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With regards to purpose and function, how effective are archaic kouroi and korai? (20)
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With regards to purpose and function, how effective are archaic kouroi and korai? (20marks)
Archaic Kouroi and Korai have various purposes and functions that make them effective
however, there are limitations to their effectiveness.
For example, when looking at functions of Kouroi one can consider grave markers. These
include the Anavyssos kouros and the Aristodikos kouros. The Anavyssos kouros can be
argued as effective in the sense that its function is to commemorate a youth’s life, and in his
ideal form. It has powerful features that add to this effectiveness of a funerary marker,
including its rounded, three-dimensional muscles that evoke a sense of greatness and
power. Therefore, it calls to mind the qualities of this fallen Greek, emphasising how he
would have been strong and powerful. Furthermore, the Aristodikos kouros can also be
considered as an effective grave marker as it represents the growing realism, and thus
displays an even better portrayal of the fallen Greek. The muscles are rendered no longer
schematically, but in a naturalistic way. The outline of his muscles are softer, more defined
and further realism is seen to the body parts. These are all much more naturalistic than the
likes of the body parts of previous Kouroi and emphasise the greatness and strength of the
fallen Greek. Furthermore, this kouros is also effective as a grave marker as it is more
representative than ever of the man it is meant to be. It is not rigid but instead, his weight is
shifted onto one leg, making it so that his entire body follows this shift. The lack of rigidity
gives him a lifelike quality that the other Kouroi lack. It is highly effective as it is the most
realistic and aesthetically pleasing kouros and radiates the power of the fallen soldier, not
merely ‘look similar’, but also portraying him in his ideal form.
Another function of archaic Kouroi and korai is votive offerings. These include Kleobis and
Biton and the Peplos Kore. Kleobis and Biton undoubtedly evoke a sense of power and
strength through the extreme musculature depicted and the sheer sizes of the sculpture,
and they do represent real/mythical individuals, which also suggests effectiveness.
However, they can be argued not to be an effective example of a votive offering since they
are an unrealistic representation of these two men, they lack expression and have a robotic
aura, their muscles are defined linearly and they are over life size. In their context they
would have been effective since Archaic Kouroi focused on idealism and not realism,
therefore they represent the ideal, powerful and strong versions of these men, but despite
this, one must consider what they gave in terms of votive offerings, which seems little in
comparison to the Peplos Kore. For instance, the Peplos Kore was originally delicately
painted with many colours and gold features that would have dazzled and gleamed implying
divinity, and she would have had bronze earrings and a wreath attached to her, therefore
indicating its effectiveness as a votive offering due to the divine and delicate adornments
she beheld.
Idealisation was a key purpose in archaic Kouroi and korai and is particularly outstanding in
the New York kouros, which is evidently idealised, and not individualised. Its torso is marked
with symmetrical and unnatural incisions denoting the chest muscles and pelvic arch.
Controlled and restricted kouros pose looks straight ahead with typical Archaic kouros
features, Bead-like symmetrical hair, tied with a fillet round the top of his head,
representing his aristocratic, idealised nature. The New York kouros is effective when
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