The Roman marble archaistic head of a kore was executed during the first century. Its museum acquisition was financed by the bequest of Isabel Brown Wilson to honor Frances Marzio. The sculpture of the head was inspired by the archaic historical period sculptures of Greek that were created between seven hundred and four hundred and eighty BC.
Visual Description
The art is ahead of a woman that is slightly facing the front while the face of the sculpture is heart shaped. Her appearance is comparable to a goddess. She also has a small mouth with her lips curving upwards into an old smile. She also has almond eyes. The diadem on her head represents sovereignty. Curling around her forehead is her hair put into rows of tight snail curls that are neatly arranged (Lopez 151).
Analysis of the Composition
The form of the sculpture is three dimensional. Curves have been used to create the shape of the head and other features of the face. The space between the forehead and the nose, the nose, and the mouth as well as other facial features show that the structure is three dimensional. The sculpture is also placed on top of a quarter thick base place to hold it for better viewing. The sculpture's size is 27.9 *23.8 centimeters. The size of the features is proportional to each other. The nose and mouth are of a proportional size giving the sculpture a human figure. In the sculpture, color is the dominant element. Contrast is evident in the sculpture by the differences in textures, values, and colors of the elements (Colao 231).
Analysis of the Elements of Design
Both thin and thick lines have been used in the sculpture. Curved lines are also evident to enhance the features like the eyes, mouth, and nose in the sculpture. The artist also used linear curve shapes on the sculpture to enhance the features. The balance of the artwork is symmetrical since a uniform color has been used to create a unified visual statement. The sculpture has a visual unity that was developed by clustering its elements close together. The rhythm of the image is evident in the wavy lines drawn to indicate the hair on the head (Colao 219).
Description of the Media
The artists used marble in creating the sculpture due to its durability and translucency. Marble was also used to create the Head of Kore since its subsurface scattering is comparable to the human skin. Thus, the artist wanted his work to resemble a real human closely. The translucency in a marble sculpture provides a visual depth which evokes a certain realism. The marble has made the artwork weather resistance. The fineness of marble also enabled the artist to render minute details on the sculpture.
Description of the Technique
The marble sculpture was glided and painted as a means of surface decoration. The artwork was also polished with pumice to produce a reflective, translucent, and smooth surface. However, the surface was not fully polished to leave room for a variety of textures. For instance, the texture of the hair is rougher than that of the face. Glazing was also done during the application of undercoat to intensify modulating color. A claw chisel or a toothed chisel was used to create several profiles on the sculpture.
Works Cited
Colao, F., et al. "Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy for semi-quantitative and quantitative analyses of artworks—application on multi-layered ceramics and copper based alloys." Spectrochimica Acta Part B: Atomic Spectroscopy 57.7 (2002): 1219-1234.
Lopez, A. J., et al. "Compositional analysis of Hispanic Terra Sigillata by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy." Spectrochimica Acta Part B: Atomic Spectroscopy 60.7-8 (2005): 1149-1154.
