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National Archaeological Museum of Athens - Sleeping Maenad

The Sleeping Maenad is a Greek-Roman sculpture from the Hadrianic period, inventory no. 261, in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens. Made of Pentelic marble, it was found in 1880 south of the Athenian Acropolis on the Makriyannis property and was probably part of the furnishing of a wealthy house. The statue dates to the reign of Emperor Hadrian (117–138) and reflects the classicizing style practiced in local Attic workshops at the time. It shows a slightly smaller-than-lifesized nude maenad reclining on a panther skin over rocky ground, with her head resting on her bent right arm. Several parts are missing, including the lower legs, feet, left arm, and parts of the right hand and drapery, while larger losses in the flesh have been restored in plaster.

Ancient marble Sleeping Maenad reclining on a pedestal in a museum display.
Sleeping Maenad, an ancient marble sculpture shown reclining on a museum pedestal.
January 2023 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
Sleeping Maenad reclining marble statue of a nude woman resting her head on her arm, with visible repair patches.
Sleeping Maenad shown reclining on a sculpted base, with repairs visible on the marble surface.
April 2008 © · CC BY-SA 3.0
Close-up of the head and upper torso of the Sleeping Maenad marble sculpture, with wavy hair and a tilted resting pose.
Detail of the Sleeping Maenad, showing the sculpture’s head and upper torso in repose.
April 2008 © · CC BY-SA 3.0
Detail of the Sleeping Maenad sculpture showing the reclining figure’s head, wavy hair, and one hand behind glass.
Detail of the Sleeping Maenad, a reclining marble figure shown behind a glass barrier.
April 2008 © · CC BY-SA 3.0
Close-up of the reclining Sleeping Maenad marble sculpture, showing the back, shoulder, and head of the sleeping figure.
Close-up of the Sleeping Maenad, a reclining marble sculpture with visible wear and discoloration.
January 2020 © · CC BY-SA 4.0

Identification

TitleSleeping Maenad
Original French nameLa Ménade endormie
TypeSculpture
Cultural traditionGreco-Roman
Inventory number261

Historical context

DateHadrianic period, reign of Emperor Hadrian (117–138)

Creator

AttributionUncertainly identified with a work by Polykles from ancient tradition; another attribution mentions an unnamed Athenian Hellenistic sculptor

Discovery and provenance

Discovery date1880
Discovery locationSouth of the Acropolis of Athens, on the Makrygianni/Makriyannis property
Discovery contextFound broken into several pieces
Probable original settingProbably part of the furnishings of a wealthy resident's villa or luxury residence
Associated propertyProperty of the merchant and politician Giovanni Macrijanni, after whom the district takes its name

Physical characteristics

Dimensions1.36 m
ScaleSlightly smaller than life-size; one source says slightly larger than life-size

Materials

MaterialPentelic marble
ConstructionThe maenad and the rocky support were carved from a single block of marble

Technique

StyleClassicizing style, as practiced in local Attic workshops

Appearance

SubjectSleeping nude maenad
PoseReclining, with the head resting on the bent right arm
DraperyPartially covered by a himation that reaches only to about knee height
SupportLying on a panther skin placed on an irregular rocky surface
HairLong hair gathered with a ribbon or band and falling to the nape of the neck, with locks forming small curls

Iconography and meaning

Mythological contextMaenads are companions of Dionysus in Greek mythology; the term is associated with orgiastic rites and the Dionysian Mysteries
Roman equivalentBacchantes
Literary referenceEuripides' Bacchae
Meaning of termDerived from Ancient Greek μαίνομαι, meaning "to be mad" or "to be furious"
Typological comparisonCorresponds in pose and execution to the iconographic model of the Sleeping Hermaphrodite, but is smaller and more simply rendered
Comparative modelThe Sleeping Hermaphrodite is a 2nd-century BC type known through Hellenistic or Roman copies, such as the Borghese Hermaphrodite, and was attributed to Polycleitus

Location and ownership

Current locationRoom 32, National Archaeological Museum, Athens
Display conditionDisplayed in a protective vitrine in the sculpture galleries, unlike most works in the museum

History and restoration

ConditionSeveral losses and modern restorations
Preservation stateLower legs and feet partly missing; parts of the fingers of the right hand missing; parts of the torso and rock missing; the entire left arm missing; parts of the drapery or covering missing or damaged; larger missing areas in the skin filled with modern plaster

Significance

Interpretive noteOften interpreted as a statue intended to decorate a prestigious urban residence