Greek&roman sculpture

Presented by: Bruce Black Art.com

This is the culmination of years of study and practice that began back during the ancient Greek periods.

A Brief Survey

Mycenaean Civilization: 1900 – 1100 B.C.E. The Dark Ages: 1100 – 800 B.C.E.

Archaic Age: 800 – 479 B.C.E.

Hellenic (Classical) Age: 479 – 323 B.C.E.

Hellenistic Age: 323 B.C.E. – 31 B.C.E.

Feudal Society Fortress-Palaces on Hilltops Skilled craftsmen, artists – ceramics,

metalwork (gold, bronze) Extensive trade, warfare in Eastern

Mediterranean Trojan War, ca. 1250 B.C.E.

Dorian Invasions (Greeks) destroy Mycenaean Civilization

Writing System, skilled craftsmen, artisans disappear

Contact with other Eastern Mediterranean cultures very limited.

Greek Culture begins to emerge Epic Poetry:

• Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey: ca. 800 B.C.E. Lyric Poetry:

• Sappho’s Poems: ca. 600 B.C.E. Architecture: The Doric Temple

• Temple of Hera at Paestum, ca. 560-550 B.C.E.• Temple of Aphaia, Aegina, 510 B.C.E.

Politics: • Cleisthenes est. democracy in Athens: 508

B.C.E.

Kouros – nude male statues Kore – clothed female statues

• A new emphasis on the beauty of human body

• Seem to have depicted human heroes; • Seem to have been used as memorials• Early Kouros show strong Egyptian influence

http://www.iub.edu/~c101/images/new-york-kouros.jpg

New York Kouros: ca. 615-590 B.C.E.New York Kouros: ca. 615-590 B.C.E.

Photo: Keith Schengili-Roberts

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image: Used by permission

Pharoah Menkaure and Chief Queen, ca. 2525Pharoah Menkaure and Chief Queen, ca. 2525 B.C.E. B.C.E.

http://faculty.evansville.edu/rl29/art105/img/greek_kore.jpg

Peplos Kore, Archaic Period, Limestone, ca. 600 B.C.E.

http://faculty.evansville.edu/rl29/art105/img/greek_kore.jpg

•Found on the Acropolis of Athens

•Egyptian pose modified; less rigid

•Missing left hand extended forward (not across chest)

•Right arm is bent forward slightly

•Hair is looser, less wig-like

•Clothing is not given much detail, but the shape of the body is more clearly depicted

•Archaic Smile/Facial Expression overall – more natural

•Made of marble

Modern Attempt at recreating original painted version of the Peplos Kore, Archaic Period

Cambridge University, www.chu.cam.ac.uk

•Chiton – blue garment visible near ankles•Peplos – red garment worn over chiton•Meniskos – umbrella-like head covering

http://www.iub.edu/~c101/images/anavyssos-kouros-color.jpg

Anavyssos Kouros: ca. 530 B.C.E.

Memorial to a young man named Kroisos who died in battle

Inscription on base of statue reads:“Stand and mourn for Kroisos now dead Whom wild Ares struck down at the battleline's head.”

Material: Parian marble

Severe StyleHigh classical style

Kritios Boy, Acropolis Museum in Athens, Marble, ca. 480 B.C.E.Classical/Severe Style

Photo: Marsyas, 2007 Wikipedia CommonsUsed by permission

Kritios Boy, detail

Photo: Marsyas, 2007 Wikipedia CommonsUsed by permission

• intended to convey nobility and dignity

• First phase of Greek classical sculpture

• Contrapposto (counterpoise): a posture that places the body's weight on one leg and uses the other leg as a support.

• Trend toward greater naturalism Muscles/anatomy skillfully represented;

• Slight tilt of the head and contrapposto undermine frontality

Attempted to represent motion

Attempted to represent ideal beauty

Marble copy of bronze original by Polykleitos

Polykleitos – developed a canon of beauty based on proportional relationships among body parts.

Example: the ideal ratio head/body size is 1/7.

Opposite arms and legs balance each other

Classical: Zeus Throwing a Lightning Bolt or Poseidon Throwinga Spear ca. 460 B.C.E. Bronze, 6’11” high

www.historyforkids.org

Melodrama & Motion

By [http://www.flickr.com/photos/antmoose/ antmoose] {{cc-by-2.0}} This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 License.

The Dying Gaul, ca. 230-220 B.C.E. Roman copy of bronze orig.

Public Domainhttp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Laocoon02.jpg

Laocoon and His Sons Attacked by Serpents (Hellenistic) 175-150 B.C.E. marble perhaps original)

Laocoon, Detail

Photo: Jastrow, 2003. PD: Selfhttp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Laocoon_Vatican_detail.jpg

Winged Victory of Samothrace/Nike of Samothrace

Marcus Aurelius, fragments of a bronze portrait, after 170 CE.

Photograph: Jastrow 2005. Used by permission.http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Marcus_Aurelius_frag_bronze.jpg

Marcus Aurelius - bust in the Louvre, ParisSource: English Wikipedia, original upload 4 June 2004 by ChrisO

Bust of Cato the Elder

Public domain image. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Cato.jpeg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Musei_Capitolini-testa_bronzea_di_Costantino-antmoose.jpg Photo by Anthony Majanlahti, June 4, 2005.Used by permission

Bronze head of Constantine I, Musei Capitolini, Rome. 4th c. C.E.

Head of the colossal marble statue of Constantine I, Musei Capitolini, Rome

Photographer: Markus Bernet Date: 07/10/2004 Used by permissionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Constantine_Musei_Capitolini.jpg

Presented by: Bruce Black Art.com