Aegina W 1 (Sculpture)

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Collection:	Munich, Glyptothek
Title:	Aegina, W. Ped. 2, fig. W 1: Athena
Context:	From Aegina, Sanctuary of Aphaia
Findspot:	Excavated at Aegina, Sanctuary of Aphaia
Summary:	Athena standing with lance and shield
Material:	Marble
Sculpture Type:	Architectural
Category:	Statuary group
Placement:	West pediment 2
Style:	Late Archaic
Technique:	In-the-round
Date:	ca. 500 BC - ca. 490 BC
Scale:	Life-size
Region:	Saronic Gulf
Period:	Late Archaic
In Group:	Aegina West Pediment 2

Subject Description:

Athena appears as an unswerving vertical element in the center of the West Pediment. Though her left foot is turned slightly out in the manner of a kore, the overall impression is of a strictly frontal figure. From the knees up she faces squarely forward. With the right hand she holds a lance or staff of some sort. On the left arm, held slightly away from her body, hangs a shield. On the head is a helmet with a huge crest. Many details were added, most in marble: decoration of the helmet, long tresses of hair which fall forward over her shoulders, the gorgoneion of the aegis, the many coiled snakes of the aegis' edge, decoration of the shield-stay, the ends of the long hair which streams down her back. She wears a chiton whose fine material is seen spilling over the edge of the diagonally draped himation, both visible just under the left arm. Over this is a heavy aegis draped symmetrically on her chest and descending almost to her knees in back. She stands silently in the midst of the battle. Although she is the patron of the Greeks at Troy, she does not betray a bias. Her military guise is, however, noteworthy.

Form & Style:

The West Athena is essentially a variation on the Late Archaic kore figure with armor. The close-set position of the feet, with the left leg turned slightly out, echoes the pose of many such figures from the last quarter of the 6th or the early 5th century. Her clothing is also typical for the period, but it is the rendering that highlights its archaic character. The fine linen of the chiton takes its usual crinkly form beneath the left arm. The material of the skirt seems much heavier. Whether this represents an additional garment is unclear. The edge of the diagonal himation is also briefly visible. Were it not for this detail, one would suspect an overfold instead, for a naturalistic layering of the folds has been pushed aside in favor of a purely schematic rendering which emphasizes the frontality of the figure. The stacked pleats below the right arm have the same aim. If the rigidity and unnaturalistic detail of Athena speak entirely of the archaic style, the head seems more advanced. Only a comparison with the head of the East Athena shows how much it too is in the archaic mode. The features still emphasize divisions within the face. The mouth is cut in sharply enough to create the ubiquitous archaic smile. The hair, though not overly elaborate in design, nonetheless shows a strong interest in pattern. The lack of a central part is also old-fashioned. The rigidity of the figure — one unbroken line extends from the paryphe through the himation folds and gorgoneion to the central crest of the helmet — suggests a statue rather than a living, breathing god. The impression of absolute stillness sets her apart from the rest of figures psychologically and compositionally.

Condition: Nearly complete

Condition Description: Restored from many fragments but almost entirely complete. Portions of the aegis and drapery are the only major losses.

Material Description:

Parian Marble

Associated Building: Aegina, Temple of Aphaia