Inscribed Kouros Analysis

Inconspicuously placed in the Greek and Roman gallery within the RISD Museum, guarded behind a glass display case is a bronze Greek statue. Surrounded by other ancient sculptures and decaying vases is a noticeably small, approximately 9.8 x 2.7 x 1.9 cm tall, Kouros. The “Inscribed Kouros” was found in Greek, Boeotia ca. 540 BCE. The statue is a recreation of the nude male form. Kouros statues were continually replicated within the Greek art culture. Due to inscriptions carved into the sides of the statue’s legs, it is known that this Kouros is a gift to the God Apollo. Although a simple Greek artifact, the “Inscribed Kouros” is a particularly stunning art work due to its shape, form, and unity.
To begin, as stated above, the Kouros is a …show more content…
His head extends beyond his chest and is much larger in comparison to the rest of his body. When looking to the side, the head juts out and contrasts from the seemingly straight and flat body. Similarly, his shoulders are broad and also extend beyond his body. The statues waist cinches in to give the appearance of having an hourglass figure. His arms are flat to his sides, however, his elbows are bent so his clenched fists are closer to the viewer and the elbows are tucked behind the statue. Both hands have a hole going through the fists, as if he was grasping a pole or spear. At first glance, he is stagnant, but with further investigation he appears to be leaning forward toward the viewer. His left leg is raised with his right leg tucked behind it, indicating a walking motion. Rather than looking as if he is walking, it seems like a mere stance; this is the way in which he is standing.
The shoulder blades, thigh, calf, knee, and abdominal muscles have all been generously defined. In addition, the statue is not a rigid object, the construction of the man is fulfilled through curvature, indicated in the calf muscle lower back, waist, and biceps. Continuing upward from his body, he has long braided hair that falls below the shoulders. The statue’s hair is parted in the center and falls to both sides of his face, framing his round face shape. His eyebrows are raised and he has a small grin across his face. Even though he is expressing …show more content…
Due to the unproportionate limbs, the head becomes the focal point of the statue. The face and hair are the most detailed aspects of the object, the head is also the largest, measuring wider than the man's waist. Ones eyes first scan the face, then move down the statue, next focusing on the small waist and down the legs. Even though the statue is unproportionate and exaggerated from the actual male body, he still remains symmetrical. If cut down the center, both sides will look the same, with the exception of the lower body where the leg positions differ. Although the legs are in different locations, it does not deter from the overall feeling of balance and symmetry. The artist was able to keep the balance of the piece by making both sides of the body uniform. Instead of placing only one strip of hair forward, the artist place two strips of hair forward on either side of the face to create balance. In regards to rhythm, the statue is composed of sharp line work which allows for the facial features and joints in the body to attract attention. The systematic line work and curvature supports the unity of the statue. The object is read as one piece. Although the stand is a different material and color, it still appears to be a conscious choice by the artist and flows well with the bronze statue. Despite the variations of hue of bronze material, the statue continues to be justified as a single man. The most interesting