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kouroi - Coggle Diagram
kouroi
basic features
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always in rigid frontal posture with one leg, usually left, in front of the other, arms stiff at the sides
usually elaborately styled hair, can be short
origins
inspiration from Egypt - Diodorus 1.97 (writing in 1st Century BC) speaks of archaic kouroi having Egyptian rhythmos - character of movement and posture
earliest kouroi borrowed size and format from egyptian statues, with the same posture
however, egyptian ones tended to wear clothes and headresses
egyptian examples also have a 'back pillar' making them more like a frieze than a free standing statue
function
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Meyer and Bruggeman provide catalogue of kouroi - 388 of them, 270 of which come from sanctuaries, of these 220 come from sanctuaries of Apollo
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in athens and attica, vast majority are from funerary contexts
Attic Kouroi
carved from imported marble from Naxos, best example is New York Kouros
distinctive face with big, almost triangular eyes
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very stylised approach in anatomy: with raised lines in area connecting legs with torso, and patterns to articulate spine and shoulder blades
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Volomandra Kouros 560BC
heavy upper body with broad shoulders and increased emphasis on musculature of his abdomen, more sensitive approach to show muscles underneath surface of skin
his eyes are smaller than earlier examples, but still has the elaborate hairstyle
aristodikos kouros 500BC
latest surviving example of archaic greek kouros, on a base with one word: his name in the genitive
he also has pubic moustache shaved into starfish design, aristocratic hairstyle with hair in snail curls
Nudity
aristocratic young men did athletics naked, which we see in vase painting
nudity has associations of athleticism, good health, physical prowess and elevated social status
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nudity had body-power, represents physical potential