Greek art

This marble relief sculpture dated 450 BCE is a tender work showing a girl with two doves.  This is one of the first images depicting humans and nature as sort of equals.  The girl's mouth is touching one of the dove's beak, a gesture reserved for married couples.  This indicates the union of nature and humans during the Greek era.  She is holding the doves closely and they seem to be calm in her hands.  In art from earlier periods, nature was shown to be reverenced and humans were dominated by it and subject to its mercy.  This relief shows a much gentler approach towards animals and nature. Doves are not lions though, this image is a step towards harmony between man and nature, but many animals were still feared at the time.