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Architecture 224

Section 2

Prof. Sarah Akbar

How Caryatids celebrate women

14 February 2021

Ahmad Almutawa

Ghaliah AlMutawa

Shaikha Eyadah
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I. Introduction:

A. Caryatids

B. Thesis statement: Although Caryatids are claimed to resemble the punishment of the

Caria women, they actually celebrate women, through portraying them as a fundamental

element, resembling them as goddesses, and through their stance and facial expressions.

II. Fundamental element (Ghaliah)

A. Architectural support

1. Columns

2. Solid marble

B. The role of women

1. In Sparta

2. In Athens

III. Resembled as goddesses (Shaikha)

A. Aphrodite goddess portrayal

B. Garments of the figures parallel to goddesses

1. Headpieces

2. Gowns

IV. Stance and facial expressions (Ahmad)

A. Anatomy of caryatids

B. Body language

1. Face expression
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2. Body position

V. Conclusion: The celebration of woman through their portrayal as a fundamental element,

while also being resembled as goddesses, as well as their stance and facial expressions

prove that caryatids are not a representation of the slavery of the Caria woman.

VI. References
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In architecture, columns are considered one of the main components that make up a

structure, serving as a supporting or a decorative element. In Greece, Ionic, Doric and Corinthian

are the three classical orders of columns (Roth & Clark, 2013). Caryatids, on the other hand, are

considered a supporting column that resemble a woman carrying the entablature and pediment of

the building (Britannica.com, 2021). One of the most famous examples of caryatids are the ones

carrying the roof of the Erechtheion in the Acropolis of Athens, Greece (Cartwright, 2012). A

celebrated architect and engineer, Vitruvius, mentions in his book: “de architectura” the story of

the city of Caria, where women were enslaved due to its defeat in war. Although Caryatids are

claimed to resemble the punishment of the Caria women, they actually celebrate women, through

portraying them as a fundamental element, resembling them as goddesses, and through their stance

and facial expressions.

In fifth century, BC Greece, the definition of a column became more than a standing

slender that support the top roof of a building. The caryatid, a woman shaped column, is an

architectural masterpiece. Furthermore, they used female figures to replace columns and to serve

as a support base for the large, monumental temples. And to make sure that these maidens can

perform their function perfectly, they made them entirely of marble. The use of this strong

material can be explained in two different ways. First, it’s strong enough to support a big

building. Second, it can solve the problem of preserving columns from weather factors and time.

Moreover, the fact that architects opted for making large temples that were “entirely constructed

in marble and lavishly decorated with carved moldings” (Shear, 1999) explains the growing

economy and the financial comfort that the Greek were enjoying at that time.

Aesthetically, the use of the female figures as columns to support the roof of the buildings

added a beautiful touch to the architectural design of the building’s façade. It allowed the architects
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to break with the use of ordinary columns as a support base. The Caryatids were first to thought to

be a perpetuation of the sufferings of women of Caria who were forced to work after losing the

war against Greece. However, having a deeper understanding at the importance of these female

figures as a support base for the buildings, will help us shed the light on the role played by women

in the Greek society, during that time.

To begin with, Sparta people worshiped war. Women had to rely on themselves for taking

care of their needs during the long absence of their partners. Accordingly, women were

independent and self-reliant. They played an important role in society. Moreover, they were given

a good education compared to women in other parts of Greece. Actually, “Sparta was the only

ancient Greek state to have a standardized system of education offered to girls as well as boys.”

(Post, 2015). The education, women in Sparta were offered included gymnastics, music, dance and

poetry. Thus, as art highly cherished in the Greek society, women managed to play a crucial role

in the social life. Besides, the Sparta women were given the right to own a land. They were also

granted the right to inherit. All these factors allowed women to play a prominent role in the

growing economy of Greece.

Unlike Sparta women, The Athenian women did not enjoy the same privileges. In fact,

they were not offered any education. Their part in the society was limited to housework and raising

children. They didn’t play any role in the economic growth. They were rather deprived of their

right to own land or any other property. They were also denied the right to inherit. Accordingly,

they were “placed …in a position of greater subservience to the male.” (Post, 2015)
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To further prove that caryatids in fact celebrate women instead of punishing them,

there is proof that shows how they resemble goddesses, who are known for being sacred,

respected, and adored.

Aphrodite, who is a goddess of love, fertility, and beauty, according to Britannica (2020)

is one of the goddesses associated with caryatids. Archeologist Brunilde Ridgway, in the journal

American Journal of Archaeology (1983), mentions that one of the meanings of caryatids is them being

goddesses, and she gives an example of it being an Aphrodite. Also, art historian and educator Lenore

O. Keene Congdon, in her book Caryatids Mirrors of Ancient Greece, has noted that “The meaning of

the female supporting figures varies; the naked figures can represent dancers, possibly athletes

wearing only a loincloth, the robed figures partly Aphrodite, but also Helena or priestesses” (1981,

p. 788). This statement emphasizes that the caryatids are essentially goddesses and priestesses who

are celebrated and appreciated.

Caryatids wearing robes mentioned in the previous paragraph leads us to the next point that

further verifies that caryatids are a representation of goddesses, which is the attire of the sculptures.

As stated in The Role of Women in the Art of Ancient Greece on the Caryatids of the Erechtheion:

An analysis of the garments of the figures reveals a unique feature. On the

head of each figure is a Polos (plural Poloi). By classical Greek times this is

invariably the headdress of a goddess as so defined in Liddell and Scott. The gowns

on these figures are probably Peploi which is not inconsistent with images of

goddesses of the time the Erechtheion was built. But the polos headdress is more

consistent with Archaic images. The Acropolis Museum has a marble kore of 510

BCE with such a headdress. The Kore (Phrasikleia) by Ariston of Paros of 550 BC

has such a headdress. The Agia Triada Fresco on the limestone sarcophagus (1450-
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1400 BC) has a queen who seems to be wearing a polos headdress. Many of the so-

called Psi and Phi Mycenaean figurines from the 13th century BCE are described

as wearing a Polos. (2021, Para. 3)

This points out that the caryatids’ Polos, which is a headdress, was in fact associated

with deities. As well as the dresses, which are called Peploi, that are indifferent from the

ones of goddesses in the time of erecting the structure. And this further proves that the

identification of Caryatids as celebrated and respected goddesses is true, which points out

that women are celebrated through this female-figure column.

Last but not least, to solidify the argument that caryatids actually celebrate women, it is a

necessity take a look at their anatomy and body language and examine how the ancient Greeks

created their sculptures.

The ancient Greeks took sculpting very seriously, as it was often tied to religious ideas and

conceptions. Due to that, the perfection of these sculptures and creating them as realistically as

possible was a necessity, and to do that they applied their extensive examination and study of the

human body’s anatomy onto their “sculptures”; often showcasing the bones and muscles and how

they work. This idea of perfecting the sculpture is carried on behind the anatomy, but on to the

facial expressions, appearance of the clothes and the effect of gravity on them. Of course such

ideas, such as the effect of gravity and/or the advancing knowledge of the human body’s anatomy,

were not introduced all at once since the beginning of Greek sculptures, but they were rather built

upon as time progressed, which of course affected the sculpture, as a whole, and caused it to

progress throughout time.

As mentioned in the previous paragraph, the ancient Greeks were very careful when

creating their sculptures, and they made sure that they communicated their thoughts through them.
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If we were to examine the anatomy of the caryatids, we would surely know whether they resembled

the pain and agony of enslaved women, or the content and fulfillment of free women. The large

approximately two meter tall structures stand upright with a straight back, with no indication of

slavery and/or torture, and they actually stand comfortably while shifting their weight from one

foot to the other, which is called Contrapposto, and according to Britannica, it is “sculptural

scheme, originated by the ancient Greeks, in which the standing human figure is poised such that

the weight rests on one leg (called the engaged leg), freeing the other leg, which is bent at the

knee. With the weight shift, the hips, shoulders, and head tilt, suggesting relaxation with the subtle

internal organic movement that denotes life.” There is absolutely no indication of tense muscles

or damaged, worn out bodies. Their arms are hanging freely, at liberty from the load over their

heads, which completely rests on their crown and neck, and yet their muscles seem completely

relaxed. This scene would seem quite absurd if the idea was to resemble the agony of slavery, as

they are carrying such a heavy structure with relaxed stances. But it wouldn’t be out of place if the

idea was to celebrate the idea of women being a fundamental element, as mentioned previously.

Additionally, the caryatids’ gowns are draped beautifully on the sculptors, with no tears or

indication of a struggle of some sort, which also supports the previous idea. There are Greek

sculptures that depict the anguish of slavery, and the representation of their anatomy and clothing

differs from that of the caryatids, and this differentiation is also carried on to the facial expressions.

When examining the facial expressions of the caryatids, they rather carry a blank emotion-

free expression, and their facial muscles appear to be relaxed. If they were to resemble enslaved

women, some sort of emotion would be associated with the face, in turn tensing the muscles.

According to Katherine E. Westbrook, the human face contains a large number muscles that are

engaged when we express emotions. The ancient Greeks knew that, as they applied the tensing of

muscles in sculptors’ faces that are in anguish and/or agony.

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In conclusion, it may seem straightforward that Caryatids showcase the punishment of Caria

women. That is not the case. The caryatids in fact support the structure, which reflects women

supporting the society. Therefore, it operates as fundamental element in both the physical and

metaphysical realm. Moreover, women are portrayed as sacred and cherished figures, which are

deities, through the apparel of the caryatids. Furthermore, if the caryatids were to resemble the

enslavement of the women, it would have been conveyed through their physical attributes and/or

facial expressions, but this resemblance ceases to exist. Due to the previous reasons, the celebration

of woman is depicted through the Caryatids.

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References

Aphrodite. (2020). Retrieved January 29, 2021, from

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Aphrodite-Greek-mythology

Caryatids, supportive Goddesses. (2014, October 24). Retrieved January 4, 2021, from

https://www.rwaag.org/caryatids

Congdon, L. K. (1981). Caryatid mirrors of ancient Greece: Technical, stylistic and historical

considerations of an archaic and early classical Bronze series. Mainz am Rhein: P. von

Zabern.

Goddess. (2021). Retrieved January 31, 2021, from https://www.merriam-

webster.com/dictionary/goddess

Post, J. M. (2015). The Enigma of the Spartan Woman. Retrieved February 13, 2021, from

https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/

Ridgway, B. (1983). American Journal of Archaeology, 87(2), 279-281. doi:10.2307/504947

Shear, I. M. (1999). Maidens in Greek Architecture: The Origin of the « Caryatids ». Retrieved

February 13, 2021, from https://www.persee.fr/