Hey! Let's check out the changes in art in the Archaic age as the Greeks grow more and more humanistic.

While we in history use the term "Archaic Age" for this entire 300 year period, art historians break down the Archaic Age into three periods:

The Geometric Period: 800-700 B.C. Below, you can see an excellent example of Geometric art by looking at the large vase with it's geometric designs depicting a funeral. In the center is the dead body and the figures around it are throwing their arms up in grief:

Archeological museum in Athens

In this first hundred years of the Archaic Age we do not see the Greeks demonstrating any interest in capturing a realistic human being in art.

The Age of Colonization: 700-600 B.C.

Dame D'Auxerre in the Louvre. This is basically a column with toes and a an aura of breast so that we know it is supposed to be a woman. The artist is not trying to truly capture a living breathing woman.

It's toward the end of the 600's, moving into the 500's that we begin to see the Greeks sculpt sort of human-like sculptures. They've come in contact with the Egyptians and have seen their stiff, frontal Ka Statues.

Egyptian Ka Statue of the Pharaoh Sesostris

Let's look at another example:

The Greeks are now sculpting sculptures called KOUROS. The plural is KOUROI, and we enter into the

The "TRUE" ARCHAIC AGE: 600-500 B.C.

Here is a great plaque in the Archeological museum that shows the changes from 600 to 500 B.C.

We call this period in this class "The TRUE ARCHAIC AGE:" 600-500 B.C. (and what art historians call the Archaic Age) because this last 100 years of what we in history call the Archaic Age is the real transition period where we see the Greeks become humanistic to the point that by 500 B.C. it's time to enter into a new age, the Classical Age.

• Let's go and look at some of these sculptures on the above plaque:

A good example of a kouros right around 600 B.C.They vary in size.

Here's Mr. New York, also right around 600 also:

• Between 600-550 B.C. the only major change we see is the addition of the "Archaic Smile" which is a sort of human expression but it is conceptual/stylized.
• We aren't trying to capture an actual human expression. It is stylized. Let's look at the full sculpture:

Note that this sculpture is more rounded and a bit more realistic than those from around 600 B.C.

But at around 550 B.C. we begin to see some very significant changes that signal to us that this society, particularly in Athens are growing quite humanistic. REMEMBER, we look at art because it REFLECTS what is happening in the society.

Here are three sculptures, dating between 550-500 B.C. that are good examples of this last 50 years of the Archaic Age:

Let's first look at Anavysos:

Anavysos Kouros in the Archeological Museum in Athens

He still has that Ka statue stance with the arms held tightly to his body and the left foot forward. But, look closely at the body and the face:

Yes, here we still have that conceptual archaic smile and the stiff posture with the clenched fists just like earlier kouroi, BUT we also have a lot more specific detail of an actual human body and face. Let's now go and look at Ptoan:

We still have that archaic smile Ptoan Kouros (Bent Arms) Archeological museum.

but check it out, his arms are more relaxed and realistic. Imagine him speaking to the kouros above and saying "hey Anavysos man, like don't look so uptight dude."

And check out the Calf Bearer! The Calf Bearer in the Acropolis museum in Athens.

Remember the stiff kouros? Well, this is still a kouros but he's doing something! Note the displaced hair and think about the artist and how he is thinking. He is not just trying to get across a conceptual/stylized IDEA of a boy. He's actually thinking more about the HUMANNESS of what he is sculpting to the point that he is depicting what would happen to the boy's hair if he had a calf draped around his head.

Here is Aristodikos.Aristodikos, Archeological Museum in Athens

We're back in the Archeological Museum in Athens. It really looks like this is not a kouros anymore. The artist seems to be sculpting a real live human being. Check out the calf muscles.

BUT, this guy has had a hard time. His face is basically gone. We can't tell for sure.

BUT we sure can tell that this next guy is no kouros but is the visual turning point into the Classical Age. Let's hear a big hand for... the Kritios Boy!!Kritios Boy in the Acropolis Museum

This is the literal turning point into the Classical Age. It is the Kritios Boy, sculpted around 490-480 B.C. The Greeks have now become humanistic and individualistic to the point that they have created the first democracy by 500 B.C. And artists are seeking to sculpt living, breathing human beings.

This is the first such sculpture. Sculpted by Kritios, which is why it is called the Kritios Boy,

Check out that CONTRA POSTAL stance of a person.

He is not standing in a stiff and frontal way anymore. He is standing the way a person stands, resting his weight on one side which causes other shifts in his body. And look at that truly human expression! No longer is there that stiff little archaic grin, where the artist was just getting the IDEA of human expression across but not trying to get a living breathing human being.

Kritios Boy is Early Classical, 500-461 B.C. Artists are now seeking to learn more about the human body so that they can sculpt a perfect human form which takes us to the Golden Age.

And look at that truly human expression!

Now that the Kritios Boy has taken us into the Classical Age,

Click here and let's now head up to the Acropolis and see the Classical Age in action!