INSTITUTE FOR DOCTORAL STUDIES
IN THE VISUAL ARTS
by Natalie Velez, Cohort '22
With their mystical heritage surrounded by misconceptions, Cycladic figurines still present a unique intersection of aesthetics, art, and cultural and socioeconomic traditions. Their story offers input into the changing notion of perception and the power of poetic language. During our residency in Athens, we had a chance to visit the Museum of Cycladic Art, which is one of the most fascinating museums in the region. The museum holds one of the most comprehensive private collections of Cycladic marble figurines from the fourth millennium BC.
Contemporary viewers are intrigued by the elegance, simplicity, and myths that follow the figures. It was not, however, always the case. When the figurines were first discovered and examined by the archaeological community, they were categorized within the framework of "primitive art" and labeled with derogatory descriptions such as "small monsters," "grotesque," "barbaric," and "repulsively ugly" (Wright). Such a reaction reflects the institutional and aesthetic prejudices of classical Western society, and one can also argue, that such a response contributes to the justification of colonial heritage and biases.
The switch in perception started with the rise of modern art. Pablo Picasso’s painting On the Beach, painted in 1937, is a direct meditation on the forms and elegance of the Cycladic figurines and refers to the Mediterranean landscape. Most of the figurines are nude female figures with defined breasts, bellies, and pubic triangles - a reference, as some researchers claimed, not only to fertility or Chthonic deities but also to strong matriarchal social structures. On the Beach is on display in the Peggy Guggenheim Museum in Venice. The work adds to the dialogue on the perceptions of beauty and questions Western hegemony concerning knowledge and power.
The renewed interest in Cycladic art significantly increased its value in the art market, which led to intensive looting. Many figurines were illegally excavated and sold to private collectors, stripping them of their historical context. This issue raises important questions about the ethical considerations of art collection and the commodification of cultural heritage. Even today, institutions like the Cycladic Museum in Athens buy figurines from the art market to “rescue” them and bring them back to Greece, which sparks ongoing debates.
Contemporary artists, such as Ai Weiwei, critique how societies assign value to objects. It is not a coincidence that his first show in Athens was held in the Museum of Cycladic Art, where he presented Standing Figure (2016), a life-sized marble sculpture inspired by Cycladic figurines.
The sculpture includes outstretched arms, referencing his iconic work, Dropping a Han Dynasty Urn (1995). This earlier piece involved Ai destroying a 2,000-year-old urn, challenging notions of value and tradition. Ai’s provocative art often questions the concepts of value, consumption, and cultural preservation. Ai’s work has even led others to question art’s value, such as when a visitor in Miami smashed one of his painted vessels.
Today, Cycladic figurines continue to inspire artists and challenge the understanding of art. The minimalist elegance of Cycladic figures invites the spectator to question the value of art and how it unfolds the past.
Works Cited
Wright, Joshua J. "A Pebble for Your Thoughts: Reconsidering Aesthetics, Art, and Value in the Context of Cycladic Marble Sculpting." Academia, November 2022
Museum of Cycladic Art Catalog, G. Kostopoulos Graphic Arts, Athens, 2013