30 Millennia of Sculpture. Patrick Bade

A Princess of the Family of Akhenaten, Reign of Akhenaton, Dynasty XVIII, 1379–1362 BCE. Ancient Egyptian. Painted limestone, 15.4 × 10.1 cm. Musée du Louvre, Paris.

      96. Anonymous, Queen Blanche, known as Meritamon, Reign of Ramses II, Dynasty XIX, 1304–1237 BCE. Ancient Egyptian, Western Thebes (Egypt). Painted limestone, height: 75 cm. Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, Cairo.

      97. Anonymous, Statue of the Goddess Sekhmet, Reign of Amenhotep III, Dynasty XVIII, 1405–1367 BCE. Ancient Egyptian, Temple of Mut, Karnak (Egypt). Diorite, 61 × 229 × 105 cm. Musée du Louvre, Paris.

      98. Anonymous, Akhenaten and Nefertiti, after year 9 of the reign of Akhenaton, Dynasty XVIII, 1379–1362 BCE. Ancient Egyptian. Painted limestone, 22.2 × 12.3 × 9.8 cm. Musée du Louvre, Paris.

      99. Anonymous, Queen Tiy, Kom, around 1352 BCE. Ancient Egyptian, Medinet el-Gurab (Egypt). Yew, ivory, silver, gold, lapis lazuli, clay, and wax. Ägyptische Museum, Berlin.

      100. Anonymous, Brick Panels Moulded with Bull-Men, Palms and Goddess, front view, mid-12th century BCE. Ancient Near East, Temple of Inshushinak, Susa (Iran). Pottery. Musée du Louvre, Paris.

      101. Anonymous, Female Character, Idol, 1000–750 BCE. Ancient Near East, Lorestan (Iran). Bronze, height: 22.4 cm. Museum Rietberg, Zurich.

      102. Anonymous, Figurine of a Hittite God, 14th-13th century BCE. Ancient Near East, Yozgat (Turkey). Lost-wax casting, 3.9 × 1.3 × 1.3 cm. Musée du Louvre, Paris.

      103. Anonymous, Idol, around 1000–750 BCE. Ancient Near East, Lorestan (Iran). Bronze, height: 8.9 cm. Museum Rietberg, Zurich.

      104. Anonymous, Kudurru King Shipak Meli-II, reign of Meli-Shipak II, 1186–1172 BCE. Susa (Iran). Black limestone, 65 × 30 × 19 cm. Musée du Louvre, Paris.

      105. Anonymous, Lower Part of a Quiver, 1000–750 BCE. Ancient Near East, Lorestan (Iran). Bronze. Musées royaux d'Art et d'Histoire, Brussels.

      106. Anonymous, Quiver Plate, 8th-7th century BCE. Ancient Near East, Lorestan (Iran). Bronze, 43.9 × 16.8 cm. Musée du Louvre, Paris.

      107. Anonymous, Quiver Plate (detail), 8th-7th century BCE. Ancient Near East, Lorestan (Iran). Bronze. Musée du Louvre, Paris.

      108. Anonymous, Heroes Mastering a Lion, Reign of Sargon II, 721–705 BCE. Ancient Near East, Khorsabad Palace, Dur-Sharrukin (Iraq). Alabaster, 552 × 218 × 63 cm. Musée du Louvre, Paris.

      109. Anonymous, Male Figure, Idol, 9th-8th century BCE. Ancient Near East, Lorestan (Iran). Bronze, height: 9 cm. Musée Cernuschi, Paris.

      110. Anonymous, The Cat Goddess Bastet, Reign of Psammetichus I, Dynasty XXVI, 663–609 BCE. Ancient Egyptian. Bronze and blue glass, 27.6 × 20 cm. Musée du Louvre, Paris.

      111. Anonymous, Winged Sphinx Found in Fort Shalmaneser, 9th-8th century BCE. Ancient Near East, Nimrud (Iraq). Ivory, 6.9 × 7.7 × 1 cm. The British Museum, London.

      112. Anonymous, Statue of Amenardis I, Dynasty XXV, 751–656 BCE. Ancient Egyptian, Karnak (Egypt). Egyptian alabaster (calcite), height: 170 cm. Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, Cairo.

      113. Anonymous, The “Auxerre Kore”, c. 640–630 BCE. Ancient Greek. Limestone, height: 75 cm. Musée du Louvre, Paris.

      In the 7th century BCE, Greek sculptors first began to create large-scale sculpture in stone. The tradition grew out of the production of small bronze and terracotta figurines, produced in Greece as early as the 10th century BCE. With this piece, the artist changed the conception of sculpture, from small, portable figurines to large, free-standing sculpture, of the type so well-known in later Greek art. In this early example, which stands less than a metre high, the influence of Egypt can be seen in the patterned, wig-like hairstyle and the stiff, frontal stance. She is modestly dressed in a long, patterned gown and shawl, simply adorned with a broad belt. Her hand is raised to her chest in a reverent gesture. Most likely created for placement in a sanctuary, this “Kore,” or female figure, would have represented either a devout young woman, or a goddess to whom a prayer was offered.

      114. Anonymous, Amulet with the image of Her-Shef, Reign of Neferkarê Pepiseneb, Dynasty XXIII, 740–725 BCE. Ancient Egyptian. Gold, 6 × 0.7 × 1.7 cm. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

      115. Anonymous, Kleobis and Biton, Apollo Sanctuary, Delphi, c. 610–580 BCE. Ancient Greek. Marble, height: 218 cm. Archaeological Museum of Delphi, Delphi.

      Kleobis and Biton are life-size statues that were found in the sanctuary at Delphi. An inscription identifies the artist as coming from Argos, on the Peloponnesus. The sculptures’ origin in Argos links them to the mythical twins Kleobis and Biton. These young men from Argos were said to pull a cart a full five miles in order to bring their mother to a festival dedicated to the goddess Hera. In return, Hera granted the men what was seen as a great gift: a gentle death while sleeping. The brothers fell asleep after the festival and never woke up. Their great strength, devotion to their mother, and their early deaths were memorialised in dedicatory statues offered at the great sanctuary at Delphi, according to the historian Herodotus. These statues, which may be those described by Herodotus, are close in date to the Dipylon Head (fig. 120) and share the same Egyptian style and decorative, incised details.

      116. Anonymous, Kore dedicated to Hera by Cheramyes of Samos, c. 570–560 BCE. Ancient Greek. Marble, height: 192 cm. Musée du Louvre, Paris.

      This kore is best understood through comparison to the earlier Auxerre Kore (fig. 113). It continues the tradition sculpting the standing female in stone, but shows the development in the art form. This kore, like the earlier example, is modestly draped in a long gown and a shawl, but the form of her body is more visible underneath, especially the curves of her shoulders, breasts, and belly. The sculptor has drawn attention to these forms by showing how the clothing gathers, pleats and falls as it drapes over the woman’s body. Instead of the heavy, patterned woollen peplos worn by the Auxerre Kore (fig. 113), this kore wears a chiton, a tightly pleated, lightweight garment made of linen. The pleats are shown in detail, creating a vertical pattern that contrasts with the diagonal drapery of the shawl. This attention to the patterns of drapery would continue to characterise female sculpture in Greece over the coming centuries.

      117. Anonymous, Moschophoros, called the “Calf Bearer”, Acropolis, Athens, c. 570 BCE. Ancient Greek. Marble, height: 164 cm. Acropolis Museum, Athens.