Compare And Contrast Augus Of Primaporta and The Kritios Boy

Artists have influenced future creations throughout history. Greek and Roman art is often seen in sculptures and architecture with notable creations more prominent than others. Roman art was often inspired and created after Greek artists paved the way with their naturalistic styles. The Kritios Boy and Augustus of PrimaPorta share similarities in their make, facial expression, naturalism, and contrapposto while differing in their purpose of creation, clothing, and detail, which reflect the styles of when each sculpture was created. 

Kritios’ Kritios Boy [figure 1] from 480 B.C.E is a clean, restored marble sculpture currently residing in The Acropolis Museum in Athens, Greece. It was created in Athens and partially found in the Acropolis, where the torso of the sculpture was, the head later uncovered farther away from the site. The statue has a severe style and is depicted in a contrapposto stance with weight distributed on one hip with the left leg slightly bent; a naturalistic pose often seen in this era of art. A lack of smile, as seen on the Kritios Boy’s face, enhances the naturalistic style of the piece. The sculpture is not a specific person, rather he represents the ideal man and humanism of the Greek people. This can be seen in the shaping and realism of the muscles on the sculpture. The canon of proportions, the ideal measurements of a man, starting in the Greek era, is seen on the Kritios Boy as each section of his body is proportional with each other, despite only standing at three feet and ten inches. 

The Romans drew inspiration from Greek art and their naturalistic style, which is now seen in Augustus of PrimaPorta [figure 2] crafted by an unknown artist in 20 B.C.E. The sculpture received its name from the location where it was found in Italy, but can now be found in the Vatican Museums in Rome, clean and restored. Similar to the Kritios Boy, Augustus of PrimaPorta was crafted from marble, representing his strength and permanence in Rome. As seen in the name of the sculpture, Augustus, the first emperor of Rome, is depicted in great detail and naturalism.  He is depicted in a contrapposto pose, idealized, as a perfect human of his time. This can be seen in the leader’s proportional body and neutral expression on his face. He is seen in an oratory pose, pointing up and out with one foot forward, the raised left hand representing a general commanding and leading an army. By Augustus’ left leg is Cupid, a Roman and Greek god, riding a dolphin, symbolizing the naval battle and victory against Cleopatra and Mark Antony, which made Augustus the sole ruler of the Roman Empire. It further connects him to the gods, like Julius Caesar, Augustus’ adoptive father, who was said to be descended from the Roman goddess Venus, who is Cupid’s mother. Further detail can be seen in Augustus’ elaborately decorated breastplate, which tells a story and demonstrates his power; it shows a Roman soldier receiving the military standard back from a Parthian after previously losing it to them in battle, thus ushering in the era of Pax Romana, Roman peace. Gods are seen at the top of his breastplate, connecting Augustus to the gods the Romans worshipped. The breastplate is an important symbol in this sculpture because it indicates he is descended from the gods, as well as being depicted barefoot, another sign of divinity. Augustus is seen as a youthful, strong leader,  despite being middle-aged when the sculpture was created, giving the impression that he was a powerful leader, but also using his sculpture as propaganda. As stated in Julia Fischer's article about Augustus of PrimaPorta, “this statue is not simply a portrait of the emperor, it expresses Augustus’ connection to the past, his role as a military victor, his connection to the gods, and his role as the bringer of the Roman Peace.” 

Strength and permanence are reflected by the use of marble to sculpt both the Kritios Boy, enhancing the Greek ideology of humanism, and Augustus of PrimaPorta, emphasizing his powerful rule. The lack of a smile first seen in the Kritois Boy reflects human knowledge changing and evolving, as well as the change in art style straying from the archaic sculptures using smiles and less intricate or naturalistic body styles. The naturalistic, relaxed pose creates an S shape of the body from the weight being distributed onto one hip. This can be seen in both sculptures. The creator of Augustus of PrimaPorta incorporated the Greek styles of the Kritios Boy, which can be seen in the stance Augustus is depicted in; it is powerful but also relaxed, which can be seen in his right arm casually placed by his side and right leg slightly bent, demonstrating a contrapposto pose. 

The sculptures differ in their purpose of creation. The Kritios Boy was made to demonstrate and bring to life the ideas of a perfect man, while Augustus of PrimaPorta was erected as political propaganda and how he wanted to be seen by the people. They also differ as the Kritios Boy is fully nude, showing the ideal Greek body while unclothed, whereas Augusts is portrayed in lavish armor, demonstrating his position as ruler and general. As art became more stylized and developed, Augustus of PrimaPorta is depicted with more detail to his body, face, hair, and clothing, where the Kritios Boy has an emphasis on muscle and contrapposto.

Though the Kritios Boy was created for a different purpose, is less detailed, and is nude, the similarities of naturalism, lack of smile, and medium align with Augustus of PrimaPorta. The Kritios Boy depicts the idealism of Greek men and emphasizes humanism. Augustus of PrimaPorta was a symbol of power and strength, created from inspiration drawn from the Kritios Boy and its contrapposto stance. Each sculpture had a significant role in its eras and emphasized Greek and Roman ideals.