Vestal Virgin c. 18th century

These bronze figures, called Vestal Virgins, stand as potent symbols of civic virtue, though their maker and exact date of creation remain unknown. The Vestal Virgins were priestesses in ancient Rome, charged with maintaining the sacred fire of Vesta, goddess of hearth and home. Their purity was seen as crucial to the well-being of the Roman state. We can see how the sculptures reference this role through the modest drapery and demure poses which embody the virtues of chastity and devotion. But these are small bronzes that might have decorated a domestic interior, far from the temples of Rome. We might consider how such images contributed to the construction of gender roles and moral values in the homes of their owners. It is the art historian’s task to understand what such images meant to those who originally owned them. Scholarly resources can provide further information about the representation of women in art.