“In the Aegean Sea, southeast of Attica and north of Crete, there is a scattered group of Greek islands known as the Cyclades. There are a total of two hundred and twenty islands, mostly uninhabited due to their inaccessible cliffs that drop into the sea, unpredictable climate, sudden storms, very little rainfall, and infertile soil. As Greek archaeologist Christos Doumas says: If the land and water make up the Cycladic landscape, the air and fire, sky and sun come together to endow it with a special clarity that forms the foundation of the Cycladic spirit…
The Cyclades are named after the Greek word for “circle” or “around,” which refers to all the islands “around” the island of Delos, the ancient sacred island of Apollo.
The Cycladic world is timeless. Its basic elements have not changed for over five thousand years. The daily rhythm of the Cycladic people was described by Hesiod in his work “Works and Days,” and it has changed very little since then. Barley and wheat grow in modest fields, grapes and olives on the hilly slopes, and in between, there are goats and sheep.
Apart from the enchanting beauty of the white-washed villages and breathtaking beaches, what makes the Cyclades truly unique is their rich history and cultural heritage.” Above the azure sea, white marble rocks rise, what secrets do these marvelous pieces of land hide? Where and how did the art that we admire today originate? Which mysterious civilization left the works that many museums boast about? We could ask question after question, but most would remain unanswered – the Cycladic civilization and Cycladic art are great enigmas.
The small Cycladic island of Delos was considered a sacred island in ancient times because, according to Greek mythology, the sun god Apollo and the moon goddess Artemis were born here. Homer’s Delian Hymn describes grand celebrations in honor of Apollo, which took place on Delos every four years, much like the Olympic and Pythian Games, and were equally significant.
Interest in Cycladic culture was sparked by travelers and explorers in the early 19th century. One of them, Robert Walpole, brought to light a marble figurine in 1818, which he named “Sigillarium”. He described it as a representation of a deity, and due to its clumsy and expressionless form, it was It was determined that it belongs to a period before the mythical Daedalus (around 700-600 BC) and thus the oldest Aegean culture was discovered. This led to a more systematic study and research that focused almost exclusively on grave remains, which is where all archaeological findings originated from. As confirmation of their uniqueness, the renowned Greek archaeologist Christos Tsountas, who explored the islands of Syros, Paros, Amorgos, Antiparos, Siphnos, and Despotikon, introduced the name Cycladic culture in the late 19th century. Research has placed this civilization in the period from 3000 to 2000 BC (Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age), and experts have divided it into early, middle, and late Cycladic periods. The oldest known marble Cycladic sculpture was found on the island of Saliagos and is estimated to date back to 5000 BC. It is located in the Archaeological Museum on the island of Paros and is named the “Fertility Goddess”, depicting a plump female figure with crossed arms on her belly. The marble figures are the most impressive. The works of Cycladic art often depict nude female figures with crossed arms. The head is round, slightly tilted back, the nose prominent, and the body stylized with few details. Experts have declared this type of figure canonical because similar works were mostly created at the peak of Cycladic art (2800 – 2300 BC). Canonical sculptures vary in size, from miniature to nearly life-size, but most of them are around 40 cm tall.
Are these representations of female fertility deities, or were they made as sacrificial offerings to the gods? Do the crossed arms signify worship? Again, a whole range of questions with answers that only offer speculation.
While the female figures are depicted statically, in a standing position, male figures are very rare and typically shown seated, such as a man playing the harp or a man playing the flute.
There are also well-known double figures. Particularly interesting is one where a smaller figure stands on the head of a larger one, with both retaining the same level of detail. The crossed arms anonymous position. Scientists assume that they depict acrobats and consider their acrobatics, flute sound, and harp singing as part of a ritual.
Animal figures are very rare. The well-known marble vessels in the shape of a pig and a dove. An exceptional work is a shallow vessel with a crossbar in the middle, on which sixteen doves sit. Both the crossbar and the doves are made of a single piece of marble. Eight doves face one way, and eight face the other, giving the whole sculpture a gentle circular movement.
Although most of the figures captivate the observer’s attention with the almost translucent whiteness of marble, many of them have traces of color. Most commonly, these were red and blue, less frequently green and black. The color highlighted details such as eyes, hair, certain markings on the face or body, and traces of color can also be found on numerous marble vessels and clay vases. When asked about the meaning of the colors, experts again give different answers.
As most of the Cycladic islands are rich in Given the high-quality white marble, it is logical that the majority of the figures were made from this material. Research has shown that the main sources of marble at that time were the islands of Naxos, Keros, Paros, and Ios. Other materials used included green and black stone, limestone, blue stone, cedar, green ribbon, seashells, bronze, and clay.
The creation of Cycladic figures followed a detailed system of proportions, which required precise measurements and great skill. However, archaeologists have been unsuccessful in finding evidence of workshops in order to learn more about the organization of production.
Another mystery comes from the site of Kavos on the island of Keros. There, the so-called “treasure of Keros” was collected, consisting of around 350 fragments of canonical-type figures (torsos, heads, limbs), some marble and clay vases, as well as obsidian blades from the middle period (2800-2300 BC). However, a large number of objects were stolen and scattered among many museums and private collections after their discovery in the 1950s, and many They disappeared without a trace. Only 81 fragments were returned to Greece. Why were these remains called treasures? Because the way the objects were broken and the erosion on the surface of the fractures indicate that the figures were deliberately broken. It is presumed that the site of these fragments had great symbolic importance, and the breaking of the figures was part of a ritual.
A special part among the findings is represented by life-sized sculptures. Before 2500 BC, only three regions in the world had such sculptures: Egypt, Malta, and Mesopotamia. It is even more astonishing to see the appearance of monumental sculptures on the Cyclades in that distant era – it was not a brilliant civilization like ancient Egypt or like Sumer, it was a culture of shepherds and fishermen who were also blacksmiths and traders. As the Scottish writer and historian Thomas Carlyle vividly describes it: Transport yourself to the early childhood of a people, to the first beautiful morning light of Europe when everything was still bathed in the freshness of young brilliance… e dawn, and our Europe only just started to think, only just started to be. Wonder and hope, endless glow of hope and admiration, like a child’s thoughts, in the hearts of these strong people!
Maybe these rare monumental figures had some more significant role, maybe they were markers of special communal ritual events, or maybe they depict deities?
Can we point out anything that wouldn’t end with a question mark? We know, and we see, that the Cycladic sculpture (and Cycladic art in general) followed a canon, had proportion, and with its extremely simplified form reduced to its essence. Simplicity, liveliness, and harmonious beauty are the main characteristics of Cycladic art.
As such, it inspired artists of the 20th century and a great number of them tried to experiment with discarding the unnecessary, following the example of Cycladic figures. Figurative art is questioned and the gaze is directed towards essence and symbolism. We can see this in the works of contemporary sculptors such as Brancusi, Modigliani, Arhipenko, Giacom It is becoming increasingly noticeable the interest of today’s man in “primitive” or “archaic” cultures. The appreciation of “primitive” art is changing. Just a hundred years ago, it was considered ugly, vulgar, or barbaric, but today Cycladic figures have become objects of admiration and symbols of human values. However, it will take a lot of time and effort to find answers to at least some questions. But Cycladic art is worthy of that.