Veiled and Masked Dancer
by anonymous Hellenistic artist (ca. 225 s.c.-175 s.c.)
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About Hellenistic Sculpture
The time between the death of Alexander the Great
in 3 23 B.C. and the Roman conquest of Greece in 146 B.C.
is known as the Hellenistic Age. The term Hellenistic
distinguishes this period from the earlier Greek classi-
cal period. The culture of the Hellenistic Age was a
blend of Greek and Eastern cultures.
Hellenistic sculpture differed from that of classical
Greece in many ways. Classical Greek sculptors
stressed beauty, harmony, balance, order, and modera-
tion in their work. They also idealized their subjects,
omitting any blemishes. These early sculptors followed
the Golden Mean-"Nothing in excess, and every-
thing in proportion." During the Hellenistic period,
sculptors modified traditional concepts. Rather than
portray perfection, Hellenistic sculptors often por-
trayed individuals from everyday life. Their subjects
included slaves, actors, philosophers, dancers, dwarfs,
and beggars. Hellenistic sculpture was realistic, and
sculptors focused on the subject's inner emotions
rather than on outward beauty. Subjects were shown
in active, dramatic poses. There also was a greater
sense of freedom and movement in Hellenistic sculp-
ture than in earlier works.
Styles of Hellenistic sculpture became identified
with specific locations and schools, like those that
HE~LENISTIC ART
developed in Rhodes, Pergamum, and Alexandria in
Egypt. During the Hellenistic Age, statues and paint-
ings came to be regarded as "works of art" rather than
images created for public display. Art began to be pro-
duced for private collectors, and sculptors often
worked for individual patrons. Unlike the sculpture of
classical Greece, most of which we know about from
ancient descriptions or Roman copies, many examples
of Hellenistic sculpture exist. It is often difficult, how-
ever, to determine when of where many of these works
were created. ·
The Story Behind the Statuette"'
The Veiled and Masked DCfFfe'lr is a bronze statuette
about eight inches high. The sculptor and date and
place of origin are unknown. In earlier times many
small bronze statuettes were made as votive offerings
to be placed in temples. The Veiled and Masked Dancer,
created sometime between 225 B.C. and 175 s,c.,
is representative of the small artworks created for pri-
vate art collectors. The naturalism and sense of move-
ment apparent in the Veiled and Masked Dancer exem-
plify many characteristics of Hellenistic sculpture.
Even seen in a photograph rather than in its actual
"in-the-round" (three-dimensional) form, the sculp-
ture seems so alive that we almost expect the dancer's
next step to carry her out of the transparency anJ into
our hands.
 Name--------------- Class ________ Date _ _ _ _ _ __

"--fhe Hellenistic World and the Rise of Rome

V.eifed and ...tff.a6.Jied Si)anc.eJt., by anonymous Hellenistic artist (ca. 225 B.C.-175 B.C.)

·LOOKING AT-T-HE·STATUETTE
1. What makes the statuette appear so lifelike?

2. Describe the mood of this figure. For example, does it appear anxious, relaxed, confident?
Explain your answer.

3. How has the artist created a sense of movement in the Veiled and Masked Dancer? Point out as many specific
details as possible.
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4. How does this statuette differ from Classical Greek sculpture?