This Cycladic Head, dating to 2600-2500 BC, is of the same type that inspired twentieth century sculptor Constantin Brancusi to create his series of female muses. Favouring a return to the origins of things and a desire to unbridle western art from its tendencies to ostentation, Brancusi strove to create pure and absolute forms that encapsulated the essence of his subjects. He reduced his sculptures to their bare essentials, often depicting the human head as its own entity, divorced from the body. Just as Cycladic sculptures, his female muses suggest peaceful repose and exhibit a calm, yet forceful, energy.
Head of a Cycladic Idol
Greek, Cycladic
Early Spedos Variety, Early Cycladic II,
circa 2600-2500 BC
Marble