Marble Statue of a Kouros, Greek, Archaic

Marble Statue of a Kouros, Greek, Archaic Period, c. 590-580 BCE

Ancient Greece was a place of incredible artistry in terms of architecture, playwriting, and sculpture. So much of what is known about the Greeks has been learned through their artwork. Many of the pieces of Ancient Greek art are available to be seen in history and art museums around the world. In the present moment, by looking at the artworks which have been discovered that date back to the period of the Ancient Greeks, modern scholars can interpret what differences occurred in the various epochs of the era, such as the types of artwork created, the subjects which were given the most importance, and the mediums employed. The subject of the sculpture in particular can explain a great deal about the specific epoch in terms of clothing, armaments, and other aspects. At the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, New York, there are many beautiful pieces of art to see and to enjoy. In the Greek section, there are works of art which are not only beautiful but also tell a great deal about the Grecian culture. Statues were one of the most frequent mediums that were used by the Greeks and so there are many of them to look at in the museum. One of the most interesting statues in the collection is one of a Kouros, which is Greek for young boy. This sculpture comes from the Archaic Period and is believed to have been made between 590 and 580 BCE. Examination and analysis of this sculpture lets people appreciate it both for its historical connotation and for its beauty as a work of art as well.

A kouros was a youthful male who had reached adolescence or perhaps even his middle teenage years but was not yet an adult. Statues of kouroses were a traditional art form in Archaic Greece and found throughout the period, most often used to honor the god Apollo. There are many kouroses which still exist and art historians have proven that these types of statues were one of the first types of statues to be carved in Attica. These statues would be stoic in pose and in facial expression and this statue is no exception. The whole figure is very stiff and unreal from the long oval shaped face to the exaggerated width of the hips. His face has very large eye holes, but no definition of the eyes. Also, he has an elongated nose and a flat upper lip without particular distinction. The bodies of kouros sculptures tended to be carved in body positions which were completely stiff and rigidly erect with very little expression. It is arguable that early Grecian art work was visibly more stiff in appearance largely because of the fact that artists were still learning to work with new mediums which can be seen in other art from the period like in pottery. "Kouros" shows the artistic style of the earlier period with lack of attention to detail and a very controlled and unnatural body position. There is very little attempt to make a figure which closely resembles a living person.

"Statue of a Kouros" refers specifically to the statue made of Naxian marble from the Archaic period which is featured at the Metropolitan. This marble is a dull color which may have been white at some time but now appears more of a tan or sand color. It is possible that the marble was originally pure white and has changed color with time but the color it now is does not detract from the aesthetic appeal of the statue. Over the years, the marble has deteriorated some. For example, there are visible cracks in the marble even though it has been restored. The neck has a protrusion which does not appear to be natural and makes it appear that even this part of the statue has had to be restored because it has been broken at some point in the past. Most statues were carved from a single piece of stone which is interesting in this case because this particular kouros statue stands over six feet tall. This is very interesting because obviously few teenagers or adolescents are this tall which shows that the artist was not interested in trying to closely depict a real live person in their artwork in any way but were instead making a representation of a Greek youth.

There are very few details presented in "Marble Statue of a Kouros (Youth)." Details of the face are limited. There are holes for eyes, but there are no irises, which makes the statue appear blank or even blind. The influence of the Ancient Egyptians can be seen in this piece in the large eyes and the headdress atop the head of the figure. The headdress may in fact be the most detailed part of the statue. It has intricate braids which flow down the back of the subject. The body shows some muscular definition but only in a general way. In fact, the only parts of the body which have a great deal of detail are in the joints of the elbows and knees and also in the statue's male organ. In this particular sculpture one leg is stepped forward slightly while the other stands in a straight line along with the spine, a frequent aspect of these statues. Its arms are extended and straight, pointing down and very close to the body. It very much looks like a three-dimensional representation of something that might be traditional Egyptian wall art which no doubt was the intention.