Statue of Athena (the 'Ince Athena')

Par un écrivain mystérieux

Last updated 18 juin 2024

Statue of Athena, her weight on her right leg, her left leg with the knee bent to the side and slightly back. The pose and drapery derive from Roman copies of the Ancient Greek statue of Athena Parthenons but the Corintihian helmet head evokes the type of Athena Velletri. The original Greek type most likely dated to the late 5th century BC. Her head is tilted down and to the right, and she is looking at an object (today a restored owl but perhaps originally a small figure of Nike) in her right hand. The left hand may have held a spear, or perhaps a small shield. Athena wears a peplos belted at the waist, with a narrow aegis. Her hair is parted in the centre and pulled back into a long 'ponytail'. She wears a Corinthian helmet. Her expression is serious and she is of a young age. The statue was once at the Palazzo Lante. It was bought by Henry Blundell in 1786 from Thomas Jenkins for £200. Jenkins had bought it from Giovanni Volpato, and its provenance was said to have been Ostia. The statue is in excellent condition, the head is unbroken from the body and there are only a few restorations.