Acropolis Kore 674, frontal view
| Collection: | Athens, Acropolis Museum |
| Title: | La Delicata |
| Context: | From Athens, Acropolis |
| Findspot: | Found at Athens, Acropolis, southwest of the Parthenon (in 1888) |
| Summary: | Statue of maiden |
| Material: | Marble |
| Sculpture Type: | Free-standing statue: kore |
| Category: | Single sculpture |
| Style: | Late Archaic |
| Technique: | In-the-round |
| Original or Copy: | Original |
| Date: | ca. 500 BC - ca. 490 BC |
| Dimensions: | H. 0.92 m |
| Scale: | Under life-size |
| Region: | Attica |
| Period: | Late Archaic |
Subject Description: Statue of maiden, one of the many such dedications to Athena on the Acropolis. Wears diagonally draped himation over chiton. Continuous strands of hair gently and naturally form a frame around the face. Three tresses are brought forward over each shoulder; the remainder falls en masse down the back. Her jewelry is limited to earrings and stephane. The face is solemn, no longer smiling. The eyes are very slightly slanted, the eyeballs carved rather than set in, the upper lids fully curved. The head is a nearly perfect oval as described by the chin and frame of the hair.
Form & Style: An interest in and accomplished execution of natural detail pervades every element of this statue. The clothing does not reflect actual clothing in every literal detail, but it does show an interest in rendering plasticity and texture rather than pattern and surface design. The folds have depth and a good deal of softness, they stack irregularly in a natural fashion and they fall according to the law of gravity. The face and neck reflect the same interests and principles. The surface is softly modulated, the lips almost horizontal with scarcely a depression to separate them from the cheeks. The face is treated as a unit and the features wholly integrated. The back is now more fully worked. The stance and mass of hair at the back are the most pronounced archaic elements.
Condition: Single fragment
Condition Description: Upper portion of kore, broken at thighs. Both arms and a fragment of the head also missing. Head and neck were carved separately and set in. Small stone sockets on the shoulders cover the pour-holes for lead. Surface in excellent condition. Good preservation of paint, which is used with more restraint than in the earlier korai.
Material Description:
Parian Marble
Sources Used: