Boeotian Terracotta Standing Female with Veil, Classical Period, ca. 400 - 375 BCE

An impressive and unusually large Boeotian terracotta statuette depicting an elegantly attired female figure standing on a high rectangular plinth, her weight resting on her right leg, with her left leg bent at the knee and raised upon an Ionic column capital. The animated pose, elaborate costume, and richly detailed ornamentation create a particularly striking composition, distinguishing the figure from the more conventional standing female terracottas of the period.

The figure wears a finely modeled peplos, its deeply rendered folds falling across the body in a series of sweeping diagonal pleats that emphasize the movement of the pose. Her elaborate coiffure consists of a broad arrangement of carefully modeled plaits and curls, surmounted by a tall polos headdress. A veil falls from the headdress and is drawn outward in a graceful gesture by her right arm, creating a dramatic arrangement of drapery around the upper body. A heavy necklace adorns her chest, while her left hand holds a shallow cylindrical box, possibly a pyxis, resting upon her raised left leg.

The statuette was mold-made at the front, with the back finished by hand and incorporating a large rectangular firing vent. Traces of the original polychromy survive throughout, including white pigment across the figure and red pigment on the plinth, peplos, and hair. These surviving colors provide an indication of the richly painted appearance the statuette would originally have presented.

Notable for its substantial size, elaborate hairstyle, sophisticated drapery, and unusually dynamic composition, the statuette is a fine example of Classical Boeotian coroplastic artistry. Its distinguished provenance, beginning with the collection of French painter Raphaël Collin and subsequently that of Senator William A. Clark, together with its extensive publication and exhibition history, further enhances its historical significance.

Published:

• Raphael Collin (1911) Collection of Antique Grecian, Egyptian and Etruscan Statuettes, Vases, Tanagras, etc, #38, p. 4.
• Original Clark Catalog., #38, p. 237, part 2.
• Corcoran Gallery of Art (1928) An Illustrated Handbook of the W. A. Clark Collection, p. 104, #2541.
• Corcoran Gallery of Art (1932) An Illustrated Handbook of the W. A. Clark Collection, p. 107, #2541.
• Sue McGovern-Huffman (2021) The Senator William A. Clark Collection of Ancient Art. p. 57.

Exhibited: "The William A. Clark Collection," Corcoran Gallery of Art, April 26-July 16, 1978. 

Medium: Terracotta

Dimensions: 15 3/4 x 6 x 3 1/4 inches (40.01 x 15.24 x 8.26 cm)

Condition: small loss to the right hand and minor chips to the headdress. Professionally reassembled with minor areas of fill and cosmetic overpainting. Traces of original white pigment survive throughout, with red pigment remaining on the plinth, peplos, and hair. Overall, very good condition. 

Provenance: Raphaël Collin (1850 –1916), France, private collection, Sen. William A. Clark (1839 - 1925), New York, acquired from Collin in 1911, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, (1926 - 2014), American University Museum (2014 - 2021).

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