While Armitageworld has been buzzing with rumors of new projects (I have to force myself to let the rumors lie and wait for confirmed facts..the speculation kills me.) I’ve been pondering something else entirely. Legs. Men’s legs. Yeah, they don’t usually make a big impression on me. In fact, I was thinking about the subject this weekend, and it seems that I classify male legs much the same as I do wedding cakes. For me, the majority are unremarkable, passably attractive, but mostly “meh.” Occasionally though, I encounter one that makes me sit up and say, “Holy S%*t that is amazing cake!”
The Greeks were big fans of the “Holy S%*t” variety of legs as well, especially during the Archaic Period (~650-490 BC). A popular sculptural form of this period is known as the KOUROS. The kouros is a free standing nude male sculpture in the round…most commonly made of marble. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes and evolve from fairly stylized beginnings that strongly suggest Egyptian inspiration, to a much more naturalistic approach that hints at coming attractions in the Classical period. Hundreds of them survive, many coming from sanctuaries of Apollo where they perhaps served as stand ins for the god. My favorite example had a different function.
His inscription reads, “”Stand and mourn for Kroisos, first in line of battle and whom Ares killed.”
Source
From the inscription, most scholars believe that this particular kouros stood as a monument marking the grave of a youth named Kroisos who had been killed in battle. Sculpted around 525 BC, in marble, he stands 6’4″…probably somewhat above life size for ancient Greece, but a very good example of life size for a certain someone. He is an iconic example of a particular phase of the kouros typology, with all the component features, but what has always especially stood out to my eye is the powerful legs, especially the thighs. He is very lean through the waist, but then broadens out, not in a hipp-y feminine way, but through those massive quadriceps.
Profile view…
A view from the side show us that this is indeed sculpture in the round, and illustrates that the muscles of the back of the thigh, including the gluteals, are also well developed. Hence the “Holy S%*t” ranking.
I was reminded of the Anavysos Kouros when a certain set of fabulous flanks recently made an appearance at Cinema Con in Las Vegas.
Oh hello there…
(Sorry…I cut everyone else out of the frame – to give the thigh it’s due!)
Source
Like the Anavysos Kouros, on the “wedding cake” scale, Richard Armitage definitely has “Holy S%*t” class legs…long and lean, but with exceptionally muscular thighs. Yum…that is some tasty cake! Not convinced? Allow me to provide further evidence:
A vintage shot…eyes on the thighs please!
Source: http://www.richardarmitagenet.com
Oh, there’s more…
Spooks S8…I love how the light traces the curve of the quad…
http://www.richardarmitagenet.com
Lingering doubts? Have no fear John Porter’s here…
OK, I’ll admit, Porter’s gams are disguised in Lucas North’s painted on jeans…but you can plainly see the thighs have it! (I am almost sorry for the puns…almost.)
http://www.richardarmitagenet.com
Still not convinced? You are a tough crowd! Or,
You’re holding out for the comparative rear view!
ὅ παῖς καλός
Ancient Armitage 
Pervy art history with Obscura. 😉
Hey now…this is a very scholarly study of anatomy..real and marble!
Is there any other kind of Art History? 😀
*appreciatively drooling* Yeah, Kouros and then some.
Pretty much no, lol!
VERY entertaining and I agree they are the “Holy S%*t” variety of leg! Thank you for brightening my afternoon 🙂
My pleasure. I’m hoping for more thightings (I really can’t help it) in the near future…in the name of scholarship of course! 😉
Reblogged this on richardtreehouse and commented:
Awesome legs 🙂
Thanks for the reblog!!
Those thighs of sighs are perfect from *any* angle! 😉 I LOVE your kind of history lessons! 🙂 Don’t hesitate to share any more that you might run into! “Run into”? Now there’s a thought! That *would* be quite the experience if it actually happened.! Oh my! *fans self*
My students are not nearly so loving…maybe I need to adjust the subject material slightly 😀
Reblogged this on Me + Richard Armitage and commented:
On what’s firm in Armitageworld.
Greco-Richard Period. I’m a big fan.
Nice!
Thanks for the reblog (adding another to the “rear view reblog” tally) 🙂
that had occurred to me, too 🙂 One track mind.
😀
I see you saw that thigh at ComicCon, too. Man.
Did I say ComicCon…I meant CinemaCon, but there are spectacular thigh shots from ComicCon 2012 too…those Balmain jeans highlight the thigh 🙂
I might have gotten it wrong — trying to do three things in a rush. I should stop doing this.
Thigh induced confusion…I completely understand!
When I saw him onstage I was staring at his legs. He has this amazing ability to stand completely still for a long period of time
no doubt in part to those long strong stems (I’m pulling out all the colloquial stops today!)
Welcome, and thanks for commenting!!
Convinced, absolutely!! I adore them!
What’s not to love right?!
By all means NOTHING crosses my mind…….
absolutely NEEDED to see proof that Armitage’s legs exemplified the “Holy S%*t” variety… (lecherously scrutinizing said proof)
😉
Assembling evidence for a convincing argument was grueling I tell you…grueling!
“fabulous flanks” LOL – great stuff. Really interesting journey into classic art here. I love learning all these things. And that Kroisos really has RA’s figure – down to the roundy thighs. Thanks for that! I think I know what I’ll be dreaming of tonight.
I will cop to having busted out the thesaurus today – “hocks” is sooo not sexy!
*Ahem*…yeah, evidently, I have a type 🙂
LOL – I had to bust out the dictionary for that one now. As a non-native speaker hocks doesn’t sound that bad to me. “fabulous flanks” – “hot hocks” – “thunderous thighs”…
hocks equals ham for me…”hot hocks” come on a bun with mustard 🙂
LOL – well, the bun reference is alright – if you turn Armitage upside down. I’d take the buns with chocolate and cream though, not mustard.
(Stawwwwp, Guylty, stawwwwp)
I KNEW you were going there – knew it!! 😀 (duly noted)
Shit. I’ve been found out. Abort – abort – abort. Leave blogworld now and resume inconspicuous middle-class life. (Damn, did I leave traces? You know I am gonna have to silence you all…)
ROTFL!! This message will self destruct. 😀
😀
You have me literally laughing out loud! Thanks for a delightful afternoon.
😀
Some days it all comea together 😀
Dear Obscura,
I’m “thighhhhhing” over this essay and these images! Such a treat! You have chased the snowy Monday (not kidding, but light) doldrums away! And I always say, RA’s beauty should be sculpted. Michelangelo’s David has nothing on Richard Armitage.
Cheers! Grati ;->
Oh yeah..I woke up to snow this
morning too, so I took refuge in Richarding 🙂
RA would definitely look good in marble!
OMG, that was for sure LOL worthy….I really got a good chuckle…and yet so deliciously true! Love it!\
Welcome – thanks for commenting!
This was a fun one…I don’t mind doing the research either 🙂
Beautiful Boy indeed! Kallistos… I do love me some kouros, ancient or modern.
I’ll second that!!
Me to Linnet…me too!
Wow. Just…wow. Great comparison! Here’s the thing, though, RA is very slender when you see him in person, yet look at that CinemaCon picture. He looks kinda bulky! In a good way. How does he do it? He is a master of disguise!
IDK…they always say the camera adds 10 pounds, but even so, he did look exceptionally slim in December at the premieres for TDOS. I’d wondered lately if he hadn’t gained back some weight for the Chop role? The demand to fit a body to a role is an aspect of the actors trade that must be a huge challenge from day to day. Maybe he’s one of those people for whom weight just falls off.
I do think that we’d gotten used to seeing him “bulked up” for Thorin, so he looks much slimmer by comparison. Never know which version will show up…keeps things exciting 🙂
Every version of RA is droolworthy. Lucky man! 😀 I was wondering if he’d wear some padding for Chop, who’s supposed to be bulky. Not in a good way. 😀
Yeah, I wondered to…although, in that one picture, the coat looks really bulky, but what you can see of the midriff doesn’t seem to have much extra padding. Time will tell I guess 🙂
I’ve read the book but I can’t remember if Chop described himself as overweight. It was set about twenty years ago so maybe he wasn’t then. Anyway, it doesn’t appear as though the producers were too concerned about physical likeness when they cast Richard, so padding or no may not be an issue. 🙂
I agree! I think Richard would have been chosen more his incredible acting abilities than his physical appearance – no matter how amazing that is! Oh, and BTW, I’m in total agreement with your assessment of the statue and all the accompanying examples of our modern day Kouros!! 😉 The back and side views are also worth studying! 🙂
How fitting that The Crucible is being performed “in the round” 🙂
🙂 “In the round.” Now those words conjure up all *kinds* of images!! 😉 Will people find it hard to remain in their seats when he is on the stage I wonder? I’m trying to come to terms with the fact that I will actually be in the UK for three weeks in September, (for the first time in 18 years) but only in London to change flights! 😦 So near and yet so far, as the saying goes. Breaks my heart to think about it. *wells up*
I think the kids refer to him as fat a few times, but anyone who ate regularly probably looked “fat” to those kids. I agree, I think that they are going for an over all East Leeds “look” rather than a literal physical resemblance.
Oh my……the similarity is amazing. 1649587325487596% on the Holy S%*t scale!
You got that right!!
Thank you for the lecture, prof Obscura (she said wiping caffeine drips from the computer screen)
I’m not a big fan of men’s legs too…but Richard’s are hard to ignore 😉
Definitely enough to make even the toughest leg cynic sit up and take notice 🙂
I have to admit, when I first met my husband, the most remarkable thing about his legs was a tattoo 🙂
one of my first posts in wordpress was a monologue (Ulysses) that I wrote just thinking in RA (voice, body, and so on…) Therefore when I’ve seen the title of this blog I just couldn’t help following it
Great post!
Thanks so much! Welcome to the madness!! 🙂
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