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Marble statue of a kouros (youth)

ca. 590–580 BCE
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 154
This is one of the earliest marble statues of a human figure carved in Attica. The rigid stance, with the left leg forward and arms at the side, was derived from Egyptian art. The pose provided a clear, simple formula that was used by Greek sculptors throughout the sixth century B.C. In this early figure, almost abstract, geometric forms predominate; and anatomical details are rendered in beautiful analogous patterns. The statue marked the grave of a young Athenian aristocrat.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Marble statue of a kouros (youth)
  • Period: Archaic
  • Date: ca. 590–580 BCE
  • Culture: Greek, Attic
  • Medium: Marble, Naxian
  • Dimensions: 76 5/8 × 20 5/16 × 24 7/8 in. (194.6 × 51.6 × 63.2 cm)
    Other (height w/o plinth): 76 5/8 in. (194.6 cm)
    Other (Height of Head): 12 in. (30.5 cm)
    Other (Length of face): 8 7/8 in. (22.6 cm)
    Other (shoulder width): 20 5/16 in. (51.6 cm)
  • Classification: Stone Sculpture
  • Credit Line: Fletcher Fund, 1932
  • Object Number: 32.11.1
  • Curatorial Department: Greek and Roman Art

Audio

Cover Image for 117. The Director's Tour, First Floor: Statue of a Kouros (Youth), Part 1

117. The Director's Tour, First Floor: Statue of a Kouros (Youth), Part 1

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