casskeeps - Tumblr blog

[casskeeps]

the fisherman and the syren by frederic leighton (1856-1858)

[casskeeps]

UPDATE !!!

he looks like that because he is not a "typical" centaur (he is not part of the "wild race" of centaurs), and is more civilised and wise than the other centaurs - he is more human (civilised) than the centaurs we see depicted in the temple of zeus at olympia pediments and the ionic frieze of the temple of apollo at bassae !!

what do i mean by not a typical centaur ? i'm glad you asked ! centaurs are sometimes referred to as "ixionidae" - sons of ixion - as they descend from ixion and the cloud goddess nephele. cheiron/chiron, however, was the son of cronus (in horse form) and philyra, one of the oceanids. this makes him a) zeus' half brother, and b) not part of the race/family of centaurs - however, as he has the look of a centaur he's pretty much considered the "best" one !

this does not change the fact that i hate it however

the wedding of peleus and thetis - dinos by sophilos

basic facts

date - c580-570 bce

style - early black figure

original location - ever so sorry but i have no clue we just know it was made in attica

function - dinos - mixing water and wine

size - 28.8cm tall, 42cm wide/deep

context

similar to perseus and the gorgons ! we're in attica, moving away from the corinthian tradition of decorating using rows of animal processions and floral patterns, and starting to prioritise the attic preferences of narratives - this pot shows the wedding of peleus and thetis! if these guys seem familiar, they should - thetis was a goddess of the sea and the mother of achilles ! it's also good to remember that this wedding is where eris brought the golden apple to start some divine infighting (and also the trojan war).

we know that this pot was painted by sophilos, because he signed the pot - this is the earliest attic potter that we can actually name! he signed "sophilos painted me" between the columns of peleus' house (not in english though !! ancient greeks did not speak modern english).

content

friezes of processing animals - again, we have some corinthian influence with the filling of space done by repeating figures of processing animals. these are less carefully done - the shapes are not quite as regular

floral pattern and animals - he's just not serving as much cunt as the gorgon painter - his floral pattern is less intricate than the one on the perseus+gorgons dinos

narrative frieze - LONG ASS PROCESSION - this shit is SO LONG it goes on forever and ever and ages. lots of gods and godly figures, some chariots.

then we have a cute lil repeating band at the top ! just to finish off the pot - this is also done a little bit haphazardly and there are a few inconsistencies with the incision

list of names to try to remember (as per the british museum):

peleus

dionysos, hebe, cheiron

zeus + hera

poseidon + amphitrite

hermes + apollo

ares + aphrodite

fates + graces + muses

athene + artemis

oceanus + tethys

eileithyia

hephaistos

stylistic features

the procession of gods

there are so many labels - this guy could write and wanted EVERYONE to know

as well as the labels, there is some use of item symbolism to demonstrate which person is which - peleus has a kantharos in his hand, dionysos is carrying a vine rod, etc. however, i'm going to go out on a limb and suggest that the easiest to recognise is cheiron because he has four whole legs (i HATE THEM why does he have two human legs and two horse legs)

hebe is SERVING. she's got the cutest dress ever which is a microcosm of the whole pot with its bands

we do have a little bit of attempt to show 3d concepts - some of the figures overlap, whereas others are in isolation. this adds a bit of variation to the very long line created by the procession

black-figure technique/era - specific points

incision has been used to create patterns and details, like the items that various characters are holding. but, as per early black figure, the lines are jerky and it makes telling what people are holding very difficult.

we have some painting ! there is purple paint on the robes of cheiron and dionysos, white paint on the flesh of hebe (it is important to note that white paint flakes off due to a chemical reaction with the clay !)

again, these guys have no clue what people look like under their clothes - hebe's stripy dress looks like it's still on the hanger because there is absolutely no indication that she is not flat as a board underneath it. similarly, cheiron's robe also looks very very flat. archaic artists just don't really understand how people look under their clothes (see: the sounion kouros - if i had three ribs per side and shoulderblades that were just concave lines i think i would be dead)

it's black-figure, we're going to be complaining about the anatomy. we still have the profile head with the full frontal eye, but we also have very long digits - those fingers and toes are LONG and i don't want them anywhere near me.

composition

decorative friezes

there is some symmetry here - if we take the floral design in the middle as our centre point, there is symmetry in that band, but again, we have a weird disjointed feeling looking down the pot. two rows below this design, the animals have a similar line of symmetry, but the frieze between breaks this vertical line

lots of emphasis on the horizontals - there are a few straight horizonal lines painted, maybe as a guide for the designs, maybe as a conscious decision - the one below the narrative frieze does act as a floor, so that one gets a pass from me

narrative frieze

the use of a procession is so good for a dinos bc it's a long ass space to fill, so what better to fill it in with than a long ass line ?

another time to remind you of hebe's dress - a mini version of the whole pot

lots of repeating shapes due to the monotony of the procession - you might be able to argue that the inverted "v" shape of the legs acts as a jagged-tooth pattern to draw the eye to the labels and heads.

scholarly references

"for the first time we see a long multifigure frieze ... devoted to a single major theme" - boardman

sophilos "liked the written word and made abundant use of it" - woodford

"conventionally and rather carelessly" - woodford

"ambitious, lively, but rarely precise" - boardman

final thoughts !!

i do not love this pot - i think it's clear that his intention was to portray the scene instead of decorating the pot for the sake of aesthetics. i would make a snarky comment about how he had to label the gods because he wasn't good enough at depicting them to make them identifiable but that is not the point of this - instead i will place more emphasis on the fact that it's cool we have written words on this pot.

[casskeeps]

i think ive been so enamoured with tragedy and unhappy endings recently because it's so common for us to take comfort in the idea that we're okay because we will be okay, you know, the whole "it'll be okay in the end and if it's not okay it's not the end" type thing, this desire to put our faith in things turning out eventually, and that's why people sometimes get upset if something doesn't have a happy ending that gives them closure. but i honestly think there's something equally or even more comforting in having to cope with the fact that in reality the happy ending can't always be counted on. in trying to accept that fact, you're sort of forced to find your comfort and meaning elsewhere, which is what tragedy is asking you to do. if you know a story is going to end badly, can you still invest in it? can you survive it for as long as you're asked to? because then you have to concede that the things that happen and the lessons you learn during the story still are meaningful and fulfilling even if they don't culminate. if the story is unfinished and the threads are loose and you don't get closure, can you still find a way to let this frustrating and unfinished experience mean something to you? you kind of have to. can you be okay with it if you aren't able to believe that things will be okay in the end? without looking forward, can you be okay right now

[casskeeps]

BACKGROUND OF THE LATE REPUBLIC: ROMAN SOCIAL HIERARCHY

patricians and plebeians

patricians

these families claimed to descend from the first 100 senators of rome - livy tells us these senators were handpicked by romulus (the mythical founder of rome) patrician families were the elite members of society, and had the highest amount of social and political power - cassius' accounts of ancient rome show us the advantages that patricians had - patricians were much more likely to have the backing needed to succeed in elections, and so had more political control than plebeians patrician families: julii caesares, claudii, sestii

plebeians

this term is used to describe non-patrician families. plebeians were originally a 'lower order', but the 'conflict of the orders' from the 5th to 3rd centuries bce enabled them to gain wealth and nobility this class was not specifically disadvantaged - they were able to run for political offices, but their lesser generational wealth meant they were unlikely to have the popular support needed to be elected there was one office that could only be held by a plebeian: the tribune of the plebs. however, clodius was able to hold this position by being adopted into a plebeian family, and used it to introduce the leges clodiae - a set of bills used to cement his popularity amongst the general populus and to effectively exile cicero plebeian families: fonteii (the family that adopted clodius), porcii (CATO THE YOUNGER YAYY)

nobiles, equites, novi homines

nobiles

the term nobiles (singular: nobilis) just means "known" - in the late republic, they are just families with prestigious reputations via the inclusion of a consul in their ancestry. this reputation allowed them greater success in elections, and badian notes that the nobiles were "remarkably untouched by the most violent political crises" - in the late republic, nobiles held over 90% of consulships nobiles: cato the younger

equites

equestrians - the equites were the wealthy business class of rome, whose influence increased with trade and commerce. they were identified by a gold finger ring and a narrow purple stripe on their toga equites: atticus (cicero's ,,, close correspondant)

novi homines (sing. novus homo)

literally "new man". novi homines were men who were able to become consul with no history of consulship (sometimes even senatorial rank) in his familial lineage novi homines: cicero

[casskeeps]

dionysus and the maenads - neck amphora by the amasis painter

basic facts

date - c550-530

style - late black-figure

original location - attic potter, found in vulci

function - neck amphora - coarse amphorae were used for storage of wine/oil/etc., but finer amphora were used in social and ceremonial contexts

size -

context

content

dionysus and two maenads - associates of dionysus

hint that he is a more exotic god - in the drapery of the maenads there is a panther skin

stylistic features

black-figure technique/era - specific points

maenads unpainted - unusual as they were usually painted white

frontal eyes with profile head

decorative motifs - palmette and lotus, double-layered jagged tooth, animal motif on shoulder

long digits

impossible twist at waist has been abandoned

added colour

incision

composition

attempt to show movement with the raising of the maenads' feet

dominant horizontal lines as all figures are standing

maenads more angular - enthusiasmos

dominant verticals, horizontals, diagonals

chiastic composition

pose

portrayal of anatomy and physical form

foreshortening and torsion

portrayal of movement

portrayal of emotion

repetition and pattern in poses of maenads - they are painted in step

scholarly references

"remarkable absence of black surfaces" - osborne

[casskeeps]

metope xxvii

location: the parthenon at athens

date: 447-442 bce

subject:

centauromachy - can be related to the triumph of civilisation over barbarism and from there the recent greco-persian war

composition

chiastic composition - both figures create a leaf shape by the fact that their legs are near the centre of the metope, their torsos push outwards to the sides, and their heads are brought back into the centre of the metope

the body of the lapith is a gentle arc - this contrasts with both the curved catenary fold in the drapery behind him and the sharp angle between the horizontal equine half and the diagonal human half of the centaur's body

the lapith's body is displayed more frontally, allowing the sculptor to depict more of his musculature to enhance the narrative and depict the lapith as the more dominant figure

both the figures cross in the centre of the metope - this helps to establish that the figures have equal importance in the metope

drapery helps to fill the space - ensures there are no large empty spaces and demonstrates skill of sculptor

deeply carved - chiarocuro helps to enhance the impression of musculature

head of lapith, although missing, is thought to have been looking back at the centaur - adds focus

muscles are softly carved, and are much more realistic than earlier sculpture - evident in the pectorals, which are shallower than those of metope 26

emphasis on bone structure as well as musculature - the ribs are visible as well as the intercostal muscles

centaur is much bulkier - this makes him appear more brutish and emphasises the civilisation vs barbarism theme

scholars

griffiths pedley - "dominated by the tension of the fight"

cook: "the next moment will see the end [of the centaur], and meanwhile the action is frozen"

[casskeeps]

metope xxvi

location: parthenon at athens

date: 447-442 bce

subject

centauromachy - the battle of the lapiths and the centaurs

recent greco-persian war - the theme of civilisation vs barbarism evident in the centauromachy could be applied to the context - the sculptor is trying to portray that greeks = civilised and persians = animalistic and barbaric

composition

both the lapiths and the centuar have very strong vertical poses - this emphasises the strength of both figures

the verticals of the bodies are contrasted by the diagonal lines of the lapith's raised arm and leg

the left leg of the centaur is almost parallel to the bottom of the metope - this breaks up the vertical composition of the metope and fills more space

the shallowly carved drapery behind the lapith adds more depth to the scene and also fills more space - adds more visual interest

the lapith has a stone in his hand - it is clear to the viewer that his intention is to strike the centaur

the legs of the lapith are different lengths - the bent leg is shorter than the straight leg

the equine half of the centaur is much too small - potentially not the best subject choice for such a small space

bulging muscles in areas such as the pectorals and abdominal muscles

the face of the centaur is very flat and he has no neck

scholars

woodford: "both figures are awkward ... and clearly the work of a less accomplished sculptor"

cook: "the composition is dull, the poses improbable"

[casskeeps]

augean stables

location: temple of zeus at olympia

date: 465-457 bce

subject

herakles used a shovel to reroute the alfenos river to clean out the augean stables

this relates to the theme of the triumph of civilisation over barbarism as herakles is using his intelligence as well as his brute strength

composition

athene is upright and columnar - a very strong vertical

this contrasts herakles' diagonals - his arms and torso+straight leg form opposing diagonals

athene's right arm is parallel to herakles' shovel

herakles, striding forward, takes up more space than athene - this makes him more prevalent and dominant within the composition

athene's drapery is modest and plain - she wears an unpatterned peplos, and no armour or aegis - she does, however, have her helmet on - this makes her more identifiable

herakles has a beard in this metope - this makes him appear less youthful and more matured than the metopes depicting the previous labours

the drapery of athene's peplos is carved very shallowly - this makes the drapery feel very two-dimensional and detracts from the realism of the metope

the lack of details in the hair make it feel unnaturally smooth

scholars

woodford: "confident in the midst of action"

[casskeeps]

cretan bull

location: temple of zeus, olympia

date: 465-457 bce

subject: herakles fighting the cretan bull

composition

herakles and the bull are leaning in opposing directions - this creates a dynamic feel to the sculpture and also introduces chiastic composition

the two figures are turning their heads back towards each other - this brings the viewer's attention back to the centre of the metope - the musculature of both the bull and herakles

speaking of musculature, herakles is RIPPED - he has insane abdominal muscles, and they are reacting to the torsion of his body

his pectorals and abdominal muscles are over-exaggerated, though, and this creates a strange contrast with the smoothness of his hair

the left horn of the bull was created from a different piece of marble and added on later - this allows for more of a 3d effect as the horn protrudes into the space of the viewer

the twist in the neck of the bull increases the impression of depth in the metope

there is some very fine detail in the depiction of the cretan bull - the nostril is flared, and there are very thin wrinkles around the eye of the bull - this sensitive rendering of anatomy makes the metope much more realistic and "believable"

scholars

andronicus: "conflict of forces"

[casskeeps]

garden of hesperides

location: temple of zeus at olympia

date: 465-457 bce

subject: herakles holding up the sky while atlas returns with the apples of hesperides

the subject is relevant to the temple because herakles is a son of zeus

composition

dominated by columnar strong verticals

the arms of all three figures - athene, herakles, and atlas - break the otherwise entirely vertical composition

herakles' arms are at much more extreme angles as he struggles with the weight of the sky - contrast this with athene, offering one handed support with ease - her forearm is perpendicular to her upper arm

herakles' musculature is exaggerated, particularly his glutei and iliac crest - this demonstrates his strength, and the tension shown in this musculature shows the difficulty of this task

atlas, in comparison, is much more relaxed - he is composed of almost entirely vertical and horizontal lines

athene's head is turned towards herakles, while her body faces the viewer - the mirrored gazes of athene and atlas bring the viewer's focus to the centre of the metope

the drapery of athene's peplos is very shallowly carved - this makes the effect much more two-dimensional and less realistic

both athene and atlas are in contrapposto, with the weight shifted onto one leg - this demonstrates their relaxedness and ease as deities

athene's contrapposto allows the sculptor to demonstrate the transparency effect, which demonstrates his awareness of the female form underneath the drapery

transparency at thigh and knee, catenary fold between breasts

herakles got ass man

scholars

osborne: "athene is supportive, yet distant"

[casskeeps]

herakles and the kerkopes

date: 575-550 bce

location: temple c at selinus

subject

herakles and the kerkopes

the kerkopes are woodland creatures with a reputation for mischief

they stole herakles' armour, but were apprehended by him

he was so amused by a joke they made that he let them go

composition

herakles stands with his legs rigid and straight, with his feet flat on the floor - this is likely an attempt to convey walking, but instead gives an impression of stillness and rigidity

the composition is highly symmetrical - herakles' torso provides the central vertical line of symmetry, and the kerkopes are almost entirely mirrors of each other - this makes the metope feel more balanced, and effectively fills the space

heavily ordered composition, dominated by vertical and horizontal lines

the anatomy of herakles is highly detailed in the legs, with very rounded planes on the calves and almost bulbous ankle bones

the chests of all three figures are much flatter, despite being entirely frontal, making the metope feel less naturalistic and more flat

all three figures have an anatomically impossible twist at the waist - the legs are in profile but the torso is entirely frontal - there is no depiction of torsion in the waist

the feet are flat on the floor, which is not anatomically correct - the ideal male physique probably involved arched feet

the hair of all three figures is depicted with a repeated beaded pattern - this is not naturalistic, but highly stylistic and expected for the period

the hair of the kerkopes does respond to gravity and falls with some naturalism

archaic smiles again

the relatively shallow relief of the metope creates a two-dimensional effect - this is not particularly ideal

the shallow relief also makes the overlapping elements feel squashed together

scholars

woodford: "composition dominated by emphatic verticals and horizontals"

[casskeeps]

ANTIKYTHERA YOUTH !!

basic information

name: antikythera youth / antikythera ephebe (my wife)

date: 340 bce

artist: unknown, perhaps euphranor (suggested by writings of pliny)

size: 1.96 metres

original, reconstruction, or copy: bronze original with multiple inlaid materials

subject

we are not sure !!

most common interpretations are either paris holding the apple of discord or perseus with the head of medusa

other interpretations include a young herakles with an apple from the garden of hesperides, apollo, or an athlete

composition

he has his arm outstretched, holding up an item as he gazes just past it

his right leg falls just behind, the weight being put through his left leg

inverted/adapted contrapposto

he has some exaggerated musculature - the iliac crest and intercostal muscles are highly defined

the details of the bones in the ankles also demonstrate an impressive command of the human form

the hand not holding the apple is naturalistically relaxed, with the fingers gently curved and the thumb laying over the top

his eyes are inlaid with multiple materials - white stone, metal pupils, and painted irises - this adds to the naturalism of the statue and makes it more realistic

he has a highly enigmatic expression; his eyebrows are slightly upturned at the inner corner, giving an impression of contemplation or potentially worry

his mouth is very slightly open, a remarkably human gesture

the focus of the eyes was adjusted in the 1950s - he may have been looking in a different direction originally

this is another statue where the props are massively important to the identification of the statue - while we can appreciate the aesthetic appeal of the statue, the item he was holding is crucial to understanding how succesfully the statue conveyed the person it should depict

scholars

pliny: "the eye can detect in it at once the judge of goddesses, the lover of helen, and yet the slayer of achilles"

fraser: "one of the most brilliant products of peloponnesian bronze sculpture"

[casskeeps]

apoxyomenos

basic information

name: apoxyomenos (the oil-scraper)

date: 330bce

artist: lysippos

size: 2.05 metres

function: votive statue

original, reconstruction, or copy: roman marble copy of a lost bronze original

subject

this statue depicts an athlete using a strigil, a tool used to scrape oil, sweat, and dirt off the skin

we're still depicting athletic naked men, although the everyday action of the sculpture is slightly less common

composition

the body of this sculpture is largely aesthetically pleasing - he stands in contrapposto, with his arms outstretched

the shift of weight off his right foot (demonstrated by the small point of contact - the ball of his foot rests on the floor, as opposed to the flat contact of his left foot

the anatomy is idealised but still naturalistic - the iliac crest is exaggerated, but the musculature surrounding the knee is subtly sculpted and depicted using realistic rounded planes

the anatomy of his face is damaged (especially where his nose has broken off)

his eyes look slightly too close together, which limits the aesthetic appeal of his face

again, he fails to show much emotion

lysippos adapted polykleitos' canon for the proportions of human figures - the head is at a 1:7 ratio to the body, slightly undersized when compared to the canon of polykleitos

scholars

woodford: "the stance is extraordinarily mobile"

boardman: "breaks with the one-view frontality of classical sculpture"

[casskeeps]

aphrodite of knidos

basic information

name: aphrodite of knidos

date: 350 bce

sculptor: praxiteles

height: 1.52 metres (life size)

original, reconstructed, or copy: copy of a marble original

subject matter

anthropomorphisation of gods - aphrodite

everyday action - bathing

more bold depiction of female figures - nude

context

last few decades of the late classical period

naturalistic form has been almost perfected

sculptors more interested in deviating from the norms of draped female and nude male forms - this is the first large-scale female nude

composition

contrapposto again - emphasises and enhances the curves of her body

the hand is positioned carefully over the pubis in order to retain modesty for the otherwise completely exposed figure

the body is sensitively carved, despite it not being the praxitelean original, but it is generally believed that the copies have not been able to capture the same "essence"

the jaw and torso are soft and rounded, creating a much more feminine impression that contrasts greatly with the more harshly muscular male figures

the content of the statue is highly innovative for the time - the female nude had not been depicted in this manner until this statue by praxiteles

the statue, as many classical statues do, has a distinct lack of clear expression in the face; the expression is largely relaxed and impartial, which could be argued to serve as a representation of aphrodite existing outside of our world - the impartiality of her expression despite the vulnerability of her position demonstrates her existence as a non-human goddess

the proportions are very naturalistic and realistic - this serves to make the statue more aesthetically pleasing as the human viewer is able to recognise the human form in a very familiar representation

this is most evident in the softness of the curves of her stomach and thighs - she is not overly muscled like statues such as the artemision zeus, but not flat and simplistic like the archaic korai

the drapery is highly realistic, creating numerous arcs and lines as it falls - this demonstrates an impressive awareness of the effect of gravity on the cloth

stylistic features

the softer features in the face and body

the polished marble, giving an impression of the radiance of skin

the largely stoic face, with an enigmatic expression

preservation of female modesty despite pushing boundaries of the traditions of art

scholars

osborne: "in representing aphrodite naked, praxiteles was breaking with conventional practice"

woodford: "reveals the newly discovered charm of the feminine form"

[casskeeps]

hermes and dionysus

basic information

name: hermes and dionysus

date: 343 bce

artist: praxiteles

size: over life-size

location: olympia

original, reconstruction, or copy: marble, only copies remain

subject matter

the sculpture depicts hermes with the infant dionysus - another anthropomorphisation of gods. we're not quite sure what hermes was holding, but it's commonly believed to be grapes.

context

praxiteles was part of a movement back to marble sculpture, but he was renowned for his polishing of the marble - it increased the luminosity and shine of the sculpture. this statue can be considered a culmination of late classical features - contrapposto, naked male statues, anthropomorphisation of gods, and sensitive treatment of both anatomy and drapery.

composition

both figures are in contrapposto - a very common pose for the period, but the stance is adapted to become more serpentine; the praxitelean s-curve

hermes' arm that extends out and upwards, potentially holding a bunch of grapes, has broken off - this is an example of sculptors choosing unsuitable poses for their material, as the low tensile strength of marble is not suitable for the positioning of the arms so far away, especially without any possibilities for bridging and support

speaking of support, the arm that holds the infant dionysus is supported by a large pillar of draped fabric - this is done to mask the support underneath, and is mostly successful, except for the bridge between his left hip and the support pillar

the anatomy of the figures is largely typical of the period, with musculature created by gently rounded planes such as the calves and thighs, but also exaggerated in places such as the iliac crest

praxiteles imitates the radiance and softness of skin by polishing the statue, but fails to apply this treatment to the whole statue - the back is not as finely finished, making the sculpture appear frontal

the faces, again, lack much emotion.

the eyebrows do not really exist? there is a clear depiction of the browbone, but the actual eyebrows as entities do not appear on the face

the bone structure on the face is gently carved, and the curved planes of forms such as the jaw and cheekbones make the face more aesthetically pleasing and naturalistic.

the proportions are pretty solid, as to be expected in late classical sculpture

the drapery used to mask the support pillar utilises numerous catenary folds in order to demonstrate the effect of gravity on the fabric

scholars

boardman: "the relaxed langour of the figure just stops short of effeminacy to our eyes"

osborne: "aggressively three-dimensional drapery"

osborne: "it is wit, rather than tradition, that surely lies behind the choice of subject: the young god of wine is made to show precocious interest in the fruit of the vine"

extra information

museum of olympia

[casskeeps]

eirene and ploutos

basic information

name: eirene and ploutos

date: 375/371 bce

function: used to commemorate a peace treaty

artist: kephisodotos

size: 1.99 metres - over life size

original, reconstruction, or copy: marble copy of a bronze original

subject

eirene (peace) and ploutos (wealth) as mother and child

anthropomorphisation of the gods

more philosophical subject than previous sculptures

context

375 bce - peace was made with sparta and a cult to eirene was founded

371 bce - peace was signed between all greeks

philosophy was becoming more important to greeks

composition

both figures are in contrapposto; the angles of the hips and shoulders are inverted

eirene's right leg is bent, and both the figures are looking at each other

the ankles of ploutos' legs are crossed

the anatomy of both figures are naturalistic and aesthetically pleasing - the body of ploutos has many rounded planes in order to depict the childlike adipose tissue

the form of eirene is visible underneath the thin drapery - the use of transparency on the chest allows the form of the anatomy underneath to be visible

the hair is also more realistic than previous statues - the individual strands are considered, and the hair falls in clumps of curls around her shoulders

the use of two figures, especially two of such different ages is particularly notable; it helps to depict the narrative of peace as the mother of wealth (the older generations' duty to foster prosperity for younger peoples)

the sight lines of the two figures is particularly effective, as well as the use of their body language; both figures are leaning into each other, with the infant ploutos leaning away from the viewer - clear evidence of the abandonement of the wholly frontal earlier statues

proportions are mostly naturalistic (something feels a bit off about ploutos though)

the drapery is SO COOL - a chiton and himation

it collects over her left foot, forming delicate crinkled folds that demonstrate an advanced awareness of gravity

there are catenary folds between her breasts, where the pin is attached on the right shoulder, and underneath the arm

the thinness of the fabric is visible in the gap between her back and the chiton

transparency/wet drapery effect visible on the right thigh and knee of eirene

stylistic features

content - anthropomorphisation of the gods became more common in the late classical periods, especially such an everyday humanisation of them

slightly over life size - gods depicted as bigger than humans

the soft, rounded facial planes

scholars

museum of classical archaeology, cambridge: offers the dates and potential inciting events for its construction

extra information

museum of classical archaeology

a blog essay on it

[casskeeps]

aphrodite of the agora

basic information

name: aphrodite of the agora

date: 425-400

artist: unknown (probably school of agorakritos)

function: monumental statue of aphrodite

size: 1.83m (slightly over life-size)

original, reconstructed, or copy: marble original

subject

the statue is significantly damaged, but we can see a female figure wrapped in heavy drapery. she wears a chiton of very fine cloth and a himation of a much heavier material wound around her legs.

context

coming towards the end of the high classical period, sculptors are starting to lean more towards expressive and sensitive sculpture, instead of the highly restrained archaic poses and the dynamic action of the early classical period. the drapery of the aphrodite of the agora demonstrates a lean back towards the expressive and bold, moving slightly away from the subdued high classical period.

composition

she is depicted in a polykleitan contrapposto - her feet are angled and her shoulders are tilted. this pose adds more variation into the compositional lines of the structure, adding an emphasis to diagonal and curved lines, but also makes the pose appear more naturalistic.

there is very little musculature or body shown in this statue, due to the prevalence of the drapery over the sculpture as a whole, but there is still detail to the form underneath the drapery. the stomach curves outward, and we can see the detail used in the depiction of her left foot that is visible under the drapery.

anthropomorphisation of the gods was a relatively new subject - it would become much more common in the late classical period, with statues such as hermes and dionysus, and eirene and ploutos becoming popular examples of this theme.

the drapery is one of the most remarkable aspects of this statue; not only do we have the depiction of thin, finely crinkled drapery over the right side of the chest, but also the thicker wrapped himation that winds around the body. we see vertically falling drapery above the right foot, modelling lines all over the himation as it follows the contour of the body, and the very fine folds as it gathers on top of the right foot.

stylistic features

the more expressive depiction of the drapery and subject of the sculpture are indicative of the transition into the late classical period, although the depiction of a draped female figure has been common for centuries.

scholars

woodford: "virtuoso rendering of exuberant drapery"