Art History IThe Aegean, Greece and Rome

Greek Sculpture: Archaic to Classical

Greek sculpture moved from the stiff, smiling figures of the Archaic period to the natural poses of the Classical, like the bronze Charioteer of Delphi.

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Greek sculpture changed more in two centuries than Egyptian sculpture did in two thousand years. In the Archaic period (about 600 to 480 BC), figures stand stiff and symmetrical, facing straight ahead, with a fixed smile (the "Archaic smile"). In the Early Classical period (about 480 to 450 BC) the smile is gone; figures look calm and serious, and poses loosen. In the High Classical period that followed, figures move and stand naturally.

The Peplos Kore, about 530 BC, marble with traces of paint. Acropolis Museum, Athens.

Looking closely: The Peplos Kore. A kore is a statue of a young woman, often set up as an offering in a sanctuary. She stands straight, frontal and nearly symmetrical. Her right arm hangs at her side with the hand closed; the left forearm, now lost, once reached forward, perhaps with an offering or, some scholars think, a bow, which would make her the goddess Artemis. Her braids fall over her shoulders, and her lips turn up in the Archaic smile. Her heavy dress hangs straight like a column. Traces of paint show she was once brightly colored: a patterned dress, colored hair, eyes and lips.

The Charioteer of Delphi, about 475 BC, bronze. Delphi Archaeological Museum.

Looking closely: The Charioteer of Delphi. Fifty years later, the change is plain. The young driver stands calm and grave, with no smile. The long robe still falls in column-like folds, but the upper body turns slightly and the folds at the waist and shoulders vary, as real cloth does. His inlaid eyes and copper lips and eyelashes make him startlingly lifelike. A ruler of Gela in Sicily dedicated the statue for a chariot victory at the Pythian Games.

Key idea

Greek sculpture moved from the stiff, smiling figures of the Archaic period to the calm, natural figures of the Classical, like the bronze Charioteer of Delphi.

Why it works

Why did the change happen? Sculptors studied how bodies stand and move and how cloth falls, and patrons, especially in competing city-states and sanctuaries, wanted lifelike images of gods, victors and offerings. Bronze helped: hollow-cast bronze is light and strong, so arms could stretch out without breaking, which stone cannot easily do.
Archaic (A) and Early Classical (B).

Worked example: Archaic or Classical?

A marble maiden stands stiffly, facing front, with a small fixed smile and braids over her shoulders. Which period?
  1. Stiff, frontal and symmetrical.
  2. The fixed "Archaic smile".
  3. These are Archaic traits.

Answer: Archaic (about 600 to 480 BC).

Common mistake

Thinking Greek statues were always white marble. They were painted in bright colors: skin, hair, eyes, clothing patterns. Most of the paint has worn away, but scientists find traces with ultraviolet light and microscopes. Check: is the white we see the artist's choice, or 2,500 years of weather?
Archaic and Classical Greece within the ancient world.

Practice

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