Hercules And Antaeus: Ancient Greek Art During The Italian Renaissance

The two concepts, idealism and realism merge together to form the concept of idealistic-realism. Idealism in art, is the poetization and spirituatualzation of a theme, belief and ethos, realism on the other hand is the act of recreating any scene, object or action in the form art. The concept of idealism at a deeper glance is the comprehension of the idea or ideal created by the artist, and was the foundation of all great Greek and Renaissance art. Augustus of Prime Porta is a great example of the peaceful co-existence of idealism and realism, since the sculpture is ideal and conceptual in its composition and realistic in its execution.

One of the most memorable and important pieces of architect from the Hellenistic Greek era would be the Altar of Zeus at Pergamon in western Turkey. The altar was commissioned in the first half of the second century (166- 156 BC) during the rule of King Eumenes II or Attalos II to commemorate territorial victories over Pontos and Bithynia. The Altar was also dedicated to Zeus and Athena in gratitude for their help in the war against the Galatians (aka: barbarians) that were threatening the Pergamane Empire from the east. The Altar of Zeus is very well known for its very grand design and also for it’s frieze, which wraps 370 feet around the base of the altar, depicting gigantomachy (the struggle between gods and the giants).

Each artistic style can be influenced by the previous period of time or the artist’s personal preferences. There are also many similar themes of athletic sculptures that were made in the different periods. In order to understand the similarities and differences in artistic styles and the meaning behind the sculptures, it is helpful to compare works of two periods, the Greek Hellenistic period and the early Italian Renaissance. The two sculptures are Seated Boxer from the Greek Hellenistic period and David by Donatello from the early Italian Renaissance. The meaning behind each sculpture is somewhat different. One reflects Greek idealism while the other one reflects a symbol of civic pride

The qualities that make an epic hero are strength, courage a strong mentality, and the aspiration to achieve heroic acts. Many heroes are considered role models as they make brave decisions attempting to do something extraordinary. Heroes often fight against the causes of evil as they try to make the environment a better place. Hercules (son of Zeus) is one of the many known Gods to Greek mythology. He is supernatural and immortal. The hero has extraordinary strength, being the strongest man on earth he is sometimes he is unaware of the power he posses, Hercules is invulnerable. Although worshiped as a God, he was properly a hero.

Though he may be ridiculously unintelligent and emotionally unstable, he had a burning passion for justice and making things right. No matter how many people he had accidently killed, he always made it right by doing more and more good deeds. He was constantly working to become the best man he could. Though he couldn’t think properly, he was a man of his word. Hercules and Theseus both did great deeds, but Hercules just achieved more because of his strength. His strength isn’t what makes him great; but it is what he does with his strength plus his

Many know about the idea of the "monomyth," or the hero's journey as an outline for many of our modern books, movies, t.v. series, etc. Joseph Campbell's definition for the hero's journey is, "the quintessential (or best example) of an archetypal myth." The Disney film Hercules is one of the best examples of Joseph Campbell's monomyth.

The ultimate purpose of the art object until the Hellenistic period is to be a figure of human perfection and the Ideal, most commonly in the form of a ruler or a deity via body politics. Anatomy and physiology of the statue or relief is often used to further the pancultural concepts of the Ideal as opposed to the physical representation of a specific, imperfect person. The conept itself speaks volumes about the culture from which it originates, and what that culture valued most of its people and of their lives. However, as the centuries thundered by and civilizations rose and fell, there is a clear shift in the artist’s attitude towards his or her art, and the artist begins to wean away from an aesthetic realm of perfection to the portrayal of a specific

The word “hero” usually brings to mind a knight slaying a dragon or a firefighter rescuing someone from a burning building. But does one have to save a life to be considered a hero? Oftentimes, we assume that heroism is limited to physical bravery. This term, however, implies the notion of helping and inspiring others: a teacher cultivating a love for learning or a paraplegic Olympian reaching out to youth with disabilities.

Sculpture was one of the most popular forms of art in the ancient world. In cultures all around the globe, from Mayan culture to Roman, relief sculpture could portray the most significant aspects from said cultures. In this specific example, Stele D Portraying Ruler 13 (Copan, Honduras, 736 CE, Mayan) and the Column of Trajan (Forum of Trajan, Rome, Italy, High Empire), both portray significant rulers from their times, as well as fundamental narratives detailing occurrences in the times.

Heroism is sometimes an essential part of humanity, though those who possess it are rare. How can we have heros if every individual is capable of exceptional leadership and skill? The story The Odyssey, written by Homer and translated by Robert Fitzgerald, is a tale of wandering for a character named Odysseus. Throughout his journey he begins to understand the meaning of sacrifice, learn the characteristics of wisdom, and truly discover what it means to be relentlessly determined. He often comes face to face with the wrath of Greek Gods, but always discovers a way in which he can return home as well as protect his beloved crewmates. Any reader should be able to take away the lessons being taught, as well as received, by a brave leader like

The ancient Romans and Greeks both began their legacy as a city-state; both of them are Mediterranean cities. Ancient Rome and ancient Greece both played a huge role in historic dynasty yet they are both different. Ancient Greece came to light after researches were made. The empire of Athens only lasted 5 years, where Rome 's empire lasted 500 years. Sculptures, paintings and architecture differ in each civilization.

When one hears the word hero he or she would most likely think of the fictional, comic book superheroes. However, heroes are not limited to just comic books and actually do exist in real life. They may not have laser-vision or shape-shifting abilities; but instead they possess valuable assets that label them as both inspirational and influential. Yet, overall, there is no clear-cut definition of a hero and, the definition varies for each individual. In actuality, heroes come in countless forms and generally speaking, have a positive impact in either one or numerous lives, and, A Lesson Before Dying, by Ernest J. Gaines, demonstrates how everyone has the opportunity to be a hero.

The Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius is in Greco-Roman style. It’s statue in the round; it has dominant shapes that are round and realistic. This sculpture strived to make it as realistic as possible; soft yet strong features are represented. For example, Marcus face is stern yet shows emotions

The renaissance was a time of many different improvements and changes to the era previous to it, the medieval ages, the renaissance re-introduced many different Roman and Greek traditional aspects, so much so that renaissance literally translates into “rebirth” in French. Other changes include social such as the rise of humanism and humanist beliefs, secularism, individualism, big changes in mathematical studies, sciences and all types of learning in general, the printing press invention, as well as religious changes, and the arts were also affected and changed with techniques such as chiaro-scuro, perspective, sfumato, and further more to be explained. The renaissance started in the end of the 14th century and ended in the 17th century.

The bust of Commodus is one of the most famous masterpieces of Roman portraiture and depicts the emperor as the reincarnation of the hero Hercules. Commodus is seen wearing the lion 's skin over his head, holding the club in his right hand, and the golden apple of Hesperides in his left hand as a reminder of how he is seen to be as the Greek hero Hercules. Two Amazon women are kneeling on the base beside a globe with the sign of the zodiac. These zodiac signs show important moments in Commodus’s life. On top of the globe is a cornucopia with the Amazon’s shield, one long enough to almost cover his torso. Cornucopia, a “horn of plenty” full of fruits and representing prosperity and fertility and abundance. This represents a new golden era that