Cycladic Marble Idols
Ancient Greece -3300 BC – 2000 BC
Map
Cycladic art is the art
and sculpture of the
ancient Cycladic
civilization, existing in
the islands of the
Aegean Sea from 3300 2000 BCE.
Early Cycladic Art
Cycladic civilization flourished between
about 2700 and 1100 BC among a group
of islands, called the Cyclades, in the
Aegean Sea between Greece and Asia
Minor. Small tribes or family groups were
scattered throughout the islands’ fortified
towns. These people left behind no written
records, although archaeologists have
unearthed their stone tombs and a large
number of marble statues.
The Cyclades are rocky,
volcanic islands and
have the materials
necessary for stone
sculpture. Marble and
other kinds of stone are
plentiful. Also available
on the islands is emory,
which can be used as
an abrasive to carve
and polish marble.
Cycladic culture was
contemporary with the
Minoan civilization of
ancient Crete and the
Mycenaean culture of
the Greek mainland.
• The best-known art of
this period are the
Marble Idols, which had
been refined since
Neolithic times. These
marbles are seen
scattered around the
Agean, suggesting that
these figures were
popular amongst the
people of Crete.
Marble Sculptures
Art mainly manifested
itself in the form of
marble idols, often used
as offerings to the dead.
Idols possessed a flat,
geometric quality, giving
them a striking
resemblance to today's
modern art.
Cycladic Idol
3000-2000 B.C.
Louvre, Paris
Figure 1
Figure 2: Standing female figure of
resin. Height 27 cm, length 12 cm.
A majority of the
figurines are female,
depicted nude, and with
arms folded across the
stomach. It is unknown
whether these idols
depict a goddess, or
merely Cycladic
women.
Female Figure
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These figures are carved from marble, occur
in a variety of sizes, and appear very
stylized, almost abstract.
Many have been found in graves, but some
come from excavations of fortified hilltop
towns.
Most have oval or U-shaped heads that tilt
slightly back. The arms cross over the torso,
the legs are side by side, and the toes point
downward.
While the figures are commonly displayed
as standing, the pose indicates that they
were probably intended to recline. Perhaps
they were meant to echo the bodies of the
Cycladic dead with which they were often
buried.
In a few cases, figures of musicians have
also been found. The exact purpose of
these sculptures is unknown.
Harp Player
• Perhaps the most famous
of these Marble Idols are
musicians: one a harpplayer the other a pipeplayer.
• Dating to approximately
2500 B.C.E., these
musicians are sometimes
considered “the earliest
extant musicians from the
Aegean” .
Aesthetic Qualities
•Styles of figure is unlike other art created at this
time of history.
•Composition appears to change when viewed from
different angles
•Flowing space directs viewer’s eye around and
through the design.
•Sculpture carved from a single block of marble.
•Size of sculpture (about 9” high) contrasts to actual
size of subject.
•Smooth texture and white color emphasize the
sense of unity and also contrast with surroundings.
•Currved shapes appears in lyre, chair back, chair
supports, and throughout the rounded tube-like
construction.
•The few details include incised toes and the
figure’s nose.
•Lyre is balanced on the musician’s lap. Its strings
must be imagined; they are not depicted.
•Intricate interplay of positive and negative space.