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Procne and Itys

Procne and Itys is a Greek marble sculpture of the fifth century BC, attributed to the sculptor Alcamenes. It once adorned the Acropolis of Athens and was discovered near the temple of Athena-Nike in the early nineteenth century. The life-size work depicts the Athenian princess Procne about to strike down her son Itys in revenge against her husband Tereus. Procne wears a thin chiton and a himation, while Itys is shown clinging to her and completely naked. Parts of the sculpture are missing, including Procne’s head and right hand, and much of Itys’s body. The statue is now exhibited in the Acropolis Museum of Athens, Greece.

Procne and Itys marble sculpture in a museum gallery, with draped folds and missing upper sections.
Procne and Itys displayed on a pedestal in a brightly lit museum gallery.
June 2024 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
Procne and Itys sculpture displayed in a bright museum gallery with other antiquities in the background.
Procne and Itys on display in a brightly lit museum gallery.
June 2024 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
Weathered stone sculpture of Procne and Itys displayed on a pedestal in a museum gallery with visitors nearby.
Procne and Itys displayed in a brightly lit museum gallery.
June 2024 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
Headless marble statue of Procne and Itys on a white pedestal in a museum gallery.
Procne and Itys marble statue displayed in a bright museum gallery.
June 2024 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
Museum label for Procne and Itys with bilingual Greek and English text and an audio guide icon.
Museum label for Procne and Itys, shown mounted on a stone surface beneath a display structure at the Acropolis Museum in Athens.
June 2024 © · CC BY-SA 4.0

Identification

TitleProcne and Itys
Typelife-size marble statue

Historical context

Datearound 430 BC
PeriodGreek Classical period

Creator

SculptorAlcamenes
DedicatorAlcamenes
Mentioned byPausanias
Pausanias contextHe mentioned it when he visited Attica

Iconography and meaning

Mythological sourceGreek mythology
Narrative contextTereus raped and imprisoned Philomela, cut out her tongue, deceived Procne, and Procne killed Itys in revenge
Transformation in the mythThe gods transformed Procne into a nightingale, Philomela into a swallow, and Tereus into a hoopoe
ProcneAn Athenian princess, daughter of King Pandion I, wife of King Tereus of Thrace, and mother of Itys
TereusKing of Thrace and husband of Procne
ItysSon of Procne and Tereus
PhilomelaProcne's sister
SubjectProcne and her son Itys, from Greek mythology

Discovery and provenance

Discovery date1836
Original locationThe Acropolis of Athens
Discovery locationIn front of the western tower of the Propylaea, near the Temple of Athena Nike

Location and ownership

Current locationAcropolis Museum, Athens, Greece
Inventory number1358

Physical characteristics

Height of Procne figure1.63 m, excluding the head
Height of Itys figure1.05 m
Width44 cm
Preserved conditionProcne's head and right hand are missing; the right hand would have held a knife; Itys's legs and much of his torso are missing
Attachment holesFive holes are visible around the perimeter of the boy's head, with remains of metal rods in two of them
Additional headA marble head was found and presumed to belong to the statue, but it is not currently attached because its identification as Procne is uncertain

Materials

MaterialMarble
Procne clothing materialThin chiton with a himation
Itys appearanceCompletely nude

Appearance

Procne depictionA woman wearing a thin chiton belted at the waist and fastened at the shoulders, with part of it falling in folds over the chest; a himation is draped over her shoulders and covers the entire back
Itys depictionThe child clings to his mother and is completely nude
PoseThe child is holding onto his mother