Title
Clytie
Object Type
Creator
Date
mi19th c.
Notes
In Greek mythology, Clytie, a sea nymph and daughter of Oceanus, the god of the sea, was in love with Helios, the sun god. The episode as related in Ovid, Metamorphoses, is full of sex and violence, but suffice to say that Helios spurned Clytie and turned her into a heliotrope (sunflower). She is thus sentenced to a life of gazing at the sun, exemplifying eternal love.
Weekes, a very successful English sculptor known for his historical portraits, portrayed Clytie as an ideal beauty, typical of the style of neo-classical sculpture. Like Hiram Powers, Weekes based his sculpture of Clytie on an ancient Roman bust in the British Museum called Antonia/Clytie. Reproductions of that bust in engravings and marble copies were popular at the time.
Weekes, a very successful English sculptor known for his historical portraits, portrayed Clytie as an ideal beauty, typical of the style of neo-classical sculpture. Like Hiram Powers, Weekes based his sculpture of Clytie on an ancient Roman bust in the British Museum called Antonia/Clytie. Reproductions of that bust in engravings and marble copies were popular at the time.
Cultural Origin
London, England
Medium
Marble
Extent
overall: 29 in x 20 in x 12 in
Source
Gift of Mr. Francis Gray, in the name of Miss Isa Gray, 1925
Identifier
1925.005.001
For more information about this item, please contact its owning institution.