Relief fragments with Nymphs

myminifactory

Who is depicted? Nymphs in Greek and Latin mythology are minor female nature deities linked to specific locations or landforms. Unlike other goddesses, nymphs are divine spirits that animate nature, often shown as beautiful, young maidens who love to dance and sing; their carefree nature sets them apart from the restricted wives and daughters of the Greek city-state. Many people adore them and they live in mountainous regions and forests near lakes and streams. Although they wouldn't die of old age or illness, and could give birth to fully immortal children if mated with a god, they themselves were not necessarily immortal, and could be susceptible to death in various forms. Charybdis and Scylla were once nymphs. Other nymphs, always depicted as young maidens, were part of the retinue of a god, such as Dionysus, Hermes, or Pan, or a goddess, typically the huntress Artemis. Nymphs were frequently targeted by satyrs. Technical/Specification about the statue Relief is a sculptural technique where the sculpted elements remain attached to a solid background made of the same material. The term relief comes from the Latin verb relevo, meaning "to raise." To create a sculpture in relief gives the impression that the sculpted material has been raised above the background plane. What actually happens when a relief is cut into a flat surface of stone (relief sculpture) or wood (relief carving) is a lowering of the field, leaving the unsculpted parts seemingly raised. The technique involves considerable chiseling away of the background, which is a time-consuming process. On the other hand, a relief saves forming the rear of a subject, and it's less fragile and more securely fixed than a sculpture in the round, especially one of a standing figure where the ankles are a potential weak point, particularly in stone. In materials such as metal, clay, plaster stucco, ceramics, or papier-mâché, the form can be simply added to or raised up from the background, and monumental bronze reliefs are made by casting. More about the artist We don't know who created this relief; they remain unknown, with no available information or signature. It appears there are three fragments of this relief, and it's even possible that multiple artists worked on this relief.