Hellenistic. Cast of the original in the Uffizi Gallery, Florence. Marble, Roman copy of a Greek original., style of the 4th century BCE.
77. NIOBE AND HER YOUNGEST DAUGHTER
Description:
The sculpture of Niobe and her Youngest Daughter portrays a desperate Niobe attempting to protect her youngest daughter, who clings to her in fright. It was once part of a larger group, though the number of pieces that compromised the original display, how they were arranged and where they were situated for viewing are all assumptions. Scholars still debate the correct date of the original creation, as well as the identity of the sculptor. The most complete Niobe group is in the Uffizi Gallery, Florence.
Mythology:
In myth, Niobe, the wife of Amphion of Thebes, boasted of her superiority to the goddess Leto because the latter had only two children, the twins Apollo and Artemis, while Niobe had fourteen children (the Niobids), seven male and seven female. Having thus offended the Gods, Niobe and her family were to be punished. Using poisoned arrows, Artemis killed Niobe’s daughters and Apollo killed Niobe’s sons while they practiced athletics, with the last to die begging for their lives. Their father, Amphion, at the sight of his dead sons, either killed himself or was killed by Apollo for having sworn revenge.
Devastated, Niobe fled to Mount Sipylus, her ancestral home, and was turned into stone. As she wept unceasingly, waters began to pour from her petrified complexion. Mount Sipylus indeed has a natural rock formation, which resembles a female face, and it has been associated with Niobe since ancient times. The rock formation is also known as the “Weeping Rock” since rainwater seeps through its porous limestone.
Original Statue
Artist: Unknown
Material: Marble
Culture: Greek, Hellenistic
Century: 4th century BCE
Current Location: Florence, Italy
Museum: Uffizi Gallery
