Sarcophagus of the Spouses

Sarcophagus of the Spouses

Infobox Sculpture


title = Sarcophagus of the Spouses
artist =
year = late 6th century BC
type = Terracotta
height = 114
inch =
city = Rome
museum = National Etruscan Museum

The "Sarcophagus of the Spouses" (Italian: "Sarcofago degli Sposi") is a late 6th century BC Etruscan anthropoid sarcophagus. It is 1.14 m high by 1.9 m wide, and is made of painted terracotta. It depicts a married couple reclining at a banquet together in the afterlife (in a scene similar to that from contemporary Greek vases) and was found in 19th century excavations at the necropolis of Cerveteri (ancient Caere). It is now in the National Etruscan Museum of Villa Giulia, Rome.

The smiling faces with their almond shaped eyes and long braided hair, as well as the shape of the feet of the bed, reveal Greek influence. The marked contrast between the high relief busts and the very flattened legs is typically Etruscan. The Etruscan artist's interest focused on the upper half of the figures, especially on the vibrant faces and gesticulating arms. It is very similar to the Sarcophagus from Cerveteri, perhaps by the same artist. Both portray the affection of a man and a woman, an image never before seen in the Greek culture.Fact|date=June 2007


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Tabula Cortonensis — The Tabula Cortonensis (sometimes also Cortona Tablet) is a 2200 year old, bronze artifact of Etruscan origin, discovered in Cortona, Italy. It may record for posterity the details of an ancient real estate transaction which took place in the… …   Wikipedia

  • Etruscan military history — The Siege of Rome by the Etruscan military against the Roman military The Etruscans, like the contemporary cultures of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome had a persistent military tradition. In addition to marking the rank and power of certain… …   Wikipedia

  • Corpus Inscriptionum Etruscarum — The Corpus Inscriptionum Etruscarum (Body of Etruscan inscriptions) is a corpus of Etruscan texts, collected by Karl Pauli and his followers since 1885. After the death of Olof August Danielsson in 1933, this collection was passed on to the… …   Wikipedia

  • National Etruscan Museum — Museo Nazionale Etrusco Facade of the Villa Giulia in Rome, home of the National Etruscan Museum. Established 1889 …   Wikipedia

  • Funerary art — Tomb of Philippe Pot, governor of Burgundy under Louis XI …   Wikipedia

  • Etruscan mythology — Etruscan mural of the God Typhon, from Tarquinia …   Wikipedia

  • Caere — For Caere, Inc., see OmniPage and Nuance Communications. An ancient Etruscan vase from Caere (ca 525 BC) depicting Heracles presenting Cerberus to Eurystheus. Caere (also Caisra and Cisra) is the Latin name given by the Romans to one …   Wikipedia

  • Haruspex — Etruscan inscriptions on the bronze sheep s liver of Piacenza In Roman and Etruscan religious practice, a haruspex (plural haruspices; Latin auspex, plural auspices) was a man trained to practice a form of divination called haruspicy, hepatoscopy …   Wikipedia

  • Civita di Bagnoregio — Panorama of Civita di Bagnoregio …   Wikipedia

  • Tarquinia —   Comune   Comune di Tarquinia A night view of the Priori Palace …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”