Sculptuur van Niobe met haar dochter 1895

This sculpture of Niobe with her daughter was made by an anonymous artist in an unknown time period. It appears to be carved from a homogenous material like marble, and the neutral color allows the interplay of light and shadow to define the figures. The process of carving would have demanded a high degree of technical skill. The artist likely employed a range of tools, from rasps to chisels, to gradually refine the stone. It's clear the artist wanted to imbue the material with a sense of pathos and drama. The choice of marble would have been a deliberate one, linking the sculpture to a classical tradition that prizes permanence and beauty. Yet it also connects the work to the economies of extraction and production. Marble quarries have always been sites of intense labor. Though the sculptor is typically celebrated, it's important to remember the many hands involved in bringing such a work to life. Ultimately, this sculpture reminds us that even the most seemingly timeless works of art are rooted in specific social and material conditions.