The caryatid and Persian portico in historical context: the Erechtheion korai, Vitruvian imperium and Renaissance rediscovery

Submission note: A thesis submitted in total fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy to the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, College of Arts, Social Sciences and Commerce, La Trobe University, Bundoora.

The iconographic discrepancy between the punitive nature of the Vitruvian caryatid and the benign deportment of its Ancient Greek predecessors has long been the subject of academic debate. Although the Erechtheion korai clearly defy the Roman architect’s retributive symbolism some scholars persist in their attempts to bestow a Vitruvian interpretation upon them. Other scholars recognise the folly of this approach but argue that the invalidity of this retrospective application of the De architectura explanation negates Vitruvius’ credibility in regard to all depictions of caryatids. This thesis seeks to assert the validity of the Vitruvian perception of the Caryatid and Persian Portico stories through its consideration of the specific historical context from which it originated. It is argued that the Roman adaptation of the Greek originals deliberately transformed these motifs into political symbols of Augustan propaganda. The Persian Portico story has escaped the controversy experienced by its female counterpart because its historical validity can be verified by ancient texts and the monument constructed in the Spartan Agora in the fifth century BC. In lieu of similar validation for a caryatid equivalent attention understandably focussed upon known examples, but when considered within the specific historical context of Classical Athens, the Erechtheion korai can be removed from their Vitruvian connotation and given a new identification as historical exemplars. This thesis also examines the Renaissance archaeological rediscovery of the caryatid and investigates written and artistic sources such as Cesariano’s 1521 Vitruvian commentary and Raphael’s Stanza d’Eliodoro basamento, which demonstrate the continuing duality of the caryatid’s significance as a punitive and benign symbol within a new historical context. Whilst the penal servitude of the Persian Portico remained constant over two millennia it is argued in this thesis that Ancient Roman and Renaissance artists substituted the Spartan foe for their own.