Marble statue of a kouros (youth)

ca. 590–580 B.C.

This is one of the earliest marble statues of a human figure carved in Attica, Greece. The rigid stance, with the left leg forward and 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.

On view at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in Gallery 154