Marble Statue of a Lion

This Greek sculpture was made approximately around 400-390 B.C. with Parian marble. The dimensions of this sculpture are height  31 1/4 in. (79.4 cm) and length 63 1/2 in. (161.3 cm). This statue is now on display at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 156. The artist is unknown.
“Marble statues of lions were sometimes used as tomb monuments or as guardians at both ends of a large tomb facade. Like many classical Greek works of art, this statue was taken to Rome during the imperial period.”

The lion depicted in the sculpture above immediately strikes me as being a dangerous creature. The lion is crouched down as if he is ready to lunge at or attack something in its path. The lion resembles a dog in its stature, stance, and paws especially. Since lions were extinct in mainland Greece long before this sculpture was made, the artist most likely used dogs as his real life inspiration.

This lion is very realistic. The sculpture is life size, which makes this piece even more intimidating. I purposely decided not to crop the man passing behind the sculpture out of the picture to illustrate just how large this lion was. The lion’s mane is not very large or dramatic, as the ripples in its fur blend right into his torso and the rest of his flesh. The lion is snarling so much that even its nose is scrunched up and exposes more of its sharp teeth. I can hear its roar as I walk by. The lion’s ribs are exposed through its skin. This makes me think that the lion is malnourished and ferocious. This lion will scare off any unwanted visitors, like thieves. Walking around the sculpture, you can clearly see the details and how the artist deliberately wanted to give it life and power.