Nefertiti


I don't know why, but she is amazingly beautiful. 3000+ years old, and this statue that was used for training (found discarded in the sculptor's workshop) is haunting even today. I think part of it is the unusually long neck -- in person it's off-putting. And the hint of the smile seems to be the effect Da Vinci was going for but couldn't quite get right. I would easily have paid admission to the Egyptian museum to see this piece alone.

The bigger question is, why was it still in the sculptor's workshop? Was he proud of it? Was there a better copy in place? Was it not to the taste of the day?