Inscribed Kouros Analysis

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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 Greek art culture. Due to inscriptions carved into the sides of the statues 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 nude male
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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 for look at 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 single man. The most interesting exaggerated proportion within the statue is the waist. As stated above the waist is depicted smaller than the head. There are two large gaps of negative space created from the waist and the arm due to the distorted shape of the waist. just as the waist cinches in, the hips extend outward, to the point where the hips meet and touch the statues elbows. The abstracted body features and continuity of such throught the statue brings the feeling of unity and fulfillment to the man. Rather than appearing

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