A Marble Statue with Eyelashes

VATICAN; ROME.

The sleeping Ariadne is one of the gems of the Vatican. It is an antique statue representing Ariadne at the moment, when sleeping on the island of Naxos, she was deserted by Theseus. For a long time this was supposed to be a statue of Cleopatra, from the armlet in the form of a snake. It is considered to be the finest draped statue in the Museum, and is celebrated as the only marble statue with eyelashes; the right arm is thrown over the head, which rests upon the hand, and the naturalness of a restless sleep, upon a rock, is most striking. The statue is colossal in size; was found in 1503. Castiglione wrote a Latin poem in honor of its discovery, which is engraved upon marble and placed beside it. Beneath this figure is a fine sarcophagus, representing the battle of the Giants.