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The Kritios Boy (or the Kritios Ephebe), Kouros
Attributed to the sculptor Kritios who was the tutor of Myron.

This was one of the last Archaic kouros and represents the
transition to the Classical era with its fluidly rendered features
and the organic movement of the body. It is one of the first
statues that allows the weight of the body to rest solely on one
leg while the other rests slightly in front. This simple shift in
weight causes a chain reaction between the different parts of
the body hitherto unexplored. The human body begins to be seen
as a system of different parts which react to each other's
condition and movement. The fact that the weight is shifted to
one leg means that the pelvis assumes a diagonal position while
the spine acquires an "S" curve in order to establish balance.
Compare this statue with this archaic kouros from the National
museum of Athens. Also note the how the broad geometric forms
of the archaic kouros have been transformed to naturally fluid
representations of muscle groups.

480 BCE
Marble, 1.17 m tall (3'10")