Statuette Commentary of Perceptions of the Elderly?

There are three distinctive stylistic periods of Ancient Greece: Archaic (circa 750 BCE to 480 BCE), Classical (480 BCE to 323 BCE), though some distinguish Early Classical and High Classical, and Hellenistic (323 BCE to 30 BCE). As one would expect, sculpture and art evolved as time progressed. Archaic sculptures, referred to “kouros” for male sculptures and “kore” for female sculptures, were static and slightly off proportionally, though there was improvement within the period. For example, the “Metropolitan Kouros” (circa 600 BCE) lacked detail compared to the “Anavysos Kouros” (circa 520 BCE). Active, more proportionally correct sculptures emerged in the Classical era. Sculptors in this period were more aware of the human body. Sculptures utilized natural, contrapposto stances, like Polykleitos’ “Spear Bearer” (450 BCE) or the “Riace warrior” (circa 450 BCE, unknown artist). This focus on activeness, often called dynamism, was further enhanced in the Hellenistic period, such as with “Laocoön and His Sons” (circa 100 BCE/CE).

Though the stylistic periods had their differences, they share an important similarity: the focus on idealism. Male sculptures were muscular, which further reiterates the Greeks’ patriarchal society. Female sculptures, such as Praxiteles “Aphrodite of Knidos” (circa 350 BCE), depicted the female body preference at the time, though its purpose was objectification as opposed to male glorification. Ultimately, this is why the statuette featured is so strange. It’s said to be sculpted in the late 5^th century, which would place it close to the “Riace Warrior.” This old man is not idealized, detailed, nor dynamic; he is comical. According to the Artstor description, the statuette is an actor, but I have yet to find the piece’s specific purpose, which is important because it’s evident that it serves a fundamentally different purpose than sculptures like the “Riace warrior.” But an important consideration to factor in is that this could be considered commentary on old age. According to Robert Garland (1998), Athenians’ “contempt for the elderly seems to have become something of a national characteristic by the late fifth century BC” (p. 66). They were legally required to care for the elderly, but the respect seen in Homeric poems had seemed to vanish (Garland, 1998).

Garland, Robert. Daily Life of the Ancient Greeks. Westport: Greenwood Press, 1998.

N.A., Terracotta Statuette of an Actor, circa 5th-4th century. Terracotta, 3 1/2 feet. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, New York.