9.4: Early Classical

The Greek Early Classical Period

By Boundless Art History

Architecture & Sculpture

Temple of Zeus at Olympia

The Temple of Zeus at Olympia is a colossal ruined temple in the center of the Greek capital Athens that was dedicated to Zeus, king of the Olympian gods (see Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\)). Its plan is similar to that of the Temple of Aphaia at Aegina.

Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\): Temple of Zeus at Olympia, Wilhelm Lübke’s illustration of the Temple as it might have appeared in the fifth century BCE. (Photo: public domain)

It is hexastyle, with six columns across the front and back and 13 down each side. It has two columns directly connected to the walls of the temple, known as in antis, in front of both the entranceway (pronaos ) and the inner shrine (opisthodomos). Like the Temple of Aphaia, there are two, two-story colonnades of seven columns on each side of the inner sanctuary (naos).The pedimental figures are depicted in the developing Classical style with naturalistic yet overly muscular bodies. Most of the figures are shown with the expressionless faces of the Severe style.

Figure \(\PageIndex{2}\): Seer from the east pediment of the Temple of Zeus, c. 470–455 BCE. Marble. Olympia, Greece. (Photo: Angela Monika Arnold, CC BY 3.0)

The figures on the east pediment await the start of a chariot race, and the whole composition is still and static (see Figure \(\PageIndex{2}\)). A seer, however, watches it in horror as he foresees the death of Oenomaus. This level of emotion would never be present in Archaic statues and it breaks the Early Classical Severe style, allowing the viewer to sense the forbidding events about to happen. The level of emotion on the seer’s face would never be present in Archaic statues and it breaks the Early Classical Severe style, allowing the viewer to sense the forbidding events about to happen.

Unlike the static composition of the eastern pediment, the Centauromachy (see Figure \(\PageIndex{3}\)) on the western pediment depicts movement that radiates out from its center. The centaurs, fighting men, and abducted women struggle and fight against each other, creating tension in another example of an early portrayal of emotion. Most figures are depicted in the Severe style. However, some, including a centaur, have facial features that reflect their wrath and anger.

Figure \(\PageIndex{3}\): Centauromachy, west pediment, Temple of Zeus, c. 460 BCE. Marble. Olympia, Greece. (Photo: Joanbanjo, CC BY-SA 3.0)

The twelve metopes over the pronaos and opisthodomos depict scenes from the twelve labors of Herakles (see Figure \(\PageIndex{4}\)). Like the development in pedimental sculpture, the reliefs on the metopes display the Early Classical understanding of the body. Herakles’ body is strong and idealized, yet it has a level of naturalism and plasticity that increases the liveliness of the reliefs.

Figure \(\PageIndex{4}\): Herakles and the Cretan Bull, Temple of Zeus, c. 460 BCE. Marble. Olympia, Greece. (Photo: Joanbanjo, CC BY-SA 3.0)

The scenes depict varying types of compositions. Some are static with two or three figures standing rigidly, while others, such as Herakles and the Cretan Bull, convey a sense of liveliness through their diagonal composition and overlapping bodies.

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Kritios Boy

By Muffet Jones

A slightly smaller-than-life-sized sculpture known as the Kritios Boy was dedicated to Athena by an athlete and found in the rubble of the Athenian Acropolis. Its title derives from a famous artist to whom the sculpture was once attributed.

The marble statue is a prime example of the Early Classical sculptural style and demonstrates the shift away from the stiff style seen in Archaic kouroi. The torso suggests an understanding of the body and the plasticity of the muscles and skin that allows the statue to appear life-like. Part of this illusion is created by a stance known as contrapposto. This describes a person with his or her weight shifted onto one leg, which initiates a shift in the hips, chest, and shoulders and gives a stance that is more dramatic and naturalistic than a stiff, frontal pose. This contrapposto position animates the figure through the relationship of tense and relaxed limbs.

However, the face of the Kritios Boy is expressionless, which contradicts the naturalism seen in his body. This is known as the Severe style. The blank expression causes the sculpture to appear less naturalistic, which creates a psychological remove between the art and the viewer. This differs from the use of the Archaicsmile (now gone), which was added to sculpture to increase the naturalism. Contradicting the emotionless expression would have been the eyes which originally held inlaid stone to give the sculpture a more lifelike appearance.

Figure \(\PageIndex{6}\): Kritios Boy, c. 480 BCE. Marble, 3' 10" high. Acropolis Museum, Athens, Greece. (Photo: Marsyas, CC BY-SA 2.5)

 

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Riace Warriors

by Dr. Jeffrey Becker

Figure \(\PageIndex{7}\): Head and torso (detail), Statue A, from the sea off Riace, Italy, c. 460-450 BCE (?). Bronze, 198 cm high. Museo Archaeologico Nazionale Reggio Calabria, Italy. (Photo: Luca Galli, CC BY 2.0)

The Riace Warriors (also referred to as the Riace bronzes or Bronzi di Riace) are two life-size Greek bronze statues of naked, bearded warriors. The statues were discovered by Stefano Mariottini in the Mediterranean Sea just off the coast of Riace Marina, Italy, on August 16, 1972 (see Figure \(\PageIndex{8}\)). The statues are currently housed in the Museo Nazionale della Magna Grecia in the Italian city of Reggio Calabria. The statues are commonly referred to as “Statue A” and “Statue B” and were originally cast using the lost-wax technique (see Figure \(\PageIndex{7}\)).

Figure \(\PageIndex{8}\): The discovery of the Riace bronze statues in 1972. (Photo via Smarthistory)

Statue A

Figure \(\PageIndex{9}\): Statue A (foreground) and Statue B (background), from the sea off Riace, Italy, c. 460-450 BCE (?). Bronze, Statue A, 198 cm high, Statue B, 197 cm high. Museo Archaeologico Nazionale Reggio Calabria, Italy. (Photo: Robert and Talbot Trudeau, CC BY-NC 2.0)

Statue A stands 198 centimeters tall and depicts the younger of the two warriors. His body exhibits a strong contrapposto stance, with the head turned to his right. Attached elements have been lost – most likely a shield and a spear; his now-lost helmet atop his head may have been crowned by a wreath. The warrior is bearded, with applied copper detail for the lips and the nipples. Inset eyes also survive for Statue A. The hair and beard have been worked in an elaborate fashion, with exquisite curls and ringlets.

Statue B

Statue B depicts an older warrior and stands 197 centimeters tall. A now-missing helmet likely was perched atop his head. Like Statue A, Statue B is bearded and in a contrapposto stance, although the feet of Statue B and set more closely together than those of Statue A.

Severe style

The Severe or Early Classical style describes the trends in Greek sculpture between c. 490 and 450 BCE. Artistically this stylistic phase represents a transition from the rather austere and static Archaic style of the sixth century BCE to the more idealized Classical style. The Severe style is marked by an increased interest in the use of bronze as a medium as well as an increase in the characterization of the sculpture, among other features.

Interpretation and chronology

Figure \(\PageIndex{10}\): Statue A, from the sea off Riace, Italy, c. 460-450 BCE (?). Bronze, 198 cm high. Museo Archaeologico Nazionale Reggio Calabria, Italy. (Photo: Luca Galli, CC BY 2.0)

The chronology of the Riace warriors has been a matter of scholarly contention since their discovery. In essence there are two schools of thought—one holds that the warriors are fifth century BCE originals that were created between 460 and 420 BCE, while another holds that the statues were produced later and consciously imitate Early Classical sculpture. Those that support the earlier chronology argue that Statue A is the earlier of the two pieces. Those scholars also make a connection between the warriors and the workshops of famous ancient sculptors. For instance, some scholars suggest that the sculptor Myron crafted Statue A, while Alkamenes created Statue B. Additionally, those who support the earlier chronology point to the Severe Style as a clear indication of an Early Classical date for these two masterpieces.

The art historian B. S. Ridgway presents a dissenting view, contending that the statues should not be assigned to the fifth century B.C.E., arguing instead that they were most likely produced together after 100 BCE. Ridgway feels that the statues indicate an interest in Early Classical iconography during the Hellenistic period.

Figure \(\PageIndex{11}\): A conjectural restored view of the two warriors. (Photo: Leomonaci121198, public domain)

In terms of identifications, there has been speculation that the two statues represent Tydeus (Statue A) and Amphiaraus (Statue B), two warriors from Aeschylus’ tragic play, Seven Against Thebes--about Polyneices after the fall of his father, King Oedipus, and may have been part of a monumental sculptural composition. A group from Argos described by Pausanias, the Greek traveler and writer, is often cited in connection to this conjecture: “A little farther on is a sanctuary of the Seasons. On coming back from here you see statues of Polyneices, the son of Oedipus, and of all the chieftains who with him were killed in battle at the wall of Thebes…” (Pausanias, Description of Greece 2.20.5).

The statues have lead dowels installed in their feet, indicating that they were originally mounted on a base and installed as part of some sculptural group or other. The art historian Carol Mattusch argues that not only were they found together, but that they were originally installed—and perhaps produced—together in antiquity.

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Articles in this section:

• Boundless Art History, “The Greek Early Classical Period.” (CC BY-SA)
• 2.5: Ancient Greece by Muffet Jones is licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: https://boisestate.pressbooks.pub/arthistory.
• Dr. Jeffrey A. Becker, "Riace Warriors," in Smarthistory, August 8, 2015. (CC BY-NC-SA)