The Greek Model

Polykleitos and the “Canon of Proportions” Derived from the Greek word Kanon meaning to measure, rule, or law, Greece’s Polykleitos discusses the ideal mathematical proportions for the parts of the human body and proposes for sculptures of the human figure a dynamic counter balance in his The Canon (Janser). The aim of Polykleitos’ The Canon was to explain the statue Doryphoros through the beauty and perfection it entailed. Polykleitos revealed that the secret of achieving beauty lies in the symmetry of all the parts of the statue to one another and to the whole (Farber). Through The Canon, seen in Doryphoros, Polykleitos not only set the standard for the perfect human form in High Classical Greece, but like the domino effect set the standard

The primary focus of ancient Greek sculptures was that of the human body. Almost all Greek sculptures are of nude subjects. As the first society to focus on nude subjects, Greek sculptors attempted to "depict man in what they believed was the image of the gods and so would come to celebrate the body by striving for verisimilitude or true – likeness (realism and naturalism!)."(Riffert) Not only did the Greeks celebrate the human form in their art but also in everyday life. (Riffert) One of the favorite topics for sculptors was that of the athlete. In Greek culture athletes were described as "hero–athletes". (Riffert) This shows that athletes were revered and looked upon as heroes. The influence

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.

Their hairs were styled with long spiral tresses, and the snail curls over their forehead are favored for male figures. Kouros from Anavysos is a Greek sculpture while Augustus of Primaporta is a Roman sculpture. Both Roman and Greek are quite common in terms of their architecture and art, but when it comes down to the smaller details, they become distinctly different. Greeks are very influential and idealism.

Hellenistic art was engaged more on perfection of the human frame, accuracy and detail. Models from Greek times looked more God-like than human. Hellenic art depended on the new thought of authenticity. Hellenic figures were molded into sensible, blamed human structures. Art in the Hellenic world art epitomized richness, cheerful nature, and coarse with. Marble statues and reliefs described human greatness and sensuality. Art in Hellenistic world emphasize extraordinary naturalism and unashamed luxury. Art in Hellenistic and Hellenic showed feelings and other components filled with different

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

One last piece of art that shows a significant transformation in the geometric period is the sculpture of Hero and Centaur pictured on the right. It is considered geometric because it is small in scale and the figures have simple stylized shapes. You see again the small torso on the animal-like figure and on the human figure that is shown nude and anatomically correct. The animal figure is actually human in the front and horse in the back with legs on both ends belonging to a different species. This was an animal-human monster the Greek invented called the centaur and the sculpture reveals the scene of a hero battling a centaur depicting an early example of the mythical narrative (Herakles and Nessos). The significance of the earlier mentioned style of painting and this sculpture design is that it marked a turning point from the geometric period into the oriental period because now mythical creatures/monsters are introduced, the natural beauty of the human figure is reintroduced, and the art of storytelling is revived.

This technique, used by Greek sculptors for the head and other parts of the statue began as early as the Archaic Period. ( The period in Greek history lasting from the eighth century BC to 480 BC, post Greek Dark Ages and succeeded by the Classical period.) The work has many signs of damage and decay, among these are missing body parts such as the capital and the right wing. The surface is worn down, although still shows clear creases and details throughout the texture of the piece. The head, wings, and the drapery were carved separately before the work as a whole was eventually assembled. The wings were attached with no external support and it's a marvel that one is still managing to adhere

Ancient Greece is famous for its cultural advances, particularly the art. Hellenistic is the last phase of Ancient Greek art, and is essential for the evolution of western art. The Dying Gaul is a typical example of Hellenistic sculptures, dated 230-220 BCE. We are unsure of who made it, but Epigonos – the court sculptor of Attalid Dynasty – was believed to be the one.

When examining the statue, there is an old woman bent and weary. Her posture helps clue us in, with her age and the state of her health. The figure is dressed in cloth that drapes off her body as she carries a basket that is filled with what we may think are offerings. On her head, there are vines that create a band around the top of her head used to signify the festival that was going on during that time. The specific detail that is seen on this statue persuades us to want to know the story of this woman. Doing so, the process involves lots of research about the time and art. During the hellenistic period, artists begin to introduce more inner beauty than physical beauty. There is an opportunity to learn more about the structure itself, then settle for what is given and seen.

making sculptors of real people not just gods or animals. And they made it symmetrical

Shaquetta Marshall Greek Figurative Sculpture Why was change so important during the different periods of Ancient Greek art? That's a question that can easily be answered through research on Greek art but actually understanding the flow of change within the different periods allows people to grasp the enticing change of the artworks. The idea of change simply gives artists a way to express themselves, not only for attracting the eye to unique wonders in the world that occurred, but to also give a sense of idealism. Artistic figures in Ancient Greek art were made by artists that created the figures based off of the ideal human form and how they believe artwork should be made within that period. The artwork was not made to be understood literally,

The overall all renditions are block-like and sculpted with geometric reduction of details. The anatomy is made up of planes, completely symmetrical. The hair, ears, and eyes have been reduced to simple shapes – again, all identically symmetrical. Kouros is depicted nude, symbolic of Archaic Greece's emphasis on the ideal individual male and autonomous Greek citizen. In contrast, Aphrodite is a considerably large female (7 feet tall and substantially wider than the Kouros). Given the larger than real-life scale, this statue probably served as a cult image in a temple. The statue's excellent state of conservation also suggests that it was kept indoors. It is free standing but also in an anatomical, not just mechanical sense. The pose is full and rounded, not solely frontal. You get a sense of the body being relaxed, with one hand extended in a gesture that gives a sense of it moving forward.

Ancient Greek stands in an important position in the art history. Ancient Greek art proper emerged during the eigth century BCE. Classical and Hellenistic period are the most impressive eras of Greece. There are many values of Greek 's culture become the fundamental tenets of today 's western civilization. Greeks created the concept of democracy and make a huge contributions in the fields of science, literature and art. Ancient Greece 's art and architecture also have a strong influential to western society. Moreover, the Greeks made their gods into humans and their humans into gods. The perfect individual became the Greek ideal and the portrayal of beautiful humans became the focus of many of the greatest Greek artists. Greek ideal is one of the most important cultures of Greece and it also has a great influence of Greek religion, philosophy and society. The art work of Archaic, Classical and Hellenistic Period have shown that Greek has achieved their lofty goals in many aspects of their civilization.

Marble, limestone, bronze, terra-cotta, wood and a combination of gold and ivory known as chryselephantine were mediums of ancient Greek sculptures used in the fifth century BCE. Statues were often adorned with pearl, gold, jewels and accessories to give them a more vivid appearance. Most statues were of male men athletes (naked), entities and mythological creatures such as centaurs. Many statues of significant figures were created after their death. Interest in the female nude body (divinity) later became more popular amongst Greek sculptors. In the fourth century, characterization came into play. Characterization focused on creating sculptures that were of no real person.