Why The Marble Statue Of A Kouros

Dana Greenfield
Dr. Benton
Art History 102
10 December 2014
Youth in Sculpture Marble sculpture resurfaced as one of the primary forms of media in Greek art around the middle of the seventh century B.C.E.. The advent of monumental sculpture was a huge development. “The Marble Statue of a Kouros (Youth)” or “The Metropolitan Kouros” towers with immense strength at six feet four inches. This Greek kouros, a term given to free standing sculpture representing the male youth, is one of the earliest marble statues of a human figure created in Attica, dating back to 600- 590 B.C.E.. According to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, this figure marked the grave of a young Athenian aristocrat. Greece has always had a long tradition of honoring the dead
The young man stands with his left foot forward and his arms held to either sides; the pose most consistent in Egyptian art. Typical characteristics of Egyptian sculpture include a lack of movement, a utilitarian nature, lack of aesthetic value, and neutrality. Greek sculptors used this pose as the basis for their work in the sixth century B.C.E., and allowed it to morph as time progressed. The influence of The Egyptian on Greek art is more rampant than just the stance, however- their processes were very similar, starting with the block of marble, drawing out all sides of the figure, and working in. The Greeks adopted the Egyptian style, and then suited it to their needs. Unlike Egyptian standing figures, “Metropolitan Kouros” does not wear any sort of the
The technical achievement of the artist, balancing two thousand pounds of solid marble on just two feet, is astounding. This sculpture would have originally stood on a base, with its name marked and its purpose clear. The kouros is naked except for a narrow band around his neck and a ribbon that ties his groomed, decorative, and tight hair. His hair appears to be comprised of small bead shapes, their tightness complimenting the rigidity of the tall body. The eyes of this young man are wide and open; his fists are clenched and full of tension. He possesses a light archaic smile. This sculpture does not seem to tell a specific story, rather portrays a neutral representation of the human perspective of the time. The complete focus of the viewer is on the body and the power it possesses. This famous “Metropolitan Kouros” was originally painted, most likely in yellows, blues, and greens, and meant to reflect real life. Touches of red pigment still remain on this sculpture, now over 2,600 years old. The size of this sculpture is considered to be unusually large for this time. With the Kouros, Ancient Greece begins a remarkable journey, exploring the possibilities of ancient sculpture, opening the floodgates for a revolution that would define the artistic heritage of civilization. Moving forward through time, the Greeks built upon this form, moving toward a definitive realism, achieved through a society that revered the