Youth statue. The "Kritios Boy"
Inventory number
Ακρ. 698
Artist
Kritios
Category
Sculpture
Period
Classical Period
Date
After 480 BC
Dimensions
Height: 1.22 m
Length: 0.33 m
Material
Marble from Paros
Location
Archaic Acropolis Gallery
The statue’s torso was found in 1865-1866 southeast of the Parthenon, while the head in 1888 near the south walls of the Acropolis. It is one of the most important works of ancient Greek art and the most characteristic of the so-called "Severe Style". Archaeologists have dubbed it the "Kritios Boy", after the name of the sculptor believed to have created it.
The "Kritios Boy" is depicted standing in the nude. He supports his weight on his left leg, while the right one remains loose, bent at the knee, in the characteristic posture of the "Severe Style". His expression is solemn and his eyes, which were originally crafted from another material, have not survived. His hair follows the shape of his scalp and is tightly gathered around a ring with a few scattered strands falling on his temples and the nape of his neck. Traces of red dye are preserved on his hair.
The attribution of this statue to the sculptor Kritios is based on the similarities it presents with the statue of Harmodios from the bronze group of the Tyrannicides, a work of Kritios in collaboration with Nesiotes. This group, known to us today through marble copies of the Roman period, was erected in the Athenian Agora of Athens.
Who does this statue portray, however, is not known. Some scholars believe he represents a young athlete, the winner of an event in the celebration of the Greater Panathenaia. Others claim he depicts a hero, most likely Theseus. Moreover, they link the dedication of the statue on the Acropolis with the activities of 476/5 BC, when Kimon transferred Theseus bones from the island of Skyros to Athens.
When and why the statue's head was removed from the body also remains unknown. Some believe that this occurred after 450 BC during Perikles' building programme, so that the statue's members would be used as fillings to level the surface of the Rock’s ground. However, others believe that the head was removed earlier in order to use the torso, and was ceremoniously buried as a sign of respect.
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