Previous image 1 2 3 4 / 4 Next image

Unknown Maker, Ancient Greek

Fragment of Standing Male Figure (kouros)

Maker

Unknown Maker, Ancient Greek

Culture

Ancient Greek

Title

Fragment of Standing Male Figure (kouros)

Period

Hellenistic

Year

ca. 330 BCE

Medium

Materials/Techniques

Techniques

Materials

bronze

Dimensions

5.1 x 2.5 cm (2 x 1 inches)

Credit / Object Number

Credit

Anonymous gift in memory of Professor Richard Stillwell

Object Number

82.185

Type

Exhibition History

Ancient Greek and Roman Galleries
Sep 22, 2010

Label copy

During the classical and Hellenistic periods in Greece, great advances were made in creating more realistic depictions of the human body. This torso of a young man, or kouros, is lost below the knees, yet it is clear that the figure was resting its weight on the right foot, with the left leg relaxed. This pose causes the entire body to twist in a sinuous curve and is known as contrapposto, or counterbalance. The twist of this piece seems extreme enough that the figure may have been leaning on an arm or a spear. The statuette was most likely dedicated as a votive offering to a deity.

New Works from the Ancient World
May 23, 1986 – Aug 30, 1986

Image use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use.

Public Domain This object is in the Public Domain and available under a CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication

Tombstone

Unknown Maker, Ancient Greek
Fragment of Standing Male Figure (kouros), ca. 330 BCE
Bronze
5.1 x 2.5 cm (2 x 1 inches)
Anonymous gift in memory of Professor Richard Stillwell 82.185

To request new photography, please send an email to imagerequest@risd.edu and include your name and the object's accession number.