TransWikia.com

Is there a word for a connected group of statues?

English Language & Usage Asked by Richard F Hatfield on February 14, 2021

Is there a word for a connected group of statues, such as a group portrait, a crowd scene or a set of lovers or fighters or other interacting persons?

3 Answers

"Group" appears to be the usual term; you could add an adjective if you like. Another word is "statuary" but that typically refers to a collection of statues as owned by a collector or museum or exhibited in one place, not a group connected in theme or portraying a single scene.

Examples of "group of statues" or "statue group":

Getty Museum: https://www.getty.edu/art/collection/objects/10933/unknown-maker-group-of-statues-of-mourning-women-4-south-italian-apulian-canosan-300-275-bc/

JSTOR paper from the American Journal of Archaeology from 1988: https://www.jstor.org/stable/506137

Wikipedia article on Statue: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statue

Answered by Stuart F on February 14, 2021

A triptych is a three-paneled group of work of art (usually a painting, but perhaps we can be more inclusive and add statues).

A triptych (/ˈtrɪptɪk/ TRIP-tik; from the Greek adjective τρίπτυχον "triptukhon" ("three-fold"), from tri, i.e., "three" and ptysso, i.e., "to fold" or ptyx, i.e., "fold")[1][2] is a work of art (usually a panel painting) that is divided into three sections, or three carved panels that are hinged together and can be folded shut or displayed open. It is therefore a type of polyptych, the term for all multi-panel works.

(Wikipedia)

The definition also includes the word polyptych, in case you have some number of statues other than three.

Answered by rajah9 on February 14, 2021

Tableau is sometimes used. Although it's more often used for people posing to make a scene.

http://www.botaniek.be/en-gb/nieuws/arentshof-and-the-environment-27

The park features a group of statues symbolising the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Behind, there is an idyllic tableau showing two fighting cherubs, who represent War and Peace.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Naked_Ladies

Though they were able to incorporate all the statues into one tableau, their interpretation of the sculptor's intended design has led to comments about the unusual poses of some of the statues, especially when viewed from the side.

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/316580

This cast brass tableau, or urhoto, was originally displayed on an ancestral altar dedicated to the mother of a ruler of the Benin kingdom

https://www.123rf.com/photo_125127486_three-golden-buddha-statues-together-in-a-tableau-.html

Stock Photo - Three Golden Buddha Statues Together in a Tableau.

Answered by Pete on February 14, 2021

Add your own answers!

Ask a Question

Get help from others!

© 2024 TransWikia.com. All rights reserved. Sites we Love: PCI Database, UKBizDB, Menu Kuliner, Sharing RPP