ARCHAIC SCULPTURE, ARCHITECTURE

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History

• Athens
  • Solon establishes democratic rule, c. 590 B.C.
  • Pisistratus (on his third try) establishes a tyranny c. 560
    • a reasonably benevolent tyrant until his death in 528
  • then his sons rule more harshly
    • Hipparchus assassinated in 514
    • Hippias continues until expelled in 510

Material Culture

• Sculpture
  • large-scale freestanding sculpture begins shortly before 600 B.C.
    • influence from abroad, particularly Egypt: part of Orientalizing period
    • wooden sculptures presumably at first; then monumental stone figures of men (kouros, plural kouroi) and women (kore, plural korai)
    • marked by frontality, squareness, Archaic 'smile'
  • kouroi: naked, square-shouldered, left foot forward, arms at sides
    • Sounion kouros and New York kouros, c. 600
    • Kleobis and Biton, c. 575, from Delphi
    • Tenea kouros, c. 570
    • Calf-bearer, c. 560
    • Anavysos kouros (Kroisos), c. 530
  • korai: clothed, square-shouldered, one arm extended; paint preserved on hair, drapery
    • Nikandre kore, c. 650
    • Auxerre kore, c. 600
    • Hera of Samos, c. 560
    • peplos kore, c. 530
    • another later kore from the Athens Acropolis, c. 510
      
• architecture
  • temples have rectangular plan similar to Mycenaean megaron
    • plan (see also)--A: cella; B: porch; C: colonnade; D: columns in antis ("between walls")

  

  • elevation
    • Doric order
      • columns have no bases
      • columns swell, then taper from bottom to top (entasis)
      • column capitals: simple echinus and abacus
      • entablature: plain architrave below frieze course of triglyphs and metopes
      • pediments above entablature on short ends
      • sculpture in metopes, pediments
    • Ionic order
      • columns have bases
      • columns show entasis, but are taller and slimmer than Doric columns
      • column capitals: volutes
      • entablature: banded architrave below plain frieze course
      • pediments above entablature on short ends
      • sculpture in continuous frieze, pediments
  • examples: 6th and 5th centuries
    • Doric order
      • Temple of Artemis at Corfu, 600-580)
      • Temple of Hera I (Basilica) at Paestum, c. 550
      • temple of Aphaia on Aigina, c. 490-480
      • Temple of Hera II at Paestum, c. 460
      • Hephaesteum in Athens, c. 450
    • Ionic order
      • temple of Artemis at Ephesus, c. 560
      • Siphnian treasury at Delphi, c.530
      • Temple of Athena Nike at Athens, c. 427-424
      • Erechtheum at Athens, c. 421-405

  • for architectural sculpture see next handout