Torso of a Kouros

550–525 B.C.

Medium

Gray marble

Dimensions

51.5 × 29 cm

Status

In Museum Collection

Collect24 Art ID

C24-190457

A half life-size figure of a kouros (male youth) stands frontally, with his left leg placed in front of the right. Although broken at the neck and below the mid-thigh, the torso features broad shoulders, developed pectoral muscles, and well-defined buttocks. The left hand holds a partridge type of bird to the chest; the right arm is held rigidly at the side with the hand clenched into a fist. Kouroi often had long hair, and here the ends of long locks are preserved on the upper back of the statue. This kouros wears a relatively simple costume consisting of a himation (cloak) over a long tunic. Weathering and abrasion of the marble have removed most of the surface detail from the statue, but some elements are still visible, including a double incised line decorating the edge of the cloak. The rounded muscular body of this kouros, his delicately sculpted fingers, and the smooth carving of his clinging garment identify the statue as the product of an East Greek workshop. While most kouroi are portrayed nude, a few dozen clothed examples survive. Kouroi from sites on the Greek mainland were depicted nude, with an emphasis on the figure’s youthfulness, athletic build, and vitality. T…