Western civilization owes a lot to the Hellenistic culture, which has been a source of inspiration for artists for millennia. The archaistic caryatid from the museum in Istanbul is a typical example of a Roman sculpture that follows Greek tradition. While it is an exquisite piece of art, a caryatid also serves as a column – an essential element of the classic architecture, which has aesthetic and functional value.
Information About the Sculpture
The caryatid dates back to the 1st century A.D., the Augustan Era. It was a part of the proscenium in the theatre in Tralles, an ancient Roman city on the territory of modern Turkey (Aristodimou 2). The sculpture currently belongs to the Museum of Archaeology in Istanbul (Topkapi Palace). There is no information available on the author or the name of the caryatid.
Dionysian Response
At first glance, the sculpture seems quite ugly and intimidating. If it were placed at the entrance of a building, it would probably make me feel unwelcome there. The pose of the caryatid is entirely static to the point it looks unnatural, and her facial expression lacks emotion, although one could probably discern a sarcastic grin on her face. In fact, it makes the sculpture look like it could be placed in a prison, rather than in a theater. Her facial features are quite rough, the chin is huge, and a part of the nose is missing. The neck looks very long, and there are some visible lines that look like fat rings. Overall, her head and neck proportions are not aesthetically pleasing. The braids are shaped in a strange way, reminiscent of an unwound tape or the snakes from the Gorgon’s head. Moreover, she has no left arm, and there is only one finger left on the right hand. The right arm is supposed to be holding a piece of clothing, but since most fingers are missing, it looks awkward, as if the thumb was glued to the himation. The stains on her clothing look like ugly pigment spots, and the massive head garment accentuates her elongated face and neck. Overall, the shape of the body is very plain, and it does not look very feminine. After taking a closer look at the sculpture, I tried to focus on some aspects of it that I can appreciate regardless of the flaws. For example, the drapery is simple but elegant, and it fits the figure well. The sculptor made marble look like a piece of real fabric, silky and comfortable to wear. While the stains look unpleasant, they make me think that this statue would probably look completely different in color. However, in its present form at the museum, it looks unimpressive and ordinary.
Apollonian Response
The caryatid is made of marble and was probably used as a decorative element of the sculptural group of the proscenium in the theater. While caryatids can function as columns, it is not entirely clear whether this specific sculpture was used like that, or its designation was purely aesthetic. This archaistic caryatid represents a tendency in the Hellenistic art of the late period to replicate the style of the Archaic era in Greece (Hemingway para 2). It explains the rigid posture of the statue and the even distribution of weight between two legs. Also, the static pose of the caryatid is typical for this type of sculpture as it was initially designed to carry the weight of other architectural elements. The statue was created as a part of a group of sculptures for a local theater rather than as an individual piece, so the fact that it lacks intricate detail is not surprising.
The position of the remaining part of the left arm suggests that it was possibly matching the height of the polos (head garment) and could act as a support for the architrave. Despite missing some parts, the sculpture remains in decent condition. The nose is fractured, but overall facial features are well-pronounced. In particular, the braids have been preserved perfectly, despite being seemingly the most fragile part of the statue. The limbs have suffered the most, which is typical for ancient sculpture, but at least one arm and two legs remain almost fully intact. The head garment has probably evolved from the baskets with an offering for the gods that women carried on their heads (“Caryatid”). It looks solid, which supports the hypothesis that this caryatid partially carried the weight of the architrave. The drapery looks similar to other Hellenistic statues with the himation on top of the tunic. One of the breasts not covered by the himation is more visible, which leads to the conclusion that the tunic used by the model was made from very light, translucent material.
Uniqueness
The archaistic caryatid is one of the most prized possessions of the Museum of Archaeology in Istanbul. In general, this type of sculpture is not unique to the Hellenistic world. Some of the most famous caryatids can be found at the Erechtheion temple on the Acropolis in Athens. However, Aristodimou states that the decoration of a proscenium in a theater was not a common tendency before the 1st century B.C. (2). A statue of Apollo and a few sculptures of caryatids remain from the theater in Tralles as some of the earliest examples of a decorated proscenium (Aristodimou 2). Hence, this sculpture represents the new trend in Roman architecture that emerged in the late Hellenistic period in a specific area. It leads to the conclusion that the historical value of this sculpture is exceptionally high regardless of its aesthetic quality.
Connections to Chapters 4 and 6
Caryatids were used in Greek and Roman architecture to support the architraves of some buildings, including temples. Erechtheion temple in Athens, dedicated to Athena and Poseidon, is particularly famous for its caryatids. Although the particular sculpture from the Museum of Archaeology in Istanbul was installed in a theater, it has a connection to the Greek religion. For centuries, the term “caryatid” was associated with the enslaved women of the Caryae that sided with the Persians during the Peloponnesian war (“Caryatid”). However, this version, first mentioned in the works of a Roman architect Vitruvius, is mostly rejected by the modern scholars (“Caryatid”). Researchers have established that the term has likely originated from the temple of Artemis in Karyai, where young women, “Karyatides,” danced in honor of their goddess, carrying baskets on their heads (“Caryatid”). Hence, while the caryatids have no direct connection to modern religions, scholars suggest that they were created to immortalize the loyal worshipers of the Greek gods.
Works Cited
Aristodimou, Georgia. “Tralleis (Antiquity), Theatre.”Encyclopaedia of the Hellenic World, Asia Minor. Web.
“Caryatid.” Ringling Docents, Web.
Hemingway, Colette. “Retrospective Styles in Greek and Roman Sculpture.”The Metropolitan Museum of Art. 2007, Web.