Loading

Bust of bearded man

Unknown"600-550 BC" - ""

Museum of Cycladic Art

Museum of Cycladic Art
Athens, Greece

A male bearded figure dressed in a chiton and a himation, which covers his bent right arm. He wears a conical cap of Syrian type, beneath which the hair falls on the nape of the neck. The torso must have been part of a large statue, possibly an ex-voto, since similar works have been found in various Cypriot sanctuaries (Idalion, Arsos, Kition, and primarily at Golgoi and Pyla). It is thought to represent a priest or a religious official. The Cypriots began to produce large statues in clay and stone in the 7th c. BC. Because of the lack of marble, they used the local soft limestone that abounds in the southern part of the island. Statues from this period are frequently decorated in vivid colours (red, black etc.). Cypriot terracotta statuettes and large limestone sculptures have been found also in Greek sanctuaries, notably the Heraion on Samos and the sanctuary of Athena Lindia on Rhodes.For several centuries Cypriot sculpture was an amalgam of local traits and foreign influences. Obvious in the early examples is the impact of monumental sculpture from the Near East and Egypt: massive bodies and pronounced facial features (prominent nose, projecting lips and eyes, big ears). Gradually, however, the Cypriot sculptors borrowed stylistic trends from Greek art, and particularly the sculpture of the Greek cities of Ionia, creating works that display attention to anatomical detail and refinement in expression. The garments are often in the Hellenic mode, which like all things Greek was to hold sway on Cyprus from the late 5th c. BC.

Details

  • Title: Bust of bearded man
  • Creator: Unknown
  • Creator Gender: None
  • Date Created: "600-550 BC" - ""
  • Read more: <a href="http://www.cycladic.gr/frontoffice/portal.asp?cpage=resource&cresrc=1216&cnode=67&clang=1">Read more</a>
  • Provenance: Athienou region, Cyprus
  • Physical Dimensions: w550 x h740 x d240 mm
  • Period: Archaic period
  • Culture: Cypriot
  • Type: statue
  • Rights: N.P. Goulandris Foundation - Museum of Cycladic Art, Th.N. Zintilis Collection, no. 445bis, http://www.cycladic.gr/frontoffice/portal.asp?cpage=NODE&cnode=25&clang=1
  • External Link: Museum of Cycladic Art, Athens, Greece
  • Medium: limestone

Get the app

Explore museums and play with Art Transfer, Pocket Galleries, Art Selfie, and more

Flash this QR Code to get the app
Google apps