Greek archaic sculpture

The Kouros statues dominate the Archaic period of Greek Art. All of the Kouros (male) and Kore (female) statues represent state sponsored subjects or are designed as decorations of religious buildings, or as immortal reminders of the virtues of a deceased. However, secularism begins to become evident with Archaic Greek art and culture in a subtle way as the artist,s and art patron's names appear carved on some sculptures, and also in the way …

…it developed to our day. Archaic art is a silent witness to the extraordinary development western society was about to undertake. The Kouros and Kore statues stand before a cultural revolution, all muscles tense, like a spring about to burst with energy into an extraordinary wave of classical thought. They stand with smiles frozen with meaning as if they knew what was about to occur: the classical era and the Golden Age of Greek thought.