
Prof. Debby Sneed, Assistant Professor of Classics, California State University, Long Beach, “Disability and the Greek Ideal: A Case Study in Marble”
March 12 @ 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm
1 College Street
Worcester, MA 01610 United States
Sponsored by: AIA-Worcester Society, College of the Holy Cross
AIA Society: Worcester
The study of Greek art is heavily influenced by the notion of the ideal and idealized human body, which has long been assumed to exclude aspects of bodily difference and disability. In this talk, I consider a collection of 6th century BCE sculptures of maidens (korai) that were found on the Athenian Acropolis. As traditionally interpreted, these statues all stood together as representations of the feminine ideal in Greek art, but scholars tend to separate one maiden from her sisters because her body does not fit into modern definitions of beauty. By returning her to her rightful place in this collection, I present a reassessment of Greek sculptural ideals and, with it, of our understandings of Greek art, display, and dedication in late 6th century BCE Athens.


