Aegina W 12 (Sculpture)

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Collection:	Munich, Glyptothek
Title:	Aegina, W. Ped. 2, fig. W 12: Left Crouching Warrior
Context:	From Aegina, Sanctuary of Aphaia
Findspot:	Excavated at Aegina, Sanctuary of Aphaia
Summary:	Crouching warrior fighting hand to hand
Material:	Marble
Sculpture Type:	Architectural
Category:	Statuary group
Placement:	West pediment
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:

W12 faces left, attacking with great intensity. Weight on the right leg, he leans forward until his torso is nearly level with his thigh. The left leg extends behind. With his right arm he stabs at his opponent. On his left arm is a shield, which faces outward and therefore hid much of his body from view. This area of the pediment is particularly crowded. W12 was positioned against the back of the pediment. The legs of his opponent reach back nearly to the archer, crossing in front of this figure near the level of the floor.

Form & Style:

Like the Crouching Warrior on the other side of the pediment, this figure appears to straddle the archaic and early classical styles, comfortable in neither yet a product of this transitional time. Because of his hugely developed torso this figure, even more than W5, seems to owe a debt to athletic statues. The modeling is mostly very naturalistic, though the exaggerated rendering confined to the torso is not typical of more advanced work. The deep carving of the rib cage appears frequently on the West Pediment though on the East.

Condition: Nearly complete

Condition Description:

Largely preserved, except head, left foot and right arm. A fragment of the right arm is preserved but not included in the reconstruction.

Material Description:

Parian Marble

Associated Building: Aegina, Temple of Aphaia