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Greco-Roman Origin Myths

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Art Inquiry: The Corinthian Maid
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Joseph Wright, The Corinthian Maid (1782-1784)
The British artist Joseph Wright of Derby spent two years in Italy drawing and painting ancient monuments and sculpture. The clothing and the arrangement of figures in a frieze (horizontal band) are similar to the ancient art Wright saw.

Learn more about this work of art by answering the multiple-choice questions below. Mouse over the image for clues!

1. What is the woman (Dibutades) doing to the man who leans against the wall?

  1. Painting his hair
  2. Tracing his outline onto the wall
  3. Tickling him
  4. Trying to wake him up

2. Where does the light that shines on the two figures come from?

  1. Behind the curtain
  2. The doorway
  3. A spotlight on the floor
  4. Heaven

3. What does the dog symbolize?

  1. Sleep
  2. Love
  3. Faithfulness
  4. Home

4. What is in the room to the right?

  1. Dibutades’ father
  2. A kiln (oven)
  3. Another sleeping dog
  4. An alarm clock

5. This painting illustrates how          came to be.

  1. sculpture
  2. relief sculpture
  3. tracing
  4. long-distance love
 
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Joseph Wright, The Corinthian Maid, 1782-1784, oil on canvas, National Gallery of Art, Paul Mellon Collection