Archaic Smile

In this piece we see the perfect example of the style early Grecian sculpture. In their artwork they gave great emphasis to the glorification of the male body, and the importance of attention to detail in the rendering of the human figure. However, in this period, we see that while they have acquired great skill and practice in rendering the male body, we can also see that they have less experience and understanding of the human facial features. This soldier is supposed to be dying, but we see that he is actually smiling. This is very common and a signature mistake in Archaic artwork and was not corrected until the construction of the Parthenon. Another telling mark of Archaic style is the hair of the figure. It is simplified to the work of a headdress, and tight curls were symbolized with ovals and circles. Because of the amount of stylistic execution there is in the head of the figure, we can assume that the face of a man was not nearly as important as his body. This is one reason why they often portrayed men naked in battle and in athletics. They believed in the beauty and symmetry of the body of the male figure, and it became a signature piece of subject matter in their artwork.