30 Millennia of Sculpture. Patrick Bade
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130. Anonymous, Dying Warrior, corner figure, east pediment, Temple of Aphaia, Aegina (Greece), c. 500–480 BCE. Ancient Greek. Marble, length: 185 cm. Glyptothek, Munich.
Greek temples often featured large sculpture decorating the pediment, the triangular space under the eave of the roof. The first examples of pedimental sculpture show that the early artists were not adept at filling the awkward triangular space with a cohesive composition; the figures in the corners were shrunk to a diminutive scale in comparison to the central figures. However, in this pediment group from the end of the Archaic period, the sculptors showed new skill in conceiving the composition. The central figures, not shown, engage in lively battle, lunging and parrying with swords and shields. One archer crouches to take aim, his low position allowing him to fit into the smaller space toward the corner of the pediment. The Dying Warrior next to him fills that corner, the angle of his falling body perfectly fitting into the smallest part of the pediment. A single, cohesive narrative is thereby created across the triangular space, telling the story of a battle fought by local heroes.
131. Anonymous, Dancer Supporting the Kline and Lion, late 6th century BCE. Ancient Celtic, Hochdorf (Switzerland). Bronze, height: 30 cm. Württembergisches Landesmuseum, Stuttgart.
132. Anonymous, The Hirschlanden Warrior, 500 BCE. Ancient Celtic. Sandstone, height: 150 cm. Württembergisches Landesmuseum, Stuttgart.
133. Anonymous, Kore 678, Acropolis, Athens, c. 530 BCE. Ancient Greek. Marble, height: 96.4 cm. Acropolis Museum, Athens.
134. Anonymous, The Lord of Glauberg, 5th century BCE. Ancient Celtic. Hessisches Landesmuseum, Darmstadt.
135. Anonymous, Sarcophagus of Eshmunazor II, King of Sidon, first quarter of 5th century BCE. Ancient Near East, Necropolis Magharat Tablun, Saida (Lebanon). Black Amphibolite, 119 × 125 × 256 cm. Musée du Louvre, Paris.
136. Anonymous, Kore 686, called The Sulky One, Acropolis, Athens, c. 480 BCE. Ancient Greek. Marble, height: 58 cm. Acropolis Museum, Athens.
Kore 686, from the Athenian Acropolis, shows elements both from the Archaic style and from the Severe, or Early Classical, style that followed. Her long locks of hair and complex layers of clothing are familiar elements of Archaic sculpture. However, the serious, or “severe”, expression on her face, as well as the strict, vertical folds of her chiton are more typical of the new, more serious aesthetic of the Severe style. Her ornamentation has been reduced; she wears no necklace or bracelets, and her gown has none of the decorative patterning seen on earlier pieces. The head and torso fragment probably belong with a base that is inscribed, “Euthydikos, the son of Thaliarchos, dedicated (it).” The statue can thus be understood as a votive offering by Euthydikos, representing a goddess, or perhaps Thaliarchos, his mother.
137. Anonymous, Young Girl Running, pediment, Temple of Eleusis, Eleusis (Greece), c. 490–480 BCE. Ancient Greek. Marble, height: 65 cm. Archaeological Museum, Eleusis (Greece).
138. Anonymous, The Kritios Boy, Acropolis, Athens, c. 480–470 BCE. Ancient Greek. Marble, height: 116 cm. Acropolis Museum, Athens.
139. Anonymous, Birth of Aphrodite, detail of the Ludovisi Throne, c. 470–460 BCE. Ancient Greek. Marble, height: 90 cm, length: 142 cm. Museo Nazionale Romano, Rome.
140. Anonymous, Heracles Receiving the Golden Apples of the Hesperides from the Hand of Atlas, While Minerva Rests a Cushion on his Head, east metope. Temple of Zeus, Olympia, c. 470–456 BCE. Ancient Greek. Marble, height: 160 cm. Archaeological Museum, Olympia.
This metope, or square component of the frieze of the temple, is from the Temple of Zeus at Olympia, the largest and most important structure of the first half of the 5th century. Together, the metopes of the Temple of Zeus told the story of the twelve labours of Heracles. Each metope showed one of his labours, or tasks. This metope shows the eleventh labour, the apples of the Hesperides. Heracles was told he had to steal apples belonging to Zeus. He met up with Atlas, who had to hold up the world for all of time. Atlas said he would get the apples for Heracles if Heracles would hold the earth for him. In the scene shown, Atlas has returned with the apples, and Heracles must figure out how to get Atlas to take back the weight of the world. Athena stands behind Heracles, gently helping him hold his burden.
141. Anonymous, Pensive Athena, Acropolis, Athens, c. 470–460 BCE. Ancient Greek. Marble, height: 54 cm. Acropolis Museum, Athens.
Athena was the patron goddess of Athens, worshipped by Athenians on the Acropolis, and honoured in special events such as the Panathenaic festival. She aided the Athenians in battle and brought them prosperity through the cultivation of the olive tree. In this relief, we are meant to see the depth of her affection for the Athenians. She reads a list of Athenian soldiers killed in war and mourns them sorrowfully, her head bowed, her body resting heavily against her spear. The melancholy mood of the piece is characteristic of Severe style sculpture. That style is also seen in the heavy, straight folds of Athena’s dress, or peplos, and the still, heaviness of her pose. In comparison to earlier Archaic sculpture, however, in this piece we see a fleshed, realistic person in a natural pose, expressing real emotion. These qualities reveal the increasing skill of the artists from the 6th to the 5th century BCE.
142. Anonymous, The Tyrannicides Harmodius and Aristogeiton, Roman copy after a Greek original created c. 477 BCE by Critios. Ancient Greek. Marble, height: 195 cm. Museo Archeologico Nazionale, Naples.
Harmodius and Aristogeiton Metal was a valuable commodity in the ancient world, so sculptures made of bronze or other metals were often eventually melted down by a conquering nation or a successive ruler who did not care for the art of his predecessor. For that reason, few large-scale bronze sculptures survive from antiquity. Romans, however, had a taste for Greek art, and copied many of their bronze sculptures in stone, the material preferred by Romans. Often, the bronze original has since been lost, and the Roman copies are all that survive. Such is the case with this group, Roman copies in marble of two Greek sculptures in bronze. The subjects are Harmodius and Aristogeiton, lovers who together conspired to murder the political tyrant, Hippias. They lost their nerve and killed his brother instead, but were revered as heroes by Athenians who believed them to have murdered the tyrant. Statues of the two were erected in their honour in the Athenian Agora.
143. Anonymous, The Charioteer of Delphi, c. 475 BCE. Ancient Greek. Bronze, height: 180 cm. Archaeological Museum of Delphi, Delphi.
Delphi was a pan-Hellenic sanctuary, a place where people from all over the Greek world would gather to worship, consult the oracle, and participate in the Pythian games, held every four years. The games were comprised of music and sporting events, including chariot racing. This sculpture was part of a group dedicated to commemorate a victory in a chariot race, we are told by the inscription preserved on the piece. In addition to the chariot driver, there were horses, a chariot, and a groom. The lavish expenditure on the life-size monument would have represented not only the victory in the race, but also the great wealth of the donor. The bronze figure was enlivened with inlay of silver, copper, and stone in the teeth, headband, and eyes. The deep, straight folds of the drapery are in keeping with the Early Classical, or Severe, style of sculpture.