Statuette étrusque

(350 – 250 B.C.)
Inspired by the large Greek statues of nude men (kouroi) und clothed women (korai), a flourisching tradition developed in Etruaria. However, in contrast tot the Greeks, the Etruscans did not seek to perfectly represent the human body. The emphasised the appearance of their sculptures in an almost expressionistic way.
The peak of this obstinate conception of art was reached with the so-called stretched figures: elongated, flat figures, usually made between the 5th and the 2nd century BC. Many artists, including the famous Italian sculptor Giacometti, have taken inspiration from the beautiful, abstract forms of the famous Etruscan stretched figures.