Top Archaic Sculptures in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens

Visit the National Archaeological Museum in Athens to see sculptures from the Archaic period, including the world’s best and most comprehensive collection of kouros and kore statues from Ancient Greece.

Phrasikleia and the Kouros of Myrhinous in National Archaeological Museum in Athens, Greece.

The National Archaeological Museum in Athens is home to some of the most iconic and significant works of art from ancient Greece. Among its many treasures, the sculptures from the Archaic period are especially noteworthy. The korai and kouroi give a fantastic introduction to the development of Greek sculptures as a prelude to the Classical and Hellenistic masterpieces, of which the museum also has an impressive collection. Buy tickets in advance — time-slot reservations are currently essential to visit the National Archaeological Museum in Athens.

Archaic Period Sculptures at the National Archaeological Museum in Athens

Late Kourai and Kouros in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens

The Archaic period (circa 800-480 BCE) marks the early development of Greek sculpture, bridging the gap between the rigid stylization of earlier art such as the Cycladic antiquities (in Room 6), and the more naturalistic styles that would later emerge during the Classical period.

This era saw the emergence of new artistic techniques and the gradual move toward a more humanistic representation of the human figure, which would become a hallmark of Greek art.

Historical Context of the Archaic Period

Early Kouroi in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens

The Archaic period in Greece was a time of significant cultural and political development. After the fall of the Mycenaean civilization, Greek society entered a period of relative isolation and recovery. Over time, city-states such as Athens, Sparta, and Corinth began to form, leading to the rise of democratic ideals, economic growth, and cultural expression.

By the 8th century BCE, these people referred to themselves as Greeks and had adopted a common alphabet, Greek myths, and the Twelve Olympian Gods. Wooden structures and art were increasingly replaced by more durable materials including stone, marble, and eventually metal.

The development of monumental sculpture during this period reflected these changes, as the Greeks sought to represent not only religious themes but also to celebrate individual and civic identities.

Early Greek Stone Sculptures and Art

Artemis very early stone sculpture — Artemis

Monumental grave amphora from the Kerameikos Cemetery in Athens — Artemis

The Archaic Period sculptures in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens are in halls 7 to 14 — the first galleries of the museum’s magnificent sculpture collection. The art is mostly chronological starting with the oldest works in room 7.

Artemis

The large and fairly worn female statue of island marble was found in Delos, Cyclades, in the sanctuary of Artemis. Dating from around 650 BC, this is one of the earliest monumental statues in stone, it probably represents the goddess Artemis. According to the inscription carved on the left thigh, the statue was dedicated to Apollo by the Naxian Nikandre.

Monumental Grave Amphora

In the same room is an even older monumental grave amphora from the Kerameikos Cemetery in Athens. The main scene shows the prothesis and mourning for the dead. Over the bier is the shroud. Men, women, and a child lament with their hands on their heads, in the usual mourning gesture. This remarkable work is by “Dipylon Painter”. Late Geometric Period, 760-750 B.C.

First Free-Standing Nike

The earliest known free-standing statue of Nike (ca. 550 BC) is a Parian marble statue in Room 11. It was found on the island of Delos, in the Cyclades. The winged goddess is depicted running to the right. She wears a peplos and a chiton, leaving her bent right leg exposed. On her head, she wears a wreath, once adorned by metal jewelry. This Nike sculpture is sometimes attributed to Archermos of Chios.

Kouros and Kore Statues

The female kore (plural korai) and male kouros (kouroi) were the main free-standing sculpture types of the Archaic era. They were introduced in the mid-7th century BCE and would define Greek art for over a century.

One of the key developments in Archaic Greek sculpture is the gradual move toward a more naturalistic representation of the human body. Egyptian sculpture, which favored a highly stylized, formulaic approach, clearly influenced early examples of kouroi and korai. However, over time, Greek sculptors began to explore ways of depicting the human body with greater anatomical accuracy, using observations of real life and increasing knowledge of the human form.

This shift is evident in the development of techniques such as the use of more accurate proportions and the introduction of the so-called “Archaic smile.” While the stiff posture and frontal stance remained characteristic of the early period, the smile was a subtle attempt to inject a sense of life and vitality into the statues. The smile, often enigmatic and subtle, appears on many kouros and kore figures and probably symbolizes a sense of well-being or divine favor, although its exact meaning remains uncertain.

The korai were mostly slightly smaller than life size while the kouroi were generally larger and even monumental. These statues, often used as votive offerings or as grave markers, represent the Greek ideal of youth, beauty, and strength.

The National Archaeological Museum in Athens displays outstanding examples of kouros and kore statues. The oldest statues are female while male sculptures increasingly became more prevalent.

Archaic Period Korai in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens

Phrasikleia -- the earliest and best preserved Kore in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens

The Korai are portrayed frontal and stiff but often draped in intricate clothing. They are shown standing lifting their garment with one hand (usually the right), while the other carries either a flower bud or a fruit before their chest.

These statues were generally offerings to goddesses, particularly Athena and Demeter, and were placed in temples or at sanctuaries. In contrast to kouroi, the female korai were always dressed and rarely used as grave monuments (although the finest example in this museum was).

Phrasikleia

Phrasikleia, the earliest and best preserved Kore of the Collection was unearthed together with the Kouros of Myrhinous. They are displayed together in Room 11.

The fully preserved statue stood atop the grave of Phrasikleia (which was rare for a Kore). The facial expression and the rendering of the garment that follows the curves of her body underneath are remarkable. The chiton retains in many places its painted decoration with rosettes, swastikas, stars, and meanders.

She is also unusually tall for a Kore: The height of the statue is 1,79 m, or 2.12m with the base. This extraordinary work is one of the most important of the Archaic style. It was made by the sculptor Aristion from Paros. (Ca. 550-540 B.C.)

Archaic Period Kouroi in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens

Kouroi in Room 13 the National Archaeological Museum in Athens

The kouros, a male youth figure, is typically depicted in a rigid, frontal stance, with the left foot forward and arms at the sides, reflecting the influence of Egyptian art. The facial features are often idealized, with a serene, almost lifeless expression. Kouroi were almost always in the nude — the museum has only one (partly) dressed torso of a kouros in its collection.

These figures were often created to honor gods, mark graves, or celebrate athletic victories. They were long considered statues of Apollo until more were discovered in temples and cemeteries not associated with the Olympian deity.

Among the most important kouroi in the National Museum of Archaeology in Athens are:

Monumental Kouros of Sounion

Rear of a Torso of a Kouros from Sounion

This over-life-size statue of a kouros in Naxian marble was found in Sounion. At just over 3 m tall, it is one of the largest surviving kouroi. The statue was a votive offering to Poseidon and stood before his temple. It was found together with a torso from a similarly colossal statue. About 600 B.C

Kouros of Myrhinnous

The Kouros of Myrhinnous is a Parian marble statue of a kouros found in Merenda (ancient Myrrhinous), Attica, in the same pit as the Phrasikleia. The lively rendering of the body makes it an important work of the ripe Archaic period and one of the best examples of kouroi. (540-530 B.C.)

Kouros of Volomandra

This statue of a kouros from around 560-550 B.C. was found in Volomandra, Attica. It probably stood on the grave of an Athenian aristocrat.

Kouros of Kea

The 2-m tall statue of a kouros made of Island marble was found in Kea (Tzia). It is a lively work, with great plasticity in the rendering of the torso. The hair, tied with a ribbon hangs down the back in beaded tresses and sits in thick, shell-like curls on the forehead. About 530 B.C.

Anavyssos Kouros

The Anavyssos Kouros, ca. 530 BC, Attica, depicts a powerful articulate body with an emphasized musculature. This statue is a prime example of the early attempts to capture the human form in a more lifelike way. The figure is nude, a reflection of the Greek admiration for the human body. Although still somewhat stylized, the musculature is more defined than in earlier periods.

This imposing funerary statue stood on the grave of Kroisos, as is indicated by the epigram on the base: “Stop and mourn at the grave of dead Kroisos, whom the raging Ares destroyed when he fought among the defenders”.

Funerary Kouros Statue of Aristodikos

The funerary Kouros statue of Aristodikos from Mesogeia is the latest Kouros in the collection (ca. 510-500 B.C.). He stood atop the grave of a young Athenian aristocrat, Aristodikos, whose name is carved on the base. The plasticity of the muscles, the movement of the arms, and the vigor of the statue as a whole place it at the end of the series of kouroi. A landmark in the development of sculpture, it demonstrates the transition from late Archaic to early Classical art in ancient Greece.

Kouros of the Ilissos

The sole Kouros in the museum’s collection that is depicted clothed was found on the riverbed of the Athenian river Ilissos (no 3687, Room 13).

Here “clothed” hints at the shoulders rather than the chest or genitals being covered up.

Transition to the Classical Period

Poseidon and Zeus in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens, Greece.

The kouros and kore figures were just the beginning of a much larger evolution in Greek art, which would culminate in the Classical and Hellenistic periods, where sculptors such as Phidias, Praxiteles, and Lysippus would further refine the representation of the human body.

Bronze statuette of Poseidon (around 480 B.C.)

In the transitional phase to the Classical Period, bronze statues were also cast, such as the statuette of Poseidon (around 480 B.C.) recovered from the seabed off the south coast of Boeotia. The statue that had been dedicated to the god of the seas, according to the inscription found at the base, shows him holding his trident vertically. His eyes were inlaid, made of a different material; his lips still red. (No X11761, Room 14).

The large bronze sculpture of the Artemision Zeus (or perhaps Poseidon, ca. 460 BC) is already seen from the final room of the archaic period collection and hints at the marvelous further sculpture collection that follows in the rest of the top museum in Athens.

→ See also Tickets and Tips for Visiting the National Archaeological Museum of Greece in Athens for more information on this wonderful museum. Opening hours are long and tickets are cheap but time-slot reservations are essential.