The Kritios Boy

Tim Bond

Basic Information

• Made in the late archaic period, c.480 BC

• Made from parian marble• Smaller than life size at 1.17m

(3’10’)• Nude depiction of a young man/ boy• Step away from the kouroi • Thought to have been sculpted by

Kritias• Thought to be based on a bronze

statue

Aesthetics• Moulded, highly accurate

musculature, showing a strong understanding of the human anatomy

• Standing contrapposto, all the weight on his left leg. This makes the statue look natural and breaks the symmetry

• No “mechanical” archaic smile, very normal accurate representation of the human face

Features

• No eyes, possibly painted separately and inserted

• Ears are realistic and in the correct place

• The head is much better proportioned than previous statues

• The neck is the right length, earlier statues had disproportionally long necks

More features

• The hair is etched with thin lines, much more realistic than the beaded style, has a stylised edge to the hair

• Back is very natural, the sculptor has included the coccyx

Significance

• It is an early move away from kouroi

• Stylised features have been replaced with natural ones- no almond eyes, no telephone ear, no archaic smile

• Less formal pose, move away from symmetry

• Far more realistic

What Woodford Says

• “Details of the anatomy show little advance over the Aristodikos”

• “Weight shifted decisively onto the back leg and the head turned slightly in the opposite direction”

• “Gone ae the mechanical smile, the rigid stance and the formal symmetry: the statue has come to life”

Quiz

1. What is the name of the statue?

2. When was it made and by whom?

3. What does Woodford say about the pose?

4. What is the technical term for the pose?

Answers

1. The Kritios boy2. C.480 BC by Kritias3. Weight shifted decisively to the back leg4. Contrapposto

Kritios boy

Possible exam questions

• “The Kritios boy is atypical of the archaic period” how far do you agree with this statement?

• How well does the Kritios boy represent the human form?

• “If the Kritios boy was real he would hate Suraj just like everyone else does.” You agree with this statement.