Survey of Architectural History Practice Exam

In Classical Greek sculpture, two materials stand out for their prominence: marble for carving and bronze for casting. Marble, especially Parian or Pentelic, has a fine grain that preserves delicate anatomy and drapery details and takes a high polish, giving the luminous surface seen in many iconic statues. Bronze, on the other hand, allowed for casting and then finishing, enabling more dynamic poses and intricate forms that would be harder to achieve in solid stone.

This combination reflects both technique and aesthetic preference of the period. Many famous works are known through marble statues or marble copies of original bronze pieces, illustrating how central these two media were. Other materials listed—granite, iron, wood, glass, limestone, or steel—were not the standard medium for canonical Classical Greek sculpture.