the shoulders right down to the pointed ends of his cloak overlapping the seat. The
knee guard pointing upwards acts as a counterpoint to this series. The much-praised
harmony of this vase is achieved by a masterly ordering of the parts. The geometrical
symmetry is enhanced and enlivened by subtle variation.
Further examination of the detail of the design shows that the figures, although
broadly similar in form, are clearly differentiated. As befits his superior status as the
supreme Greek warrior, Achilles not only wears his helmet, but is slightly larger in
his dimensions. The artist has also included more detail in the execution of his figure;
his hand and feet are more delicately drawn. Moreover, his playing hand is framed
between the lines of the two spears. His costume is more detailed and the design of
the shield more prominent. There are subtle differences between the two heads.
Ajax has curly hair and a rugged beard while Achilles’ hair is smoother and his beard
more trim. The refinement of details is fully functional in giving Achilles his superior
status.
The artist (unknown) includes animal and floral motifs (on the shield and on the
cloaks), but these are subordinate to the human figures. The vase is highly detailed,
but all the details reflect a central purpose and there is no superfluous decoration.
The artistic concentration perfectly matches the theme of the painting. By the time
of its production, painters on Greek vases had gone beyond the merely decorative to
represent particular moments in familiar mythical stories, a significant development
in narrative art.
Archaic sculpture
In sculpture, more clearly than in painting or architecture, it is possible to trace the
gradual evolution whereby Greek art transcended the early formalism of the archaic
period to become more naturalistic, while remaining ideal, until the emphasis upon
the ideal and the typical in Classical art gave way to individuality and realism in the
art of the Hellenistic age.
The earliest Greek statues seem to have been sculpted according to the Egyptian
model. The kouroi, figures of naked youths, are a common type. Some are dedicated
as attendants to gods and therefore served a religious function; others are memorials
positioned over graves. Nothing is known about the conditions of patronage under
which they might have been produced. The kouros found in Attica (fig. 47a) and dating
from 620 to 610 has the look of the Pharoahs, especially noticeable in the stylization
of the hair and in the pose whereby one leg is planted firmly in front of the other. The
rigidity of the stance, with the weight distributed equally between both legs, the arms
fixed to the thighs with clenched hands, the shoulders absolutely square and the head
directly frontal, is also part of the Egyptian tradition. But there are three respects in
which the Greek differs from the Egyptian.
226 THE GREEKS