Essay on Progression of the Kouroi - 1333 Words

Progression of the Kouroi What is a kouros? In Greek, kouros means a young man. In art, a kouros is a statue of a young nude male who stands with his hands at his sides and one leg, usually his left, advanced. Throughout the Archaic period, which dates from 610 B.C. to 480 B.C., the basic pose of kouroi (plural for kouros) remained the same, though the anatomy of the figures gradually became more naturalistic or true to life. The ideology that the Greek sculptors wanted to achieve greater naturalism is proven through the progression of the kouroi during the period. At a glance, three main features deem the Getty Kouros under the general classification of a kouros: hands, hair, and feet. The hands are clenched into fists. They†¦show more content†¦Despite this, the Kouros was put on display on October 1986. During the early nineties, a fake marble torso that is similar to the Getty Kouros is discovered. Therefore, the fake torso was purchased for research and the Kouros was removed from the display for reevaluation of the previous studies. In May of 1992, the Kouros was displayed in Athens, Greece, at an international conference on its authenticity. Although the majority of art historians and archeologists condemn it, most of the scientists believe the Kouros to be authentic. Up to this day, the question of the Getty Kouros authenticity remains a mystery for the statue is still dated as Greek, 530 B.C. or modern forgery. The controversy of the authenticity of the Getty Kouros will be addressed shortly after the characterization of the kouros. Kroisos, a kouros from a cemetery at Anavysos, most resembles the Getty Kouros. By comparing the Getty Kouros shown at different angles with Kroisos a lot of similarities can be seen. The placement of the feet on the base in relation to the position of the hands and the shoulders, as well as details of the head, can help to determine whether a kouros turns to the left or right. This subtle movement in either direction is found among all authentic kouroi. The bent (or broken) axis of the left foot of the Getty Kouros is one ofShow MoreRelatedGreek Mythology : The Epic Tale The Iliad1179 Words   |  5 Pagesstyles and functions. In the case of this study, the mythological god Apollo is the subject of the artistic works of the votive known as the â€Å"Mantiklos Apollo† and the statue of â€Å"Apollo† that was found in Pireaus. These figures show a natural progression in style and technique. They are important because they represent the sacred beliefs and superstition s of their respective cultures and time periods. The two stylistic periods represented in this study, are the Geometric period and archaic period