Classical Studies Practice SAC Example Response and Tips
Please note:
 The SAC questions will link directly to the rubric.
You will be provided a sculpture from the
prescribed list and, for the SAC, need to choose
one sculpture and answer the questions in detail
but, for question 3, need to compare it to two
other sculptures.
 You will have ONE HOUR to complete the task.
 Please take note of the marks apportioned to each
question. The questions move from the literal to
the evaluative (so they increase in the
sophistication and analysis required of you, hence
questions 3 and 4 are worth 10 marks per
question)
 To revise, see if you can make notes on the
remaining sculptural works on the prescribed list
under each question.
SAC Example Response
1. (5 marks)
Using coherent expression, name and clearly identify the sculptural work, the artist
(if known), date of creation and discovery (if known), place of creation (if known)
and current location.
Thought to have been created around 560BC (during the Archaic period), this
sculpture, the Moschophoros (Calf Bearer) was discovered in 1864, with the base (or
plinth) being discovered in 1887. Both parts of the sculpture were discovered on the
Athenian Acropolis and it is currently exhibited in the Acropolis Museum.
While the artist is unknown, the inscription on the base suggests that the statue was
dedicated by Rhombos and it is believed by some historians that the statue depicts
Rhombos himself, probably a wealthy Athenian, able to afford to dedicate a large
scale (165 cm) marble sculpture.
2. (5 marks)
Using coherent expression, describe the features of this artwork. Include the
materials used, subject depicted, facial expression, positioning and other relevant
details. Consider the original colour (if relevant) and any noticeable shifts in style
from earlier sculpture (if relevant).
The Moscophoros is made out of limestone and while the calf bearer is clearly
clutching the legs of the calf around his shoulders, the hands are broken off and the
genitals and left thigh have been separated from the whole sculpture. The
Moscophoros stands with his left foot forward, like other kourai. He has a thick
beard, a symbol of adulthood and wears a thin cloak, or himation which covers his
shoulders but leaves the rest of his body exposed. Most likely the himation was
originally painted, to differentiate it from the rest of his body. His hair is secured by a
band. The calf-bearer’s lips form the “Archaic smile”, typical of this period in art. The
animal’s head is tilted towards his master’s. The motif of a man carrying an animal is
used frequently in small bronze figurines of the same period but this is the first time,
according to historians, that it is presented in a large scale marble statue.
3. (10 marks)
Using coherent expression, analyse the representation of the subject portrayed in
the sculpture.
Refer to the sculpture presented and compare this representation with two other
sculptures prescribed for study in this unit.
Consider how the techniques contribute to the overall representation of the
subject depicted.
The motif of a man carrying an animal is used frequently in small bronze figurines of
the same period but this is the first time, according to historians, that it is presented
in a large scale marble statue.
Here we see the connection between the animal and the calf bearer depicted both in
the male’s body and stance and the curvature of the calf wrapped around his
shoulders.
As a kouros, the Moscophoros is typical of other representations of male youths in
the Archaic period; while the stance of the young man is somewhat static and fixed,
the figure depicts youthful vitality. The archaic smile, an enigmatic contented
expression, is a signifier of transcendence from the normality of daily life and of
reason or composure over passion and emotion. The Egyptian influence is clear
through the stylized hair.
The Greeks had learned much of their sculptural techniques from their much older
Egyptian neighbours. Kouroi were derived heavily from Egyptian statues but, unlike
typical Egyptian sculptures, Greek kourai were nude and reflected Greek humanism
and a glorification of the human body.
The idealized male human form as depicted here, is similar to early kouroi in his
frontal gaze, extremely stylised hair but the Moscophoros is imbued with action and
vitality in his grasping of the calf’s legs and determined bodily stance. Like the
Peplops kore, this sculpture is dated in the middle Archaic period during which their
was more subtle modelling, giving the impression of musculature in action. The
positioning of the calf itself provides a sense of balance in the sculpture through
symmetria, and harmonia. By disrupting the rigidity of the earlier kouros figures,
Greek scuptors were able to achieve a new vitality in their work, which would give
rise to the dynamism, power and action emphasised in early classical works such as
the “ Artemmison Poseidon or Zeus” of the early Classical period.
4. (10 marks)
Using coherent expression and evidence, evaluate the purpose of this work and
describe the ways the particular socio historical context out of which it was created
may have influenced the techniques used and ideas presented.
By 560 BC, widespread expansion of Greece had taken place. Greece , having
emerged from the “Dark Ages” was made up of numerous city-states all of which had
their own unique character and way of interweaving the religious with the political.
An emerging sense that humans could be god-like can be seen reflected in sculpture
of the time, including the Moscophoros thought to have been a votive offering to
Athena. While the identity of this sculpture as a “calf-bearer” is unambiguous, there
sculpture during the late archaic period often depicted subjects which could be
identified as either mortals or immortals or presented subjects with deep roots in
mythology.
Piety through devotion and offerings such as this artwork was matched with the
belief that participation in civic life, the life of the polis, was another form of
devotion. During the Archaic period, the gymnasium and symposium were key
domains in which participation in debate and political life but also of celebration of
the male nude took place. As the 6th century drew to a close, sculptures of male
nudes exhibited a new naturalism and dynamism, reflecting a growing optimism and
emphasis on participation and humanism. The “Calf-Bearer” is thus a product of a
time which saw the beginnings of democracy and Greek prominence which
culminated in the Classical Period 5th century or “Golden Age” of Greece.