Caryatid

Caryatid. A caryatid is a sculpted female figure serving as an architectural support, taking the place of a column or a pillar, with an entablature resting upon her head. The most iconic examples originate from Ancient Greece, particularly in Classical Athens, where they embodied both structural ingenuity and profound cultural symbolism. These figures are distinct from their male counterparts, known as atlantes or telamones, and have influenced Western art and architecture for millennia.

Definition and Origin

The term is derived from the Greek *Karyatides*, meaning "maidens of Karyai", a town in Laconia within the Peloponnese. The earliest known use is in the writings of the Roman architect Vitruvius, who, in his treatise *De architectura*, offered a likely apocryphal explanation that they represented the women of Caryae punished for siding with Persia during the Greco-Persian Wars. Archaeologically, precursors can be found in earlier civilizations, such as the draped female figures from the Treasury of the Siphnians at Delphi and in Ancient Egyptian art. Their development is closely tied to the evolution of the Ionic order, with which they share a graceful, vertical aesthetic.

Architectural Function and Examples

Architecturally, caryatids function as engaged supports, blending sculpture with load-bearing necessity in a manner that challenges the distinction between art and engineering. The supreme example is the south porch of the Erechtheion on the Acropolis of Athens, constructed between 421 and 406 BC during the Age of Pericles; its six figures are masterpieces of High Classical sculpture. Other significant Greek examples include caryatids from the Treasury of the Siphnians and those in the Sanctuary of Apollo at Delphi. The form was adopted and adapted by Ancient Rome, as seen in the Forum of Augustus and the Pantheon, and later revived during the Renaissance and Neoclassical periods across Europe.

Historical and Cultural Significance

Caryatids carried deep ritual and symbolic meaning, often associated with specific religious cults and civic identity. The Erechtheion figures are believed to be *Arrephoroi*, young Athenian cult attendants involved in rites for Athena Polias. Their stance and draped garments, or peplos, communicated ideals of solemn duty, piety, and the strength of the polis. In Roman contexts, they were frequently used to represent captured provinces or tributary nations, a theme continued in imperial monuments like the Portico of the Danaids. Their interpretation has evolved through later periods, symbolizing everything from mourning and memory in Victorian era cemeteries to cultural heritage in modern contexts.

Notable Caryatids in Art and Architecture

Beyond the Acropolis originals, now housed in the Acropolis Museum with one in the British Museum, notable iterations abound. The Louvre displays Roman copies from the Villa of the Papyri at Herculaneum. Renaissance applications include figures by Michelangelo in the Medici Chapel and by Jacopo Sansovino for the Library of Saint Mark in Venice. In the 19th century, Auguste Rodin used caryatid forms in works like *The Gates of Hell*, while the Castel Béranger in Paris features Art Nouveau versions by Hector Guimard. Modern examples can be found on buildings like the Birmingham City Council House and the Former Royal Bank of Scotland building in Edinburgh.

Related Concepts and Terminology

The direct male equivalent is the Atlantid (or telamon), named for the mythical Titan Atlas; a famous example supports the Temple of Olympian Zeus in Agrigento. A similar supporting figure in the form of a beast is a zoophorus. The architectural principle of a figure supporting a weight is related to the broader category of architectural sculpture and anthropomorphism. Stylistically, caryatids are often discussed in relation to the Polykleitan canon and the development of contrapposto, which informed their poised, weight-bearing stances in Greek sculpture.

Category:Sculpture Category:Architectural elements Category:Ancient Greek art