Terracotta vase in the form of a sleeping African (known as Ethiopian) boy and Bronze statuette of an African (known as Ethiopian) youth

Terracotta vase in the form of a sleeping African (known as Ethiopian) boy and Bronze statuette of an African (known as Ethiopian) youth

Africans in Greek Art

I chose these two images to highlight how different Greek art was when showcasing which person.
The first image, I chose the “Ethiopian” boy. If you look at the statue, his face seems to be soulless, which could indicate that the Greeks didn’t see them as human, that they were just soulless creatures that did work for them. If you can place emotion on him, he seems distressed. My question would be, why would Greeks choose to showcase a little boy in distress? Perhaps because that’s the only experience that they had with them, because they weren’t treated well. He also, has very little clothes. He seems to not be covered at all, just a little tie around his waist that doesn’t appear to even cover him completely. My second image is the sleeping boy. This one, also shows a child who doesn’t seem to be sleeping well. He is naked and has a spout neck emerging from his back, which is meant to put liquid in. This would give the idea that he is meant to hold the Greek’s items, like liquid. They have been reduced to simple objects like a pot, they are not people.

Greeks

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

3rd-2nd Century B.C.

Britt Halaas

Public Domain. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Used for educational purposes only.