Kritios Boy

Alternative Title

Kritan Boy

Creator

• Kritios

Files

Publisher

Saskia, Ltd., Cultural Documentation

Publication Date

1966

Time Period

circa 480 BCE

Abstract

Total from front center view

Keywords

Greek Late Archaic/ Early Classical period, Sculpture (Visual works), Statues, Contrapposto, Parian marble, Kouroi, Severe Style

Alt Text

A marble statue of a nude male figure standing against a dark background. The statue has detailed musculature and facial features.

Extent

1 color photograph

Geographic Location

Greece; Athens (Greece); Acropolis (Athens, Greece)

Rights

This material is licensed by USF Libraries for the research and teaching needs of USF students, staff, and faculty only. See: https://lib.usf.edu/collections-and-discovery/collection-management/user-terms/

Access Restrictions

Only thumbnail images and descriptive information are available to non-USF users. Full access to this collection is available only to authorized users on the USF network on campus or via VPN.

Media Type

Color photographs

Format

Digital Only

Note

The marble of the Kritios Boy derived its name from its attribution to Kritios who worked with Nesiotes or their school. It is the first statue from classical antiquity known to use contrapposto. Excavated on the Acropolis of Athens, among the Perserschutt, or the ceremonial dump where Athenians buried sacred artifacts destroyed during the Persian Wars in 480 BCE. The torso was uncovered in 1865, the head found twenty-three years later between the museum and the Acropolis south wall. This example moves away from the rigid pose of the Archaic style, presenting a more relaxed and naturalistic pose of contrapposto. The movement in his hips and shoulders make his motion more believable. The Kritos Boy expresses a set of proportions known as the 'Canon of Polyclitus', which set the rule for later sculptors who further dramatized the contrapposto pose. Although his eyes are now hollow, they would have once been inlaid with glass or stone, which would have made the statue appear more lively. His eyelids are thick, cheeks flat, and chin large. His hair is styled in an elaborate way, with individual strands rolled up over a fillet around his head. These characteristics are typical of the 'Severe Style'. This object is currently held at the Acropolis Museum in Athens, Greece.

Identifier

A01-JGC0475

Recommended Citation

Kritios, "Kritios Boy" (1966). Art and Art History Collection (Saskia). 501.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/saskia/501