Archaic Flashcards
NEW YORK KOUROS
Key facts
> 6 ft 4
typical kouros - shows Egyptian influence
Late 7th Century
Naxian Marble
Idealised male form rather than accurate anatomical depiction
NEW YORK KOUROS
Face
> oval shape
high, rounded forehead and skull
long narrow and flat cheeks
nose must have been narrow and prominent (but now broken off)
eyes are wide open and staring - a dominant feature under strongly arched eyebrows
Ears shaped like volutes
NEW YORK KOUROS
Hair
> Divided into globules, fall in a broad mass (wig-like) down to the shoulder blades
Held in place by a fillet, which encircles he forehead and is held at the back by a reef knot with long ends lying symmetrically on the back
NEW YORK KOUROS
Purpose
> A grave marker for a wealthy Athenian man (perhaps a young man who has died prematurely)
showing off wealth
KLEOBIS AND BITON
Key Facts
> 580 BC
7 ft (above average size)
By Polymedes
Cycladic marble
KLEOBIS AND BITON
Significance?
> They begin the change of the depiction os the musculature from New York’s ‘etched’ effect to that of a more natural curvaceous form.
BUT they remain very symmetrically balanced.
They are the crucial, first step between Egyptian stylized sculpture and then later, more naturalized sculptures in Greek art.
The sculptor clearly shows a desire to move away from the beautiful artistry and towards the more realistic human form as he has shallowed the ‘etched’ muscular structures.
However, this step is limited, as the design still follows the Egyptian style.
KLEOBIS AND BITON
Woodford?
‘interested in giving an impression of robustness and vigorously curved forms and less interested in patterning the surface.
KLEOBIS AND BITON
Function?
funeral offerings
KLEOBIS AND BITON
Typical features?
> Pose
Symmetry
Incomprehension of complex human mechanics
Egyptian ancestry
KLEOBIS AND BITON
Atypical Features
> Archaic smile
Naturalistic Knee
Shallowed muscular definition
Broader waist
KLEOBIS AND BITON
Comparison to NY
> Although KandB were made only a few decades after NY, they were created in a different spirit.
Powerful ox-like images, more squat.
More realistic depiction of the anatomy, but still very inexperienced
Heavy modelling of the pecs and the knees
KLEOBIS AND BITON
Smile
> ‘Archaic smile’ - the sculptor has attempted to naturalise the appearance of the face
Woodford: ‘There is a beginning of a smile on the faces of the two brothers, probably not because the sculptor wanted to indicate that they were happy, but because he found that expression made them look alive.
KLEOBIS AND BITON
Ear
> The ear appears to gave developed greatly since the inaccuracies of NY
However, appears to have cabbage-like ears that are more rounded than NY
KLEOBIS AND BITON
Knee
> More rounded than NY, moving towards a more accurate representation
KLEOBIS AND BITON
Hair
> The sculptor has paid particular attention to detail with the two hairbands
Very unusually, the hair appears to be in a ‘stepped’ or ‘staggered’ formation between the head and the back.
The use of hair on both sides of the body provides valuable strength to the head but also shows the sculptor’s attention to detail
Now looks more like hair than a wig
Arranged in horizontal rows of concentric circles over a broad, low forehead.
KLEOBIS AND BITON
Face
> Cheekbones are curved and better managed
BUT eyes are wide open, gazing straight ahead, enclosed within the almond-shaped frame of the lids and overhung by heavy, bulging eyebrows
KLEOBIS AND BITON
Waist
> Unlike NY, the statues have far broader waists and thus are more accurate depictions of the true human form.
KLEOBIS AND BITON
Failure
> The lack of strain upon the muscles, in spite of the movement of the leg, creates a more artistic portrayal of the human form
Also, the hips show no sign of movement, remaining unnaturally level.
BERLIN STANDING GODDESS
Key facts
> 570-560 BC
Local Marble
6 ft
complete and colours are well-preserved because it was wrapped in lead