DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.42779#0130
THE EARLIEST HELLENIC STONE STATUES 85
of systematic punching of surfaces, none at all of the claw
chisel, and but little of abrasion and the use of stone instru-
ments. Hence inevitably the character of the statue takes
on the nature of flat relief. In effect it is a statue blocked
out in relief and thrown into three dimensions by the same
process that produced the ‘biscuit sculpture’ of Sparta. We
have not yet arrived at the stage of full three-dimensional
sculpture, conceived as such by the artist from the outset.
Two other works of the seventh century of full scale
survive—the Dirmys and Kitylos twins from Tanagra and
the bust from Eleutherna. But both are in poor preservation
and provide us with all too little evidence as to their construc-
tion. The Dirmys and Kitylos is made of a rich brown stone
full of minute holes, hard and firm, but still classifiable as
‘poros’ and a little softer than marble. Clear traces of a chisel
are seen in the inset corners and on the top of the base be-
tween the feet. No other tool seems to have been used for the
final processes. There is no trace of a claw chisel. The
Eleutherna bust is also a softish limestone, but still not so soft
as the sixth-century Attic poros. The hair of the Eleutherna
bust at the back has clearly been divided into its rectangles
by means of a blade and not a stone tool. It thus falls into
line with the Prinias group.
It will thus be seen that marble and hard stone were not,
when first used in the seventh century, immediately treated
with the technique best suited to such material. There was a
definite period of technical transition. Soft stone does not
necessarily precede hard stone in date always. It is true
enough that most of the earliest Greek sculpture extant1 is
in soft stone, but when hard stones came into fashion they
did not oust soft stone from popularity. Indeed in some
places, such as Cyprus, the use of soft limestones continued
throughout the whole history of sculpture. Even in the
1 There is, of course, an exception in the shape of the Cretan head closely
resembling the Prinias and Auxerre heads, which comes from Selinus. It is
in white marble, and is on a marble lamp. See E. Gabrici: Daedalica
Selinuntia, II. 1.
of systematic punching of surfaces, none at all of the claw
chisel, and but little of abrasion and the use of stone instru-
ments. Hence inevitably the character of the statue takes
on the nature of flat relief. In effect it is a statue blocked
out in relief and thrown into three dimensions by the same
process that produced the ‘biscuit sculpture’ of Sparta. We
have not yet arrived at the stage of full three-dimensional
sculpture, conceived as such by the artist from the outset.
Two other works of the seventh century of full scale
survive—the Dirmys and Kitylos twins from Tanagra and
the bust from Eleutherna. But both are in poor preservation
and provide us with all too little evidence as to their construc-
tion. The Dirmys and Kitylos is made of a rich brown stone
full of minute holes, hard and firm, but still classifiable as
‘poros’ and a little softer than marble. Clear traces of a chisel
are seen in the inset corners and on the top of the base be-
tween the feet. No other tool seems to have been used for the
final processes. There is no trace of a claw chisel. The
Eleutherna bust is also a softish limestone, but still not so soft
as the sixth-century Attic poros. The hair of the Eleutherna
bust at the back has clearly been divided into its rectangles
by means of a blade and not a stone tool. It thus falls into
line with the Prinias group.
It will thus be seen that marble and hard stone were not,
when first used in the seventh century, immediately treated
with the technique best suited to such material. There was a
definite period of technical transition. Soft stone does not
necessarily precede hard stone in date always. It is true
enough that most of the earliest Greek sculpture extant1 is
in soft stone, but when hard stones came into fashion they
did not oust soft stone from popularity. Indeed in some
places, such as Cyprus, the use of soft limestones continued
throughout the whole history of sculpture. Even in the
1 There is, of course, an exception in the shape of the Cretan head closely
resembling the Prinias and Auxerre heads, which comes from Selinus. It is
in white marble, and is on a marble lamp. See E. Gabrici: Daedalica
Selinuntia, II. 1.