The sculptures of the Temple of Zeus plunge us into the different style of the Early Classical period. To understand the transition from Archaic to Early Classical in art, let us turn briefly to the sculpted pediments from the Temple of Aphaia on the island of Aegina. Aegina, located close to Athens in the Saronic Gulf, prospered during the Archaic period as a commercial center; its coinage, distinctively stamped with the image of a turtle, is well known. The Temple to Aphaia, a local goddess, was built ca. 490 BC in the remote north-east part of the island. Although the sculptures of the west pediment stayed in place, the originals from the east pediment were somehow damaged, then replaced some ten to fifteen years later by a new group. Both pediments show scenes of combat, apparently Greeks vs. Trojans, with Athena presiding in the center. The different dates of carving, although not far apart, in this case do mark a distinct change in mood and decoration, with the west pediment still very firmly in the Archaic style, and the east pediment in the new Early Classical style.
The contrast can best be seen by comparing the figure of a wounded warrior placed in the corner of each pediment. The west warrior (Figure 15.7), pulling out a spear or arrow from his chest (the spear, now missing, would have been made of bronze or wood) while holding his legs and torso in a stiff, strenuous position, manages to smile the typical Archaic smile. Death seems remote. The somber portrayal of the east warrior (Figure 15.8) is much more credible, at least for us today. Although the way he balances his weight on the upright shield can hardly be called realistic, the downward turn of his mature, bearded face conveys the seriousness of his wound, the depth of his pain. This new expression of mood and pose and also costume (for clothed figures) will be developed in the sculptures from the Temple of Zeus at Olympia.
World History
