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Kritios Boy

How to do an art analysis

By Courtney KellerPublished 5 years ago 15 min read
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Let me start by saying: you will most likely take a fine arts class in high school, especially if you're majoring in Criminal Justice. This is a guide to help you with any art analysis. DO NOT USE THIS TO CHEAT

Remember to provide your full name on your work.

1. Provide the title of the artwork, the artist’s name, and list the contents of the artwork.

The artwork I chose is called Kritios Boy or The Kritios Boy. The Kritios Boy was presumed to be sculpted by an artist named Kritios. The Kritios Boy stands at three feet and ten inches tall. All the sculpture's weight is supported by one leg, his left. His back is arched, making viewers see a slight shift in his body. He was found scattered around various places. The sculpture in the museum does not have the right arm, left arm, or right leg.

The Kritios Boy has a strong body and broad features in his face. His face shows him calm and relaxed. While he lacks a smile, his posture shows a hint of confidence. In the sculpture at the Acropolis Museum in Athens, the Kritios Boy’s eyes are missing. Archeologist say if he were to have eyes they would have been glass or bronze. They can only guess, because they have never seen his eyes. In the sculpture they are carved out and missing.

2. Examine the parts and features.

a. List exaggerated or emphasized elements:

The sculpture, Kritios Boy, has many exaggerated features. This is because he marks a turning point for Greek art. The sculpture has so much detail and it has a deep meaning. Unlike other Greek sculptures, the Kritios Boy stands on one leg. His left leg holds up his weight. Another emphasized element to the Kritios Boy is his facial features. As stated in question one, The Kritios Boy features a range of expressions. In his expressions we can see he is relaxed but has a serious aspect to him. Some say his height is another key feature. This is because he only stands three feet and ten inches tall, almost four feet tall. His height differs from other Greek art and sculptures.

b. List elements that are de-emphasized or not central to the communication.

The sculpture has so much detail and a deep meaning. However, there are some de-emphasized elements of the sculpture. While the Kritios Boy differs from Greek art in many ways, there are a few features that go unnoticed. They are not “central to the communication.” Some of these features are the missing arms and the eyes. In my research it states that if the Kritios Boy were to have eyes, they would have been glass or bronze, which is similar to other Greek sculptures.

3. List the methods used to make the work.

a. What materials are used to make the work?

The materials that were used to make the Kritios Boy were Parian marble and bronze. Though it is said that the sculpture may have originally been bronzed, we can only see the marble due to years of being buried. His eyes are missing, but as stated before archeologist assume the sculptor Kritios may have used bronze or glass. The materials the sculptor used shows a turning point for Greek art.

b. How is the object formed?

The Kritios Boy was found in found in many pieces. Each piece was discovered at different years in different places. This makes it hard to tell how the Kritios Boy was made exactly. We do know however that the sculptor made the Kritios Boy to show an accurate representation of the human body. The sculpture was framed with delicate body highlights and wide facial highlights. His weight lays on his left side leg, while his other leg is loose. His absence of grin demonstrates that he is quiet; however, has a trace of certainty. Everything about the figure the Kritios Boy, encourages us to comprehend the more naturalistic human frame. It likewise causes us to comprehend its humanism.

c. Materials equal meaning, so how does the use of materials impact our interpretation of what the work is communicating?

The materials used to make the Kritios Boy are used to represent many things. He is not used to represent a certain person, but he is used to represent humanism and a change in Greek life and art. We can tell by looking at this sculpture that the artist has a great understanding of the human form. The art also has a more calm and natural pose, unlike other sculptures. We can see that through his facial expressions that his tone is shifting from calm to tense.

4. List the conditions and context that the work was used in or existed in.

The Kritios Boy sculpture was made to show the human form and how Greek men were. It was made to make a turning point in Greece, not only for art, but for humans. Before the sculpture was ruined we would have been able to see the calm humanism to him, and have a deeper understanding.

a. For example: Is the work religious or spiritual, political, a response to social conditions, are there aims that are personal to the artist, is the work simply aesthetic or art for arts sake, or other?

This work is neither religious or spiritual. Though we will never know the actual meaning of the sculpture and what the artist was thinking, we can assume the Kritios Boy was made to show the complete understanding of how Greek humans were. The Kritios Boy shows a new-found naturalism.

a.i. How?

How was the Kritios Boy made to represent Greeks and their humanism? The artist formed the Kritios boy in a certain way making us have a visual of Greeks in their life. The only difference from Greek people and the sculpture was the height. As we know, the sculpture is smaller than life-like, standing under four feet tall. The sculpture was formed with soft body features and broad facial features. His weight rests on his left leg, while his other leg is relaxed. His lack of smile shows he his calm but has a hint of confidence. Every detail in the sculpture the Kritios Boy helps us understand the more naturalistic human form. It also helps us understand the humanism of it.

5. Relationship with other art works before, during, and after the time period.

a. Did prior works influence the work?

Yes, some prior works do influence the art. However, the Kritios Boy also marked a change in Greek art. The Kritios Boy marks the beginning of the contrapposto, but this was not fully developed by the sculpture. As stated in our text book, contrapposto was “later fully developed by high classical sculptures” (Stokstad, 2016). Contrapposto is when figures have an opposing alternation.

a.i. How did previous art works affect this work? What is different from prior works?

The Kritios Boy has many similarities of Greek art. For example, the detail in his body. His eyes, and the Parian marble he is made of. However, since he marks a turning point in Greek art, he is very different from other sculptures. One key difference is his missing leg. All his weight shifts on one, making it where he seems relaxed, but has some tension to him. Another difference is his facial features. His facial features have a calm expression to them, while most Greek sculptures have a certain smile to them that makes them seem more confident. The difference that marked the change in Greek art was the contrapposto. This made the art seem calm, but also tense.

b. Did the work influence subsequent works?

The Kritios Boy marked a change in Greek art. He influenced many works of art for many decades.

b.i. Did this work change the goals and works of future artists, or is it a dead end? Why?

This Kritios Boy did change the goals and works of future artist. When the artist Kristios was making the sculpture, he used contrapasso. He was one of the first artists to use this style in his work. This influenced many Greek artists, and soon many started using this in their works. Contrapasso was later developed in full. We can see this in other art works, for example, Polykleitos. Another way the Kritios Boy inspired artists was from his naturalistic look. Before the Kritios Boy many Greek sculptures stood tall, strong, and confident. They had an archaic smile that the Kritios Boy lacked. One might say he was inspired by this artwork. It was not a dead end, because many people began to use his methods and style.

b.ii. Is a new aesthetic, concept, medium, or working method introduced?

Yes, The Kritios Boy does introduce a new method, concept, and aesthetic that other former Greek sculptures lacked. Other Greek sculptures had a confidence and awareness to them. They did not picture the real human from. They showed Greeks as strong confident individuals.

The artist of the Kritios Boy was trying to add a new concept to art that would show a realness to his sculpture. In every detail but his height, the Kritios boy showed a natural tone and a calmness to him. He also showed a tension to him, because of the weight supported on one leg. The Kritios Boy was able to show both a calmness and tightness in his figure. This was a new method introduced called contrapposto. Many future artists would add these details to their art for years to come.

b.iii. What was the impact or overall aesthetic change instituted?

The biggest impact the Kritios Boy had was that the art marked a change in Greek art for years to come. After the Kritios Boy was formed many methods and styles used to make him was used by other artists.

c. Is the work similar or different that other works of the same era?

The answer to this question could be seen both ways. The Kritios Boy has many similarities to Greek art, but since he marked a change in art there were also many key differences.

c.i. How is it the same?

Many similarities in the Kritios Boy comes from the materials to make it and some of the looks. Like other Greek sculptures, the Kritios Boy was made with Parian marble. His eyes would have been bronze or glass like other works.

c.ii. How is it different?

There are many differences when we compare the Kritios Boy to other works of art. If we look to art that was made before the Kritios Boy, but in the same era. We see that the Kritios Boy’s posture and facial features are very different than other sculptures. While other Greek sculptures stand tall and have a strong confidence to them, the Kritios Boy stands short at roughly four feet. His postures and facial expression shows a calmness to him, but they also show a hint of tension. Again, this is because of contrapposto. The Kritios Boy also lacks the archaic smile that other Greek sculptures had.

If we look at sculptures made after the Kritios Boy, we can see many similarities. This is because the Kritios Boy was an inspiration for other artists. However, there are still many differences. During the end of the Archaic Period, artists started to use more bronze and used a new technique for modeling their sculptures, meaning that sculptures like the Kritios Boy differed mainly because of the technique they used. While artists still used contrapasso, they used a new method of modeling and hollow-casting.

6. Consider the basic life of the individual during the period. Review how people lived, the social and political problems of the era, and other concerns that the work may be tied to. Focus on the lives of others during this era as your mode of thought related to this work.

a. How does the work fit into humanity during this era?

The Kritios Boy was made in 480 BC. During this time, the area was defending itself against Persia. Because of this, Athens and Spartans had to come together to defeat Persia in 480 BC. This is presumably when the Kritios Boy was made. After the alliance was made, for the next few decades Greek art changed. New methods, styles, and forms were made. One of the sculptures that shows us this is the Kritios Boy. The new change in art made sculptures have more of a realness to them.

The work fits into this era, because when the Athens and Spartans came together, it gave them a better view of humans and their life. Therefore, the Kritios Boy has more realness to him. It is why he shows tension and relaxation. He is a better understanding of Greek people.

b. What was the social function, use, or relationship that individuals had with the work during the time period?

We can only assume what the function or use was when the Kritios Boy was created. Many archeologists and art historians think the Kritios Boy was made to show a natural human form and to show humanism. With the Kritios Boy, the Greek artist has a total comprehension of how the distinctive parts of the body work and look. The Kritios Boy additionally denotes the change from the Archaic Period to the Early Classical Period.

7. Consider yourself and this time that we live in, what of this work applies to the current era?

When the Kritios Boy was sculpted, Greek art shifted into a different path. Artists started using different methods and material. Individuals began utilizing contrapposto when they made their very own art. However, the contrapposto position was soon lost, artists stopped using it in their art. it was then re-used by the artists of the Italian Renaissance. Artists today still utilize this while making models for their art. We know today of its significance, and the effect it had on Early Classical Period of Greek artists. Today, the Kritios Boy is shown in the Acropolis Exhibition hall. The part of this work that applies to the current era would be its form and the reason for it being made. Many artworks we see today are made to show a naturalistic form, and a hint of realism.

a. Is there something in our current time that sparks something of this work? How can we still relate? Is there something that the work can reveal about this era, or are concepts present in this work still being used or considered?

There is something in our current era that this work “sparks,” and that is his humanism and naturalism. This is defined as an arrangement of thought connecting prime significance to human as opposed to supernatural or external issues. The artist is trying to stress potential esteem and integrity of people. He also is trying to show the natural beauty of Greek humans.

When looking at the Kritios Boy, we can see his natural beauty. He shows us a form of relaxation and tension. In his extremely detailed body he is naturally beautiful. He has a sense of naturalism. While we do not relate to his natural beauty, because our society wants to make us change, to make us have false beauty like plastic surgeries, we can still relate to the humanism and to the feelings the Kritios Boy is trying to produce.

Some concepts in the Kritios Boy sculpture are being used today. While not every figure being made is made in stone, some still are. Many artists also still use the styles and methods the Kritios Boy sculpture used when making the Kritios Boy, for example, contrapposto.

8. Based on evidence, what is the work communicating?

The Kritios Boy is trying to communicate a change. The statue is changing the way people think and the way art is made.

a. Through the work, what social conventions were supported, highlighted, sought out as ideal attainment, or challenged?

Throughout the work, the artist highlighted the naturalistic human body. He wanted to challenge other art works, by designing something different from others. The Kritios Boy does not show the ideal body, but the natural body. The artist wanted to highlight the features of a naturalistic human male. That is why he added the attention to detail, and contrapposto.

b. Through the work, what do we now know about the way that people, or in certain cases the artist, viewed themselves during the period?

When comparing the Kritios Boy with other Greek art, we can see that many Greeks thought of themselves as strong, powerful, and confident. They though the gods walked among them. However, when the Kritios Boy was made, people started to understand the naturalistic beauty to them.

People had a strong confidence to them, that is what other sculptures showed. The artist of the Kritios Boy saw Greeks for how they actually were, he saw the natural beauty in them. He then wanted to show others this form of naturalism and humanism.

c. Through the work, what do we now understand about the role or plight of the individual in society, or hopes for the individual, communicated during the era through the work of art?

The artist of the Kritios Boy was trying to show the naturalistic form of the human body. Since he knew he had a complete understanding of the human body, he wanted to show others. In his work he let others feel a sense of humanism, while viewing the natural beauty of it.

9. What is the most compelling or interesting thing about the work you selected.

To me, the most compelling this about the Kritios Boy is the complexity of the artwork and how it differs from other Greek sculptures. As I learned from this class and through research, the Kritios Boy has features unlike any other. The Kritios Boy stands on one leg, that one leg supports his whole body. Other Greek sculptures are supported on two legs, while Egyptian sculptures are supported with beams or bases. Another thing I find compelling is the attention to detail. In the Kritios Boy sculpture we can see every part of the human body. It gives us an idea to what the Athenians, the people who lived in Greece, may have looked like.

Works Cited

Use a Turabian (Chicago Style) citation. The website or resource must be an acceptable academic source. Do not use Wikipedia.

  • Evaluating Academic Sources at the Owl Purdue Writing Lab
  • Turabian Website
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About the Creator

Courtney Keller

I am still learning.

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