The Inauguration of the New Acropolis Museum

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.

Ancient Greek and Roman culture left numerous magnificent monuments that attest to the architectural skill of these two civilizations. These monuments remain standing until today which is a good evidence on their knowledge of how to choose building materials, make building formulas, how to design, and other secrets of how to build strong buildings that last for centuries.

This paper will focus on the Statue of Dionysos leaning on a female figure. Also known as the Hope Dionysos. The statue is displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art and is located on the first floor Roman and Greek art chamber. Upon entering this sector, you will notice a grand statue that catches your eyes and captivates you as it welcomes you in gracefully. The exhibition is set up in the back center of the room, and is noticeable due to the largeness in scale and the enigmatic yet calming disposition the statue portrays. My first impression of the sculpture was how detailed and realistic the statue is. Since the statue was so defined you would be able to identify what he was wearing and how his body was shaped to how long his hair was during this time period. I was profoundly intrigued by how peaceful the statue of Dionysos embodied and found myself coming back to it and looking in awe. In curiosity, I would choose this statue for my assignment because I wanted to learn more about the history of the Hope Dionysos. In this essay I will be describing my formal analysis of the artwork, the subject matter behind it, the artist and the historical content of the statue of Dionysos.

The cultural artifact that I propose to study is a bust of Queen Nefertiti, who was the Royal Wife of the Pharaoh Akhenaten. The bust is said to be painted with stucco-coated limestone, created in 1345 B.C by Thutmose who was a talented sculptor. The bust was discovered in 1912 in Thutmose’s workshop by Ludwig Borchardt and his archaeological team. The bust had many owners in Germany throughout the years, however, it is currently on display at the Neues Museum in Berlin. The Nefertiti bust is a cultural phenomenon, especially for ancient Egypt as well as Berlin. Germany had the bust for over a century now and it has been their pride and joy. The argument between Egypt and Germany over the bust has been going on for decades. Egypt believes that the bust belongs to them and that it was taken

On the first floor of the Met Museum is the Greek and Roman Art. The Greek and Roman section has hundreds of art work ranging from the Neolithic period to Roman Emperor Constantine. In the Greek and Roman section there is many portraits and sculptures including the statue of Emperor Augustus, the statue of Aphrodite, and the Marble female figure. The sculptures in this section range in different shapes, sizes and colors and are made with a variety of materials. The sculptures depict emperors, Kings, Queens, Gods and Goddesses of the time. Much of the statues in this section are missing key parts such as arms, legs and the head due to the fact that they were damaged before being bought to the museum. The statue in this section that caught my attention the most was the Marble Statue of Aphrodite. This is a statue of Aphrodite, who is the Greek Goddess of love, beauty pleasure and

First of all, the sculpture will fill our lives with the beauty of art as citizens. For example, “the History of Public Art” article gives a background on ancient greek statues and temples, and it states that the “structures helped unite the citizens of the communities of which they stood by providing a concrete focus for national identity and pride” (The History of Public Art). For

When examining the statue, there is an old woman bent and weary. Her posture helps clue us in , with her age and health. The figure is dressed in cloth that hangs off her shoulders. She carries a basket that is filled with what we may think are offerings. Then on her head, there are vines that create a band around the top of her head maybe 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 this period, artist begin to introduce more inner beauty than physical beauty. We get to learn more about the structure itself, then settle for what is given and seen.

Comparison Essay CA painter &Amphora with Nike and Youth Myths and monument / LO1 - 232 Fall 2017 Zihan Zhong The greek pottery has a wide range of type and style, especially the vase. The painted vessels show us the greek art’s history and let us know more about the ancient Greeks’ mind and life. CA painter’s bell krater is a large earthenware with painting around its center part. As a bell shape vase, it has a large opening and a round body.

Cleveland Museum of Art (Ohio) has in its collection a very valuable piece – an Athenian neck-amphora produced in c. 550 – 500 BC. The vase was executed in the black-figure technique, and it is attributed to Antimenes Painter. The amphora is richly decorated. One part represents Herakles and the lion between Iolaos holding club and Athena with Boeotian shield. The other part features Dionysos standing with satyrs and maenads. I like the amphora very much, especially its decoration and an interesting subject matter.

There are a number of art and architectural features found in the Athenian Agora, Kerimeikos and the Acropolis. The Agora or market place has a number of buildings such as the Tholos, The Eponymous Heroes and the Strategion. The Kerimeikos or Ceramicus was the potters ' quarter of the city, from which the word "ceramic" is derived, and was also the site of an important cemetery and numerous funerary sculptures erected around the area. The Acropolis had many major buildings, the most prominent of them being the Parthenon and the Temple of Athena Nike. An evaluation of primary and secondary literary sources gives insight into the main purposes of the buildings and the art within such as pottery and sculptures found within the context of these sites. To an extent the art and architecture in these sites reflect the significant cultural practices and beliefs of the ancient Athenians as it gives insight into what they truly valued.

With the rise of Alexander the Great and the empires of the Hellenistic period, the Greek world dramatically changed. No longer did the average citizen’s life play a role in the administration and leadership of the state. This shift in the citizen’s importance shines through the sculptures of the Hellenistic period as other facets of the human experience began to dominate the minds of the average Greek. The habitat of man was no longer the polis as Greece was dominated by the empires of the Hellenistic period. Throughout this essay, I will go through different Greek sculptures and discern how they represent a changed Greece

Imports of precious metals and animal friezes were found in the Athens cemeteries and were indicative of Eastern influence (Biers 128). Athen’s blacksmith’s skill can be seen in their use of gold foil shaped, as well as, gold jewelry found in a graves such as one from 850 in Athenian agora (Biers 127). Another find in the Athens cemetery of Kerameikos were the ivory female figurines with four other statuettes in the 3rd quarter of the 8th century. These figurines were imitations of eastern figures but Greeks placed their geometric flare onto the naturalistic style (Biers

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.

Athens, sometime around 50 A.D. You find yourself in one of the greatest cultural and philosophical centers of the world, making it comparable to a visit to Boston or Oxford (Mare 196). Though its glory has gradually faded since its founding, the city retains its beauty. Certainly the lush, green trees and the rocky outcrops in the city would be attractive to you. But what draws your focus the most is the brilliant architecture of the city’s buildings. Several temples dot the landscape, two of which demand your attention: the Hephaesteum, a building dedicated to the god Hephaestus (or Vulcan), and the Parthenon, a building dedicated to Athena (Arnold 384). The former enlightens the entrance of the city, while the latter stands atop the

After looking at the vast antique collection found in the Sir John Soanes’s Museum, London, I was able to identify with 2 objects that I felt had the most interest to me. Found in the Colonnade and Dome room, I will compare and contrast the statue of Apollo Belvedere, a Greek god originally made from bronze and discovered in Rome in the late 15th century. The second is a statue of the Ephesian Diana, an Egyptian sculpture derived of marble. There are a number of statues replicating the pagan goddess, Artemis from Ephesus and can be found dating back to the first and second centuries AD. The one depicted above from the Soane museum dates back to 2nd century AD, and the head turreted crown indicates this.