#ocr classical civilisation

[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

[hannahinalevels]

Just putting it out there, if anyone studying OCR Class Civ or has exams coming up on ‘The Odyssey’, ‘Electra’, ‘Medea’, ‘Agamemnon’, or ‘Antigone’, and needs book summaries or character sheets, hit me up and I’ll share our A Level class’ group notes with you.

[yespastpapercomposts-blog]

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OCR (Oxford, Cambridge and RSA Examinations) is an examination board that sets examinations and awards qualifications (including GCSEs and A-levels). It is one of England, Wales and Northern Ireland's five main examination boards, and has been dogged by controversies concerning inaccuracies in its work, ever since its formation.

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[kathi-trembley218hl0-blog]

Gcse Science Coursework

Gcse Science Coursework

22 Oct 2014 GCSE and A-level coursework typically takes the form of an extended essay or For science coursework, you'll need to choose something to 

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GCSE 2015/16 Classical Civilisation. Unit 4, Microsoft Word File, PDF File. Computer Science. Component 1, Microsoft Word File, PDF File. Dance.

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GCSE 2015/16 Classical Civilisation. Unit 4, Microsoft Word File, PDF File. Computer Science. Component 1, Microsoft Word File, PDF File. Dance.

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GCSE Additional science 4408 COntrolled assessment. assessments, please contact the Coursework Administration team at courseworkadmin@aqa.org.uk .

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28 Nov 2016 Information about the Edexcel GCSE in Science (2011) - Individual sciences route, including the specification, key documents and the latest 

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[casskeeps]

new york kouros

basics

name: new york kouros

date: 590-580 bce (early archaic)

artist: unknown

function: attic grave marker

size: ~195cm - about life size

original, reconstructed, or copy: original naxian marble

subject matter

this statue is a kouros: a statue of a nude male figure. number one thing to remember is that most kouroi are not supposed to depict real people - instead, they are more of a representation of idealised youth.

context

beginning of the archaic period ! this statue is the product of a process called orientalising: the process where egyptian artistic features are assimilated into greek art. the greeks first came into contact with egyptians in around 660 bce, and the influence of egyptian art is very clearly visible in the new york kouros (elaboration in stylistic features).

composition

the pose of the statue is highly rigid, and appears to sacrifice naturalism of anatomy for structural integrity. this is most evident in the "impossible twist" in the wrists, and the positioning of the feet.

the wrists are profile, flat next to the thigh (although bridged by a support), despite the elbow and inner forearms being frontal and facing the viewer. while this allows for sounder support between the hands and thighs, making the arms harder to break off, it detracts from the naturalism by depicting an anatomically improbable positioning of the hand and wrist in relation to the rest of the arm.

the feet, while not anatomically impossible, also demonstrate a sacrifice of naturalism for balance and structure; the pose of the kouros emulates a person walking, but it lacks the naturalism of the action. this effect is created by the straightened legs (there is no bend in the knee joint), and the flattened feet. the flat feet and rigid legs create an impression of stillness, as opposed to the shift of weight shown by later statues by the raising of the heel of the foot.

the anatomy of the face and head also demonstrate the common difficulties depicting humans in archaic sculpture; the ears are created using a volute shape for the shell of the ear, and the eyes are a stylised almond shape and oversized for the face. the use of abstract shapes to depict natural forms can be referred to as geometricism, and the oversized eyes can be referred to as "insectoid".

the kouros has a relatively emotionless face; it has an archaic smile in order to give it more of an impression of life, but the rest of the face doesn't respond to the muscles. this is what makes the archaic smile unsettling and almost inhuman to many viewers - it lacks proper interaction between muscles.

the proportions of the statue also demonstrate the effects of geometricism on archaic greek art; the torso is much wider at the shoulders than at the hips and waist, creating a triangle shape to represent the form of the upper body. the entire body is slender, and the digits are much longer than human digits - this is particularly evident in the toes, which are noticeably lengthened.

stylistic features

this kouros is highly typical of the archaic period, particularly the early archaic period - it is highly influenced by both geometricism and egyptian art.

the anatomy has many features of archaic period - particularly the abstract shapes used to represent the more complex natural forms. these include volutes in the representation of the ears, gull-wings (like m and w shapes) in the pectorals, eyebrows, and knees, and chevrons (v shapes) in the elbows, knees, iliac crest, and to represent the bottom of the ribcage.

the subject is also highly typical of the archaic period, as a nude male figure (a kouros), but it's important to note that the nude male figure perseveres through greek sculpture, even to the late classical period and beyond

scholars

harris and zucker: "the lack of contrapposto, the symmetry, does place him in some ways firmly in a world that is not ours"

osborne: "this kouros is particularly important, not only for the fine details, but also for its proportions"

extra information

khan academy

the metropolitan museum

smarthistory

[casskeeps]

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]

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]

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"

[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]

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]

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]

delphic charioteer

basic information

name: delphic charioteer

date: 478/474 bce

artist: unknown

function: tribute to apollo, commissioned by a winner of the pythian games

size: 1.8 metres

original, reconstructed, or copy: bronze original with details in silver, onyx, and copper

subject matter

the statue depicts a triumphant charioteer; he appears impassive to his victory, but this demonstrates the value of modesty and humility in greek culture. we can tell he is the winner because of his headband, and he holds in his outstretched hand the reins for his horses.

context

this statue was not always alone - he was originally depicted with his chariot in front of him, which would have obscured the viewer's vision of his feet and legs.

composition

the delphic charioteer stands solemnly, feet together, and hands outstretched, holding the reins for his chariot. this protrusion into the frontal plane is only made possible by the use of bronze - consider the loss of the peplos kore's hand and both hands of the aristodikos kouros.

the anatomy demonstrates the early classical "severe style" with his soft, heavy jawline, and the stylised depiction of the curls framing his fave. the outstretched hand is naturally positioned, with the thumb on top and the rest of the fingers gently curved underneath, and there is considerable attention to detail in the feet despite them likely not being visible when the chariot was assembled in front of him. the detail of the feet is particularly evident when considering the clear understanding of the skeletal mechanics of the foot - each segment is carefully considered and cast with delicate skill.

the expression of the charioteer originally appears puzzling; the winner of the race appears to have no reaction at all. however, this is partially due to the subdued expressions of the severe style, but also partially due to the importance of humility and modesty in greek sporting events. there are hints of the previous archaic influence in the charioteer's face, such as the eyebrows - they are treated as one line, as opposed to a collection of hairs.

the proportions of the statue are particularly remarkable; the legs are lengthened to make him able to be seen among his chariot, but there is no sense of distortion or poor balance in the statue.

the drapery of the delphic charioteer is also notable; the lower haf of the drapery does not react to the movement of the chariot, but the movement is clearly visible from behind, where we see the xystis billowing around the straps crossing his shoulders. the lower half of the drapery is regularly fluted and the folds appear columnar, which appears very realistic for unmoving drapery, and the top half of the drapery demonstrates a wonderful depiction of the reaction of fabrics to movement and dynamism.

the charioteer is also holding a set of reins; this is particularly important because these reins have survived - the high tensile strength of bronze has allowed the prop of this charioteer to survive over two thousand years with no supports,

stylistic features

the severe style, the most notable style emerging from the early classical period, is notable for its subdued expressions, soft jawlines, thick, heavy eyelids, and idealised realism - the product of a sculptor aiming for perfection while depicting a very naturalistic subject.

another product of classical bronze work is the use of inlaid materials - the bronze eyelashes, copper on the lips to give them a more red tone, and silver teeth between the slightly parted lips.

scholars

woodford: "the bronze is dramatic and striking"

extra sources

brown university

world history

[casskeeps]

aristodikos kouros

basic information

name: aristodikos kouros

date: 510-500 bce (very late archaic)

artist: unknown

function: grave marker

size: just under 2m

original, reconstructed, or copy: original, parian marble

subject matter

as per most archaic kouroi, we assume that the aristodikos kouros is not a likeness of the person whose grave he marked. as typical for kouroi, he is a nude male fiugre, likely a young adult; the kouros appears to depict an idealised athletic male figure.

context

we are at the end of the archaic period here !! this kouros represents one of the major shifts in the attitudes in greek art - this is where sculptors started to realise that highly rigid poses and more naturalistic forms don't mix particularly well.

composition

the pose of this statue is still very much typical of a kouros; the archaic "walking pose" prevails, and the arms are still firmly at the sides. this pose looks uncomfortably stiff - much more so than it seems for earlier, more abstractly represented sculpture. this detracts from the naturalism of the statue as there is a disconnect between the less naturalistic pose and the more realistic anatomy.

the aristodikos kouros demonstrates much more anatomical accuracy and understanding than earlier kouroi; the muscles are more accurately placed, and complex forms are created using rounded and curved planes instead of incisions. this is particularly evident in the depiction of the shins; the sculptor has precisely carved out the shin bone, allowing it to appear as an independent anatomical form from the calf. the facial anatomy, although damaged, also demonstrates a much more developed understanding of the human body, especially in the soft curve of the jaw, which appears closer to early classical statues than earlier archaic kouroi. there is one point of interest that is particularly unique, however, and that is the star-shaped figure on his groin. it adds a little bit of visual interest and flair to the statue without distracting significantly from the rest of the anatomy.

again, the nude male figure prevails! aristodikos is again an athletic male figure, although slightly less curvacious than the anavyssos kouros.

we can't make out much of his facial expression due to him being run over by a plough, but the amount that we can see appears serene and relaxed - the archaic smile is starting to lose its chokehold on sculpture.

the proportions of this statue are mostly well balanced, which realistic musculature and width of limbs. the head is undersized slightly, but this does not detract massively from the statue.

stylistic features

we are leaving behind the traditions of the archaic period and starting to give way to the early classical schools of art; aristodikos displays very few abstract shapes that are not clearly intended, and his anatomy is largely realistic, without the common struggles of insectoid and oversized eyes.

scholars

osborne, re: grave markers: "those who pass by ... find in the smiling but stony gaze an image of theiir own mortality".

woodford: "looks so much like a living man that the way he stands now appears unnaturally stiff"

extra information

runshaw classics

[casskeeps]

peplos kore

basic information

name: peplos kore

date: 540-520 bce

artist: unknown (but potentially the rampin master)

function: votive offering to athene on the acropolis

size: 1.2m (just under life-size)

original, reconstructed, or copy: original in parian marble

subject

this is another kore ! we are not quite sure who she is supposed to depict, but some archaeologists suggest that she depicts a goddess - we won't be able to know the truth until we know what was on her head and in her hands. we can see that she has bore holes in her head and right hand, which suggest that she could have worn a crown or wreath on her head, and potentially have held a bow or shield. here's a link to the gods in colour exhibition, which recreated some of the ideas for how she might have looked !

context

in 540-520 bce, we are approaching the late archaic period - sculptors are moving from highly idealised and geometric forms to a more nuanced and naturalistic representation of people.

composition

the kore's pose is still very much influenced by the egyptian grid-block technique; her pose is largely cylindrical, with the feet close together (and possibly engulfed in the drapery), and her right arm by her side, in a similar position to kouroi of the period. notably, however, her left arm extends forward into the frontal plane, disrupting the symmetry and adding variation into this largely self-contained composition.

the anatomy of the sculpture is obscured by the heavy garment (more information on this later!), in much the same way as the berlin standing goddess. however, we see a marked development in facial and head anatomy when looking at this gorgeous girl!! her ears, while still slightly reminiscent of the volutes in the new york kouros, are more naturally sized and lifelike, and we can see holes in her earlobes where earrings may have been placed. her face is much more naturalistic; instead of the exaggerated cheeks of the berlin standing goddess, she has a gentle and subtle archaic smile, which does succeed in its intention of providing the statue with vitality and expression. we also see more of the form underneath the drapery in the peplos kore - her belt is angled gently as her stomach protrudes slightly, demonstrating a sensitive (carefully considered) approach to the interaction of the clothes with the anatomy underneath. we also see more of the shape of her chest and arms - the latter particularly from behind, where we can see the outline of her arms from underneath the cape.

the kore, as per the archaic tradition, depicts a modestly dressed female figure, without facial wrinkles or signs of aging, yet slightly developed in the anatomical form - there is curvature in the chest to demonstrate the existence of the breasts, although the furthest protruding area of her bust has been knocked off. her name is also a misnomer - despite being called the peplos kore, her garment does not have pins at the shoulders, and so is unlikely to actually be a peplos.

emotion is created in this statue using the archaic smile, but also the eyes and eyebrows - her eyebrows, while still reminiscent of the gull-wings of earlier statues, are arched and delicate, while her eyes are alert and large yet not insectoid; this effect could be heightened by the fact that we can see the remainders of paint used to depict her large irises. the main difference between the expression of the peplos kore and the berlin standing goddess is the subtlety of the expression, and this subtlety is what makes the peplos kore's expression so aesthetically appealing and effective.

the kore, while under life-sized, is largely proportional, making the statue appear more lifelike and naturalistic, despite saving on cost of materials by reducing the amount of marble needed for the sculpture.

the peplos kore, while not wearing a peplos, has been considered to be wearing a cape draped over what is potentially an anatolian long dress. the depiction of these garments is much more simple than the berlin standing goddess - the sculptor has focused more on the human form underneath the garment than the drapery obscuring the anatomy. this is evident in the lack of detail in the sculpture of the drapery - it is largely cylindrical and smooth, which could be argued to increase the sense of stillness in the statue, but could also be argued to detriment the naturalism of the kore. there is detail, however, in the painting of the drapery - the artist has carefully painted a repeating wave pattern across the border of the back of the cape. this demonstrates an extraordinary attention to detail and care in the painting and creation of this statue.

stylistic features

if you've guessed archaic smile, you're right! it's used to add life and vitality, and looks slightly less unsettling in this sculpture than in some others - this is mainly due to her coolly passive expression and the subtlety of her smile.

her left arm, now lost, was made of a separate piece of stone, which has since been lost! this is particularly cool because it demonstrates a marked intent to break through the frontal plane - another interesting example of this is the cretan bull metope from the temple of zeus at olympia (notably over 83-55 years later - 465-457 bce)!!

the peplos kore also demonstrates a common technique in the archaic period - polychromy. we see evidence of this in the red colour of her hair and irises, and also in the dark blue of her belt and the wave pattern on the back of her cape.

scholars

boardman: "perhaps the finest of all the ladies from athens"

woodford: "one of the most delightful"

woodford: "the drapery is treated in broad, simple masses. it is enlivened by slight irregularities .. to convey a sense of the body it conceals"

extra sources

the acropolis museum

smarthistory (dr bulger)

a watercolour painting from when the statue was first discovered !