Statuette of Aristotle

What it is

This is a small statuette of Aristotle held by the Wellcome Collection in the United Kingdom. The media is a black-and-white photograph of the white statuette. It shows a bearded man wearing a head covering, with a draped cloth over his shoulder, standing on a tall pedestal with partly legible lettering. The photograph was taken against a black background on a dark square base. The maker and date are not given in the facts.

Why it matters

Aristotle lived in the 4th century BCE, and this statuette was made much later. Small figures like this one were often made to show a famous thinker in a settled, dignified way. The lettering on the pedestal hints at how the figure was labelled and understood, though the facts do not say more.

Look closer

• What details of clothing and posture does the statuette use to suggest that Aristotle was a learned man?
• What can you read on the pedestal, and what might it tell you about who made or owned the piece?
• What does a photograph of a statuette show, and what does it hide about its size and material?