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Kouros of Aristodikos

The Kouros of Aristodikos is an ancient Greek marble sculpture from the Archaic period, discovered in 1944 in Mesogeia, Attica. Carved from Parian marble and standing 1.98 m tall, it rests on a low rectangular base made of Pentelic marble. The statue is dated to 510–500 BCE and served as a funerary monument for the aristocrat Aristodikos, whose name is inscribed on the base. Although preserved with losses to the hands and some facial and hair details, the figure shows a move toward a more realistic treatment of the human body, with emphasized musculature, bent arms, and the left leg advanced. It is housed in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens.

Aristodikos Kouros, a nude marble male statue with missing forearms, standing on a base.
Aristodikos Kouros, a late Archaic Greek funerary statue, shown in full length.
September 2010 © · CC BY-SA 2.0
Aristodikos Kouros, a nude marble male statue standing upright on a base with missing forearms.
The Aristodikos Kouros, a standing nude marble statue with its forearms missing.
March 2014 © · CC BY-SA 3.0
Aristodikos Kouros, a nude marble male statue with short curly hair and broken arms on a rectangular base.
Aristodikos Kouros, shown here as a full-length marble statue with damaged arms.
April 2022 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
Aristodikos Kouros, a nude marble statue of a male figure with curly hair and missing forearms.
Aristodikos Kouros, a nude marble statue shown standing upright on a base.
July 2016 © · CC0
Aristodikos Kouros, a standing nude marble male statue with curly hair, broken arms, and a rectangular base.
Aristodikos Kouros, a marble kouros statue shown standing on its rectangular base.
· CC BY-SA 3.0

Identification

TitleKouros of Aristodikos
TypeKouros statue

Historical context

PeriodArchaic period
Datec. 510–500 BC
Historical contextAncient Greece

Creator

SculptorAnonymous artist from Attica

Discovery and provenance

Date of event480 BCE
Historical event affecting the monumentProbably knocked down by the Persians during the invasion of Attica in 480 BCE
Original locationErected on Aristodikos's tomb
Discovery locationMesogeia, Attica
Discovery year1944
Inventory number3938

Materials

MaterialParian marble
Base materialPentelic marble
Paint tracesTraces of reddish paint survive on the hair

Physical characteristics

PoseFront-facing with the left leg slightly advanced
Anatomical treatmentMusculature is clearly emphasized, with greater attention to the knees and tendons
HairShort curly hair
Arm positionArms bent away from the body
Condition when foundFound almost intact, with the hands missing and chips around the face
Current conditionPreserved with losses; the hands are missing below the wrists, with chips on the hair above the forehead, the eyes, the nose, and the mouth
BaseLow rectangular base
Base height29 cm
Height1.95 m

Appearance

Body treatmentStill within the archaic kouros type, but with a more naturalistic rendering of the human body and proportions
StyleRetains Archaic conventions while breaking with earlier canons through greater realism and more vigorous execution
Comparison with earlier kouroiDiffers from earlier kouroi by its shorter hair, freer arm position, and greater realism
Head depictionThe short hair reveals the structure of the head and its attachment to the neck

Iconography and meaning

Depicted figureNaked young man (kouros)
FunctionFunerary monument
Commemorated personAristodikos, a young Athenian aristocrat
InscriptionThe name Aristodikos is engraved on the base in genitive form: Αριστοδικο(υ)

Location and ownership

Current locationNational Archaeological Museum, Athens
Current locationNational Archaeological Museum of Athens

Significance

Art-historical significanceMarks the transition from archaic sculpture toward early Classical Greek sculpture and belongs near the end of the kouroi series

Other

Female equivalentKorai (singular: kore)