The Twin Kouroi in Delphi

The Twin Kouroi in Delphi were excavated from the Temple of Apollo in 1893 and 1894. French archeologist discovered the two statues. Kouros A was found in 1893 in nearly perfect condition while Kouros B emerged in 1894 with parts of his upper limbs missing.

Unearthening Kouros A, 1893, sanctuary of Apollo, Delphi, Greece. Image provided by Smarthistory.

French archeologist excavating Kleobis in 1894. Image provided by Smarthistory.

It was a rare find to to unearth two nearly identical kouroi. Unlike their predecessors, these kouroi have a few distinguishing characteristics. For one, their arms are not completely straight by their sides. There is a slight bend in their elbows which were not sculpted previously in the archaic period. Secondly, the statues were not completely nude which was nearly the definitely of a kouros, a naked male youth, especially of noble rank. A thin pair of boots can be detected just above the ankles leading down to their toes. These were two of the traits that set them apart from previous iterations. Monica Bulger argues that several details make these statues unique and mark a change in the archaic style. She points out that “they are bulkier than the other kouroi, with especially broad chests and thick limbs.”

By observation can you detect any distinctions between the kouroi previous to 580BC as opposed to after on the next page?

References

Boardman, John. The Archaeology of Nostalgia: How the Greeks Re-created Their Mythical Past. London: Thames and Hudson, 2002.

Boardman, John. Greek Sculpture: the Archaic Period: a Handbook New York: Oxford University Press, 1978.

Bulger, Maria. “The Kouri of Kleobis and Biton.” smarthistory: The Center for Public Art History. Accessed April 29, 2022. https:// smarthistory.org/kleobis-and-biton/.

Karo, George. Greek Personality in Archaic Sculpture. Westport: Greenwood Press, 1970.

Nagy, Gregory. 2015.03.20. “On the Festival of the Goddess Hera at the Heraion Overlooking the Plain of Argos,” Classical Inquiries. http:// nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:hul.eresource: Classical_Inquiries.

Kleobis and Biton

Medium: Parian marble

Dimensions: Height- 1.97 meters/6.46 feet

Date: 580 BCE

Creator: Polymedes of Argos

Provence: Argos, Peloponnesian Peninsula

Current Location: Delphi Archeological Museum

Temple of Apollo (with reconstructed columns), Sanctuary of Apollo. Image provided by Steven Zucker.

They are the oldest monumental votive offering recoverred at Delphi, estimating being made in 580 BCE. Since their excavation they have been housed in the Delphi Archeological Museum.

Nagy, Gregory. 2016.03.16. “Where It Al Comes Togerther for Me: a Sacred Space of the Goddess Hera,” Classical Inquiries. http://nrs. harvard.edu/urn-3:hul.eresource: Classical_Inquiries.

Palagia, Olga ed. Greek Sculpture: Function, Materials, and Techniques in the Archaic and Classical Periods. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2008.

Sismondo Ridgway, Brunilde. The Archaic Style in Greek Sculpture Chicago, Ares, 1993.