1. Christopher Tynemouth

2.  The Karyatids or the Erectheum Maidens were 6 statues that were used as columns to support the south porch of the Erectheum (Athena and Poseidon’s Temple on the Acropolis).  420-410BC  Classical Period  Marble  2.3 metres tall.  All of the ones on the porch today are replicas; 5 are in the Acropolis Museum and one is in the British Museum

4.  The Greek term karyatides means maidens of Karyai which was ancient town in the Peloponnese. This town had a temple dedicated to Artemis in her aspect of Artemis Karyatis. It is thought that the women of this town danced every year in honour of this goddess.  Karyatid is just a general name for a statue used as a column

5.  Each Karyatid is different from one another; their faces, stances, draping and hair are all slightly different and carved separately.  However they all share the same purpose; they were used instead of columns that supported the south porch of the Erectheum.

6.  Each Karyatid was standing in contrapposto  This means that the Karyatids of the Erecteum were very early examples of contrapposto in use, the earliest being Kritios Boy only around 50 years before.  However, the 6 Karyatids are not all bearing their weight on the same foot. 3 have their weight on the right foot and 3 have their weight on the left foot.

7.  The leg bearing most of the weight acts as the column. This means that the one free leg is forward and the knee juts out.  A subtle effect that her body is swaying.  Also we can see the contrapposto even in the hips as well as the legs.  Idealistic hourglass figure  Fairly symmetrical

8.  The Karyatid is wearing a pelops.  The folds in the pelops and the way it falls, looks like the fluting (vertical ridges) of the column.  The pelops also shows its thickness and weight  All the different folds, straight or u-shaped, on the pelops contrast well with the skirt.  The clothing also tells us this woman may be noble of birth.

10.  As the statue gets towards the head it straightens out in order for it to work as a column  Expressionless, typical of the Classical Period  Quite simple detail  The hair of the Karyatid is long and braided and elaborately stylised.  The thick braided hair provides support to the neck

13.  The Karyatid probably held a sacrificial vessel in one of the missing hands  On top of her head, she carries an architectural capital, elaborately curved.  The figures resemble the woman carved on the east frieze of the Parthenon which just had been completed when the work on the Erectheum began.

14.  “the elaborately stylised hair, symmetrically arranged, surmounts the cascade of U shaped catenary folds described by the cloak. These contrast with the simple vertical pleats of the skirt..”

15. 1. When were they made? 2. How tall are they? 3. Where were they located? 4. What is the Italian term used to describe having a lot of the weight on one leg? 5. What effect does this give? 6. What is the technical name for the top of the column? 7. What did the Karytid hold in one of her hands? 8. What does the elaborately stylised hair suggest?