Servant girls mourning at a grave

These two statues from the ancient deme Acharnai, north of Athens, belonged to the funerary precinct of a wealthy family otherwise unknown to us. They are mirror images of each other, and once flanked the grave marker itself or the central grave statues. Because the back and sides of their arms are only coarsely finished, we can assume that they were originally surrounded by the larger architecture of the tomb. Both girls are recognizable as slaves by their casual pose, sitting on a rock with their legs crossed at the ankles; their short hairstyle; and their sleeved chiton, fastened around the waist and shoulders in order to enable heavy physical labour. With her head in her hand and a tender, unfocused gaze, each girl makes the typical gestures of mourning. She plays her proper role in mourning the death of her master. On Classical grave reliefs too, this sort of overt mourning is generally reserved for servants; the other family members are more likely to use gestures to express their direct relationship with the deceased (cf. cat. no. 70, the grave relief for Thraseas and Euandria). The carving on these two statues is not detailed, but it is by no means careless – to the contrary, it produces an eloquent impressionistic effect. The heavy, raw cloth hangs in angular folds, and the short hair is divided into locks with terse chisel strokes. By contrast, the modelling of the face is remarkably smooth, and even contains a hint of movement which in turn underscores the expressivity of the eyes and mouth.