1. An idealized nude body from before the year 200 CE This is a nude sculpture of a young Hercules holding a lion pelt carved from marble in Early Roman Imperial Period during the Flavian Era. The subject of this piece is Hercules. One element that stands out is its scale—its larger than the average human, standing at over 8 feet. Another element that stands out is the texture; the curls in Hercules’ hair and the mane and face of the lion pelt almost look real despite being carved from stone. Although ideal beauty has changed throughout time, ideal male nudes in classical Western art are essentially young, strong, and handsome figures immortalized in poses demonstrating their athleticism, bravery, or heroic acts. This sculpture fulfills the clue because it depicts Hercules as a youthful, muscular figure standing in Contrapposto, showing that he is sound of both mind and body. It also has perfect proportions based on human measurements, and each body part counterbalances it’s opposite side, similar to Polykleitos’ Canon/Doryphoros. Like in many other ideal nudes, Hercules is depicted as a hero through his physique and actions. In this case, he is shown completing the first of his twelve labors. 2. A Greek or Roman architectural element This is a Greek Ionic column that was found at the Temple of Artemis at Sardis. It was made in the Hellenistic Period and stood at over fifty feet in its original location. The column has a fluted shaft and an ornate capital. The
The work of art discussed here is a piece called "Bronze Statuette of Cybele on a Cart Drawn by Lions." This particular piece is mostly a
Discovered in 1790 on Hadrian's Villa in Tivoli, Italy, Lansdowne Heracles is an iconic structure that has withstood the test of time. It is the statue of Greek hero Hercules (known as Herakles by the Greeks), and he is best known the Twelve Labours he carried out for King Euryntheus of Argos. Ancient artists usually portrayed Hercules as wearing or holding associated with these achievements, and this is why in The J. Paul Getty Museum the Lansdowne Heracles is shown holding a club and a lion’s skin, which was his first labour for the King. Another feature prominent in Lansdowne Heracles is that Hercules is always shown as being nude, and this is because historically in Greece, male nudity was considered the highest form of beauty. This is the reason most Greek statues are nude.
Finally, the last important observation that can be made is the details, but they are not ostentatious details. Typical of a Classical Greek sculpture (and of Polykleitos), this figure has many humanistic details. His hair is curled delicately and there is not a stray out of place, even with the fillet or band around his head. This alludes to a sense of youthfulness, handsomeness, and perhaps elegance. As previously mentioned, one can see the muscles in his torso and arms. You can also see his collar bones, his ribs, and his elbow bones. Upon close inspection, one can also notice his toenails and the tiny wrinkles in his belly button. However, most of the details are from his face. This statue does not have abstract features or the Archaic smile. His facial features are more pronounced: plump lips, high bridged nose, and lidded eyes. The emphasis on his features gives off a calm, loss-in-thought expression. Also emphasized by the slight tilt of his head, Diadoumenos is also looking away from the viewer; he seems to be staring at the cloth of the fillet he used to tie his head (the ends of the fillet band are not shown in the sculpture, because it is fragmented). However, he does not look too
This sculpture falls in the modern art category and the style is abstract expressionism. This sculpture is very large it is actually 110cm. The artist that created this sculpture was one of the many fine French Sculptors, he was one of the younger generation who started out as a Symbolist painter as well as a tapestry designer but he got an eye disease around the age of 40 and he had to give these things up but then found love for sculpting . This artist had a love for Greek sculpture but he rejected some of what it stood for. This piece of
Ancient sculptures bring on endless philosophical arguments regarding what is an appropriate form of perfection, defined as a fit body guided by a keen mind. This paper will approach a visual essence of the sculpture of The Lansdowne Athlete, by Lysippos, Rome 340-330 B.C. marble after a bronze original, that I viewed at the LACMA. This sculpture is located in the left wing of Greek exhibition Building, 3rd floor. I selected this sculpture as an example of an idealized body. Therefore, I will be explaining the historical background of the sculpture and address why I think it would make a good addition to our text. I will provide an analogy with other sculpture of idealized body from our textbook chapter 12 on “Mind and Body” mainly. I will impart more information about the essence of idealized human form as well as cultural ideals during this time period in Greece.
I chose this bronze sculpture because it reminded me of Aphrodite of Knidos in that in both sculptures, Aphrodite is depicted as naked but covering her genitalia with her hand. Women are normally shown as clothed in Ancient Greek art, but Aphrodite is the exception since she is commonly the only female figure presented in the nude. The sculpture is in references the cause of the Trojan war when Paris chose Aphrodite as the most beautiful goddess and given the apple she is shown holding as a prize. Aphrodite then gives Paris Helen in return.
I. This is a three-dimensional rectangular object with a massive lid that has a shape of a flat couch with two figures reclining on it. Even though both figures look alike and their faces are unfinished, they are slightly different. The figure in the front is a female. She has long hair, small breast, and a round face. The other figure is a male. He has a beard; details of his face are more masculine and angular. Both figures have long clothes. All four sides of the rectangle are carved. The back is not
Michelangelo's study of a reclining male nude was a sketch done in preparation for the painting on the Sistine Chapel's ceiling by Michelangelo. The drawing was made first and then red chalk was applied over the initial sketch. Some parts were sketched and researched until the artist felt they were right.
Greek art, especially sculpture, was a common way to explore and reach past the confines of mankind’s natural appearance be it through penises, huge muscles, or generalized unrealistic body standards. Hercules and the Hydra, a sculpture by Mathias Gasteiger, presents an image of masculinity through the expressive posture and form of Hercules once you look past those gleaming bronze pectorals, and into the intricate details of the piece.
The Marble Statue of a Bearded Hercules was made by an unknown sculptor at the Early Imperial, also known as the Flavian period in circa 68–98 A.D. By analyzing this sculpture, this goddess portrays strength and masculinity and gives acknowledgement to his legacy which resolved a conflict between individual and society. This work of art also expresses an idea of showing a powerful goddess figure and a symbol of demonstrating the political authority of a leader. According to the Greek myths, Hercules was proven to be a legendary for his quality and courage; he experienced malevolent wraths and excessive fearlessness. He is a good hero overall, but he also has
The Statue of Asklepios is a classic Greek sculpture that portrays a person of the most perfect and athletic form. The piece is of a man standing beautifully while draped in a toga. The toga is draped over his left shoulder and cuts across to the right side of his body near his lower abdomen and then continues to cover his legs until his ankle. The toga also is draped over the pieces entire back. The piece is missing his head, his left arm and both his right foot and almost its entire right arm. The piece has a smooth, but not glossy, exterior in all of the areas except for the parts that have been broken off. Asklepios is portrayed as an incredible fit and beautiful being. The abdomen is extremely muscular and shows off the miraculous fitness of the model. The toga has many wrinkles, creating a lot of shadow and darks and lights. It also is wrapped in a way that is both loose and tight in different areas of the sculpture. It is tied right next to the left pectoral and the left armpit. This piece emphasizes the muscular body of this man while at the same time portraying him standing in such a nonchalant way through the curvature and relaxed look of the figure. And unlike the Torso of a God, this piece clearly shows movement through the shape of the body and the folds of the toga because
The reading claims that nudes throughout artistic history have been an important source of beauty and controversy. Nudes began to spike during the Baroque period as they were used for the more expressive and emotional arts of the time. In the nineteenth century, nudes became more common, yet became more sensitive. Artists would train by drawing nudes of ancient Greek statues and figures from myth. However, many artists would then move on to create works depicting prostitutes or peasant naked women. This would not please patrons as they were extremely societally taboo. However, this did not start artists from making them, as they moved into the twentieth and twenty-first century. This shows the importance of artistic nudes and their impact
Renaissance art very commonly depicts women in many ways indicative of sexuality, specifically in regards to nudity and eroticism. Women in renaissance art were normally shown as sexual and often erotic beings specifically in their positioning which is indicative of one of the main sources of female power at the time, sexual, as proven by the high status of courtesans and larger social acceptance towards sex – while seen as a sin, it was still an activity most took part in. However, at the same time, this promoted a female beauty standard and a conventional view that female power lies predominantly in their sexuality. In this paper specifically, I will focus on this phenomena in three prominent paintings: The Birth of Venus by Botticelli, Danae by Titian, and the Portrait of Simonetta Vespucci by Piero di Cosimo.
I found myself to be really intrigued with the way the Tuareg people communicate when approaching a stranger in the first article "Greetings in the Desert". The description of the steps the Tuareg people have to go through when meeting a stranger in the desert makes the way we meet people here in the United States seem so simple. I am sure they do not have to look down at a cheat sheet to remember all the proper steps they must go through though, because this is a normal part of their culture. Just like how I do not have to think especially hard about what to ask someone when first meeting them because I have grown up learning this form of communication here in the U.S. I found the importance of someones name to be the most fascinating aspect
As with previous works Hercules is easily identified due to his attributes and conventional iconography. He is displayed wearing the Nemean Lions hide from his head draping down and towards his waist, a symbol of his victory over the beast and his talents. Not only does the lions skin atone to Hercules power and success as a hero but it also helps to create a sense of movement in the painting. A new addition here which has not been seen in the previous works is Hercules club, the choice of a mortal weapon suggests that Hercules strength alone is enough to defeat the many-headed monster. Some believe that Pollaiuolo was one of the first artists to begin to combine classical subject in conjunction with classical form.