hints about who the deceased person was in life. In this example, three larger-than-life-sized figures are chiseled so deeply into the stone that they are carved nearly in the round. The two male individuals are shown clasping hands—a parting gesture common in funerary scenes. While there is no text to conclusively identify the figures, the standing man is likely the person who died, shown sharing a final farewell with his loved ones, perhaps his mother and father.
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