Essay on Statue in Marble

Lastly, in 440BC, Myron created the ‘Athena and Marsyas’ sculpture. This shows great development of sculpture as an art form through how, while the change from The Kritios Boy to the Doryphorus shows more realistic changes,

The ancient Greeks believed in a strong mind and a strong body. Their celebration of the physical beauty and ability of the human body can be seen in their sculpture, writings, and sporting events. The physical beauty of the human body is shown in the marble sculpture “Kraisos” (Benton and DiYanni 64). The sculpture shows a male with a defined muscular mid-section, broad shoulders, and thick legs. There is more detail and a more natural appearance in this sculpture compared to a similar statue from approximately 60 years earlier. The face of the sculpture is realistic and the left foot is forward, as seen in Egyptian sculpture. The art of thought was established by the philosophers of ancient

Greek culture is the source from which many of the characteristic elements of Western culture derive. Their explorations and innovations in art have both fascinated and inspired other civilizations for centuries. For this assignment I chose two Greek sculptures viewed at the Getty Museum. The first is Kouros circa 530 B.C. made of Dolomitic marble from Thasos and is approximately 200 cm (80 in) in height. The second is Cult Statue of a Goddess, (most likely Aphrodite) South Italy, 425 - 400 B.C. made of Limestone and marble. It stands at a height of 220 cm (86 5/8 in). There is some dispute to the authenticity of the Getty Kouros

Throughout the history of art, the human body and figure has captivated both artisans and their audiences. This can be said especially of the Greeks and their sculptures. Even from the earliest periods, Greeks motivation for the search of the ideal human body can be seen through the sculpture Metropolitan Kouros (c 120-50 BCE), created in the Archaic period and said to be found in Attica, Ancient Greece (Richter 1931, p. 220). However, it is not until High Classical period that they truly achieve their goal with Polykleitos’ The Spear Bearer (c. 120-50 BCE) or the Doryphoros (its Greek name). The sculpture, found in a Palestra in Pompeii, Italy is said to be the epitome of perfection during its period. Although there is exquisite rendering and beauty in both sculptures, there are also a vast number of differences that make each work unique.

The study of Greek sculpture is a complex relationship of Roman sculpture. And a large number of Roman sculpture, especially in the stone, survives more or less intact, it is often damaged or piecemeal; life-size bronze statues are much more rare, because as most have been recycled for their metal. The

Phidias’s piece titled Relief of a Falling Warrior (Roman, 2nd Century A.D.) represents a wounded warrior collapses to the ground after being struck from behind in the Trojan War (Google Arts & Culture). The relief sculpture is created in Roman Republic by the famous Greek sculptor Phidias, also known as Pheidias. He was a Greek sculpture, painter, Architect, and is often credited as the main creator of the Classical Greek sculptural design. The Relief of a Falling Warrior statue stood inside the Parthenon on the Acropolis in Athens. (Art) A series of panels copying figures were found commissioned for Roman buyers, however, the shipment sank in Piraeus, Athens' harbor where they were

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.

In Anavysos, Greece a statue of a Kouros was discovered dedicated to Kroisos. Kouros statues were male figures also known as “youths” that were erected on graves as a gift for the gods and as a marker for these graves. None of the statues were identical however you could see that the all had the same base image to be formed from. This particular one was in honor of Kroisos who died a very noble death in battle in the front lines so his family erected this statue. This piece is dated circa 530BCE and is 6’ 4” high carved from marble. This

Polykleitos stood as a renowned Greek sculptor who functioned in the field of bronze; he was as well an art philosopher who established a canon of ratio that is validated in his sculpture of Doryphoros. Numerous of Polykleitos' bronze figurines from the Classical era, as well as the Doryphoros, live on only as Roman replicas implemented in marble. Polykleitos, in the company of Phidias, is rumored to have generated the elegance standard in Classical Greek figurine. Additional sample of Polykleitos' canon at functioning is comprehended in his figurine of Diadumenos, an early stages attempting on a circlet, as well as his sculpture Discophoros, a round bearer. In cooperation Roman marble replicas represent muscular, nude male features. The frames

Doryphoros by Polykleitos was originally a Greek bronze made around 450-40B.C. The only way we can see it today is through the Roman marble copies (which is common of many Greek statues.) Some supports had to be added for the change in material, resulting in the addition of the form resembling a tree trunk, the support on the left foot, and the small bar bridging the gap between his right wrist and hip. Doryphoros was originally holding a spear in his left hand; appropriate, given that his name means, literally, “spear-bearer.” The sculpture is a well-known and early example of classical Greek contrapposto (the shifting of weight onto one leg and off-axis shoulders and arms.) One leg nearly appears to be lifting off the ground, giving the

Charles Champoiseau uncovered pieces of masterfully worked Parian marble in April of 1863.1 On Samothraki, the island from which Poseidon is said to have watched the fall of Troy, these segments of stone came together to form four main sections: a torso, a headless bust, a section of drapery, and a wing.2 The sections were shaped to be assembled though the use of cantilevering and metal dowels, allowing the sculptor to extend beyond medium’s gravitational limitations (fig. 2). Just one year later, the pieces were assembled (and those missing were remodeled), and the Greek goddess Nike was revealed at the Louvre.

By observing this figure, the first observation one might notice from Diadoumenos is his ideal body. As a Classical Greek sculpture, Diadoumenos is completely nude and his body is very realistic and proportional; he looks like an actual human being and if one blink, he/she can miss a twitch of movement. His body is also solidly-built; one can see his abdominal muscles, and the muscles in his arms. There are even details in his ribs and the skin around the knees to make him look more realistic. Although Diadoumenos appears very human, he is the idealized version of the human male. Classical Greek artists were heavily focused on the realism and bodily proportions of the human body to the point of idealism; this means they created sculptures of

Greeks during this time worked on depicting the human body in their sculptures but as time progressed the focus would shift according to that period. “The Classical Moment and Beyond” discusses three different time periods starting at the Archaic, the High Classical, and The late Classical and how the Greeks style progress during the eras. The Archaic period were overdramatic sculptures for example Croesus rather than being portrayed realistically is shown younger, heroic and with smile which is particular to this period. The high classical period first shows the shift in mediums as sculpture were created from bronze which allowed for greater detail. The Doryphoros was created by Polykleitos to show the ideal proportions for the human form,

The sculpture Doryphoros was created by an artist that goes by the name of Polykleitos. Now, Polykleitos’ sculpture was made during the Early Classical Period, but it was merely a copy that was found in Pompeii in 450-440 BCE. The original has been lost and it is thought to have been under the rubble of the eruption of a volcano. I have also found sites saying the original is located is the Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli. So, I have had some confusion on distinguishing between the original and this copy. The biggest difference between this one and the original is he is assumed to be holding a spear in his left hand and draping it over his left shoulder.

This interest in the order of nature eventually evolved into a fascination with the human form and the idea of human perfection. The way in which the perfect human form was portrayed by Greek artists was of a highly intellectual nature. The early sculptors of the period explored basic human anatomy and its aesthetic value, creating such sculptures as the Kritios Boy, of the Acropolis. The precision and realism of this sculpture captured a more accurate portrayal of the human form than ever before seen. This accomplishment in itself showed strong advancements in intellectual thought, and inspired future generations to further explore aesthetic and order. Artist such as Polyclitius later envisioned human perfection as a series of mathematical proportions. The