Athena Velletri Legs Front View With Movement Study

Athena Velletri legs from front with study

• The hip, right leg and right foot are turned right.
• The right knee is flexed with the weight of the body mainly on the left leg.
• The peplus (dress) under the himation (mantle) is too pleated. See below how it could be restored.

Birth of Erichthonius
Copy of an original of about 420 BCE. Restored H. of original frieze about 0.70m. Chiaramonti 1285, Vatican.

• The Goddess Ge (Earth) emerges to hand the infant to Athena.
• Given the popularity of birth scenes for the bases of cult statues, the original is attributed by many to the base of the Athena and Hephaestus statues (near-parents of Erichthonius) in his Temple.
• Cf. the himation-swathed legs of the Athena Velletri given to the same group by some.

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