GREEK SCULPTURE

THE PARTHENON

Archaic sculpture • Early Archaic Age: 600 –

550 BCE• Late Archaic Age: 550 – 480

BCE• Kouros• Late 7th Century BCE (late

600’s) • early archaic sculpture• Stylized, emotionless,

emphasis on perfect symmetry

• Stone primary medium

• The influence of Egyptian sculpture is unmistakeable.

• The kouri had three main functions:

• To represent a God• A dedication to offer

to a God• A memorial of a man

placed in his tomb.

Kore

• Also common throughout the late Archaic and early Classical age are the Kore

• Kore depict female figures, and were usually used as memorials

• These Kore were stylistic and static as the Kouros figures

• Unlike Kouros figures, Kore were always clothed

Archaic Sculpture• Kritios Boy• 480 BCE • Late archaic sculpture• Development of realism• Development of

movement• Still quite stylized and

relatively emotionless, understanding of proportion developing

• Stone still primary medium

Classical Sculpture• Classical Age: Fifth century 480

– 400 BCE• Classical Age: Fourth century

390 -330• Zeus of Artemision 460 - 450

BCE• Fifth century early classical

Sculpture• Increase in depiction of

movement, perfectly proportioned, moving away from highly stylized depiction

• Bronze introduced as a medium

Techniques used in classical sculpture

• Contrapposto• Foreshortening• Balance• Contrast• Emphasis• Proportion• Pattern

• Symmetry• Shape• Line• Space• Size• Texture

As you enter the temple that they name the Parthenon, all the sculptures you see on what is called the pediment refer to the birth of Athena, those on the rear pediment represent the contest for the land between Athena and Poseidon. The statue itself is made of ivory and gold. On the middle of her helmet is placed a likeness of the Sphinx and on either side of the helmet are griffins in relief. These griffins, Aristeas of Proconnesus says in his poem, fight for the gold with the Arimaspi beyond the Issedones. The gold which the griffins guard, he says, comes out of the earth; the Arimaspi are men all born with one eye; griffins are beasts like lions, but with the beak and wings of an eagle. The statue of Athena is upright, with a tunic reaching to the feet, and on her breast the head of Medusa is worked in ivory. She holds a statue of Victory about four cubits high, and in the other hand a spear; at her feet lies a shield and near the spear is a serpent. This serpent would be Erichthonius. On the pedestal is the birth of Pandora in relief.Pausanias' Description of Greece, Book I: Attica, [1.1.2].

Pausanias, Book I

Theseus – east pediment

Three fates – east pediment

Horse of Selene – east pediment

Head of a Centaur - metope detail

Lapith & Centaur – metope

Horsemen - frieze

Maidens - frieze

Deities - frieze