The isolated caryatid

By Ella Paul, 2024

Published 11/20/23

In the early 19th century, one of six sisters was stolen away from her siblings and taken to another country all alone. This lonely sister is one of the Caryatids, a family of statues that once held up the Erechtheion, which was a Greek temple dedicated to their gods Athena and Poseidon. The temple is located on Acropolis Hill in Athens. While not a kidnapping of a real human, the robbing of the Caryatid sister is cultural theft that still has an impact to this day. 

In Ancient Greece, and later passed on to other countries, caryatids would take the place of a column on a building. These sculptures were representative of youth, piety, and feminine strength. There were also atlases or telamons which were male sculptures used in architecture, and these were more common, so caryatids were extremely meaningful when used. Most of the time, the sculpted maidens wore simple but flattering clothing and had her arms down to the side, sometimes holding some kind of symbol or tribute in one hand. In ancient times, the maidens were decorated with vibrant and carefully chosen colors, but with time, these colors have faded away. 

The six Caryatids holding up Erechtheion became the most famous, often referred to as “The Daughters of Athens.” On Acropolis Hill, the temple still stands held up by caryatids, but they are replicas. The original six are preserved in museums, five at the Acropolis Museum in Athens, and one lonely sister is isolated and suffering in the British Museum. 

In 1802, Thomas Bruce, Great Britain’s ambassador to the Ottoman Empire stole the statue in addition to chipping off and stealing other Greek sculptures, such as the Parthenon Marbles. He presented his gifts to the British government with pride, despite stealing them from their rightful cultural home. At the time, Parliament debated accepting these gifts or returning them home to Greece, but they decided on keeping them and placing them in the British museum. 

Today, the sister stands alone in the British Museum, suffering in the windowless gallery while global historians and government officials protest to bring her to her homeland in Greece. While the museum claims they have the right to legally own her, growing decolonization in museum movements beg to differ. With such an impactful movement ongoing, it is a mystery how the British Museum has been able to keep the Caryatid and other Greek work, especially since Greek art experts have proven the isolated sister is in far worse condition than her sisters back in Greece. Many have reported that improper cleaning and care in combination with harsh lighting have ruined her coloring and taken away the glow that is still present in her sisters. Of course none of the Caryatids have their original coloration, but the lonely sister has deeply darkened marble and no longer boasts the marble work that created a resemblance to skin. 

The Acropolis Museum still leaves a place for the missing sister to this day, and has not waned in their efforts to bring her back to her homeland and reunite her with her sister. Museum goers can see her empty space and be reminded of the cultural theft, but still have hope that after over 200 years apart, the beautiful sculpture can return to her mourning sisters.This prominent piece of Greek culture and history deserves to be returned to her rightful home where she can properly be honored and appreciated.