Statue of a kouros (youth)

This is one of the earliest marble statues of a human figure carved in Attica. The rigid stance, with the left leg forward and the arms at the side, was derived from Egyptian art. The pose provided a clear, simple formula that was used by Greek sculptors throughout the sixth century B.C. In this early figure, almost abstract, geometric forms predominate; and anatomical details are rendered in beautiful, analogous patterns. The statue marked the grave of a young Athenian aristocrat.