Sculpture of Ancient Greece: Difference between revisions

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	The '''sculpture of Ancient Greece''' is by far the most important surviving form of ], although only a small fragment of Greek sculptural output has survived. Greek sculpture, often in the form of Roman copies, was immensely influential during the ], and remained the “classic” model for European sculpture until the advent of ] in the late 19th century.

	The Greeks decided at a very early period that the human form was the most important subject for artistic endeavour. Since they saw their gods as having human form, there was no distinction between the sacred and the secular in art — the human body was both secular and sacred. A male nude could just as easily be ] or ] or that year's current Olympic boxing champion. In the Archaic Period the most important sculptural form was the ] (plural ''kouroi''), the standing male nude (See for example ]). The ] (plural ''korai''), or standing female figure, was also common, but since Greek society did not permit the public display of female nudity until the fourth century BC, the kore is considered to be of less importance in the development of sculpture.

	As with pottery, the Greeks did not produce sculpture merely for artistic display. Statues were commissioned either by aristocratic individuals or by the state, and used for public memorials, as offerings to temples, ]s and sanctuaries (as is frequently shown by inscriptions on the statues), or as markers for graves. In the Archaic period, statues were never intended to be representations of actual individuals. They were depictions of an ideal — beauty, piety, honour or sacrifice. They were always depictions of young men, ranging in age from adolescence to early maturity, even when placed on the graves of (presumably) elderly citizens. ''Kouroi'' were all stylistically similar. Gradations in the social importance of the person commissioning the statue were indicated by size rather than artistic innovation.

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	In the Classical period there was a revolution in Greek statuary, usually associated with the introduction of ] and the end of the aristocratic culture associated with the ''kouroi''. The Classical period saw changes in both the style and function of sculpture. Poses became more naturalistic (see the ] for an example of the transition to more naturalistic sculpture), and the technical skill of Greek sculptors in depicting the human form in a variety of poses greatly increased. From about ] statues began to depict real people. The statues of ] set up in Athens to mark the overthrow of the ] were said to be the first public monuments to actual people.

	In this period statuary was put to wider uses. The great public buildings of the Classical era, such as the ] in Athens, created the need for decorative statuary, particularly to fill the triangular fields of the ]s: a pop aesthetic and technical challenge that did much to stimulate sculptural innovation. Unfortunately such sculptures survive only in fragments, the most famous of which are the ], now mostly in the ].

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	Funeral statuary evolved during this period from the rigid and impersonal kouros of the Archaic period to the highly personal family groups of the Classical period. These monuments are commonly found in the suburbs of Athens, which in ancient times were cemeteries on the outskirts of the city. Although some of them depict "ideal" types — the mourning mother, the dutiful son — they increasingly depicted real people, typically showing the departed talking his dignified leave from his family. They are among the most intimate and affecting remains of the Ancient Greeks.

	It was also around this period that the formula for a statue began to change with ]. He introduced a new formula that would change how the human body was sculptured. He did this by using a new system of bodily proportions, realistic facial features, and smoother skin. His most famous statue is the ], or ] and many copies were found in Roman gymnasiums because of the ideal athletic body that the sculpture depicts.

	In the Classical period for the first time we know the names of individual sculptors. ] was artistic director of the Parthenon project. ] made the female nude a respectable subject for the first time in the Late Classical period (mid 4th century); his ], of which copies survive, was said by ] to be the greatest statue in the world. Praxiteles is also known for his creation of a statue of Hermes and the baby Dionysus. Although there is a lot of debate as to whether or not this statue is his original or a Roman copy. In both of these statues he uses a technique that the italians refer to as ] or smooth skin. In this statue the muscles of the grown Hermes are not as pronouced as other statues.

	The greatest works of the Classical period, the ] and the ] (both executed by Phidias or under his direction), are lost, although smaller copies and good descriptions of both still exist. Their size and magnificence made them a target for imperial acquisition in the ] period, and both were removed to ] where they were later destroyed in fires.

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	The transition from the Classical to the Hellenistic period occurred during the 4th century. Following the conquests of ] (] to ]), Greek culture spread across the known world as far as ]. Thus it became more diverse and more influenced by the cultures of the peoples drawn into the Greek orbit. In the view of most art historians, it also declined in quality and originality; this, however, is a subjective judgement which artists and art-lovers of the time would not have shared. New centres of Greek culture, particularly in sculpture, developed in ], ], ], and other cities. By the 2nd century the rising power of ] had also absorbed much of the Greek tradition — and an increasing proportion of its products as well.

	During this period sculpture became more and more naturalistic. Common people, women, children, animals and domestic scenes became acceptable subjects for sculpture, which was commissioned by wealthy families for the adornment of their homes and gardens. Realistic portraits of men and women of all ages were produced, and sculptors no longer felt obliged to depict people as ideals of beauty or physical perfection. At the same time, the new Hellenistic cities springing up all over ], ], and ] required statues depicting the gods and heroes of Greece for their temples and public places. This made sculpture, like pottery, an industry, with the consequent standardisation and some lowering of quality. For these reasons many more Hellenistic statues have survived than is the case with the Classical period.

	Some of the best known Hellenistic sculptures are the ] (2nd or 1st century BC), the statue of ] from the island of ] known as the ] (mid 2nd century BC), the ] (about ]), and the monumental group ] (late 1st century BC). All these statues depict Classical themes, but their treatment is far more sensuous and emotional than the austere taste of the Classical period would have allowed or its technical skills permitted.

	Hellenistic sculpture was also marked by an increase in scale, which culminated in the ] (late 3rd century), which was the same size as the ]. The combined effect of earthquakes and looting have destroyed this as well as other very large works of this period.

	==See also==
	*The Hermes of Praxiteles<br>
	Gisela M. A. Richter<br>
	American Journal of Archaeology, Vol. 35, No. 3. (Jul. - Sep., 1931), pp. 277-290.

⚫	*Remarks ~~concerning~~ Greek sculpture~~<br>~~
	Carl Blumel<br>
	American Journal of Archaeology, Vol. 35, No. 3. (Jul. - Sep., 1931), pp. 269-276.

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Latest revision as of 16:36, 19 May 2007

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Ancient Greek sculpture