Title The Athenians greatly admired the human form as perhaps no other people had before them. Their preoccupation with physical beauty can be seen in the standards they placed on themselves. Physical perfection was something to strive towards and was showcased in the Olympic games when warriors in peak condition competed naked. It is not surprising that Athenians also had a preoccupation with trying to capture motion in their statues. Their aim was to create statues as human-like as possible to be examples of perfection. One such statue is the Riace Warrior. Created by an unknown sculptor, the Riace Warrior is the personification of Athenian culture. The Athenians were unique in their preference for humanism over imperialism. Unfortunately this excluded equality of race or sex. For Athenians it could be said their beliefs were mirrored in their statues. These statues represented the perfect human form, but more importantly the …show more content…
For example, the male statue is displayed in the nude, flawless and powerful. The artist also depicted the statue in motion. As mentioned earlier, Athenian’s “were preoccupied with finding ways to represent motion rather than stability in their sculpted figures” (Kleiner, 2013, p. 112). This is clearly evident by the statue’s relaxed posture and clenched hands ready to grip a spear. The statue not only exudes power, but also celebrates the male form in all its complexity. The statue seems life-like with its asymmetrical body, limbs at differing angles and gently swayed hips. Even the head is turned, as if looking for something. Because the statue is made of bronze, it gives a cool, almost aloof impression. This is also discernable by the exaggeration in the musculature of the body. Clearly the artist wanted the statue to exude confidence and masculinity, and did so by overemphasizing certain body
The Ancient Greeks laid foundations for the Western civilizations in the fields of math and science. Euclid, a Greek mathematician known as the “Father of Geometry,” is arguably the most prominent mind of the Greco-Roman time, best known for his composition in the area of geometry, the Elements. (Document 5) To this day, Euclid’s work is still taught in schools worldwide.
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
Power and Pathos Essay The Seated Boxer, 300-200 B.C.E. is a work that may look as if the statue emanates power, but in actuality, emanates pity and sadness when examined more closely. This work of art was created during the Hellenistic era where Greek art displayed dramatic, detailed expression art. The Seated Boxer expresses this same sort of art from the Hellenistic era as the sculptor etched intricate details to the Seated Boxer from the details on its face, to its entire posture that it has been sculpted in. Greek classical art, such as The Warrior, has been known to display perfection of the works of art and emanates the theme of power from its posture to its expression that it displays. The theme of pathos is more associated with a somber theme, such as Epigonos, where the works of art evokes a sense of empathy from the viewers as they examine its details, emotions, and the general feeling it expresses.
Writing Assignment Using material from the reading, answer the following questions. How did people in Athens obtain the right to participate in public life and make decisions affecting the community? Who held public office?
”-Melissa Bury. The Ancient Greeks had a fixation on an “ideal” world. This was prevalent in their architecture, and in their art of the human body. However, the Greeks pursuit for perfection ends up being just a pursuit, as the goal never can be or will be
Creating an amazingly life-like appearance to its sculptures, not only demonstrated, in my mind, a higher intelligence, but is defiantly a tribute to their focus on superior strength and fitness. Although the realistic style was soon changed to create an even more ideal human figure, the understanding of the human body and how to recreate it through art was only the beginning of Greece’s contribution to the “classical ideal.” After their rise to power, gained by their triumph over Persia, the Greeks again changed the way we see art. This time they turned to their knowledge of geometry, focusing on the creation of grand architecture as their medium.
Although, like the Venus of Willendorf, he is the pinnacle of man and perfection, he differs from the Venus in that he is a particular person, has facial features, and is not exaggerated in certain areas. He has a more lifelike appearance; he could be someone’s son, brother, or friend, or someone seen in passing at the Athenian market. He functions as the Ideal, and something to be strived towards, as many pieces from this period were, which is indicative of the culture
Uncontrolled emotionalism and shameful truth were now common characteristics to most of them. Still throughout the hellenistic, many sculptures were distinguished by their calmness, grace, and compassion for human suffering. The Ancient Greek sculptures were commonly made from stone or wood and very few of them are still existing to this day. Many were made to reflect the image of a freestanding human form even when the statue was of a god, and for this reason many of the sculptures were naked, the Greeks saw nudity as something beautiful. Other of the sculptures showed athletic figures, to essentially portray what the Greeks perceived as an ideal human and what it should look
"The statue of Athena Parthenos versus the statue of Zeus by Phidias" Both the statue of Athena Parthenos the Greek goddess of keenness, war, and shield, and the statue of Zeus the Greek King of all Gods, were Chryselephantine (overlaid with gold and ivory) statues made by the well-known Greek craftsman Phidias. Since both statues were created by the same artist and sculpture they tend to have many similarities and some concrete differences. In this essay I’ll be demonstrating their features and how they differ from each other. Phidias dedicated the Statue of Zeus to him in 435 BCE to pay tribute to the Olympic amusements, right after he began his religion statue of Athena Parthenos in 447 BCE and was submitted in 438 BCE.
Citizenship : Why Athens was the Better System Athens was a small city compared to Rome that honored and protected citizenship. There was a constant importance of acknowledging all citizens hard work and participation. Athenians made it clear that the poor helped build the city 's power and not just the wealthy. They took politics very seriously and made sure that everyone had a voiced opinion. Hard work and equality is what makes a nation outstanding.
Sculpture specifically focused on both human potential and achievements, plus the human experience. Firstly, the Greeks often sculpted humans instead of animals or monsters, which is human-centered enough. When they did sculpt gods or goddesses, these deities were anthropomorphic, having human characteristics. Classical sculpture used nudity to depict the ideal human form; subjects were often young male athletes or soldiers, epitomizing human potential and achievement. Hellenistic sculpture was more realistic and emotional, where the subjects were everyday people; this style focused on the struggles included in the human experience.
Greek mythology can be viewed as a mirror to the ancient Greek civilization. Ancient Greek myths and legends often reflected how the Greeks saw themselves. Myths were used by Greeks to make justifications of every existing aspect of earth as well as their own society. In myths, Greek gods & heroes often represented key aspects of the human civilization. From Greek mythology, we can learn about the favorable characteristics of humans, such as their behavior and valuable skills that were approved of by the ancient Greek society.
The Greek sculptures reach the new height of beauty, not only because the mastery of the technique, but also the fascination of human body. Greek art uses the outer appearance to reflect the inner power, it is the representative pattern of western art. The myth inspires the creation of sculpture. The fantasy of nature and society and the admire of god’s shape and personality makes the sculpture more multiple and abundant.
Manet debuted, arguably one of his most famous paintings, Olympia at the 1865 Paris Salon. Since its debut, Olympia has been the source of much debate and controversy. The public saw this piece as obscene—a flagrant disrespect to established moral traditions. However, current discussions focus less on the “lewd” nature of this painting and more on the theoretical perspectives explaining why the public viewed Olympia as scandalous. In “Manet’s Olympia: The Figuration of Scandal,” author Charles Bernheimer argues for a Freudian perspective in which sex is the most important factor influencing public opinion.
Modern commentators have focused on the nudity of the statue and its erotic effect on her male viewers. Robin Osborne (1994, p.85) identified the Knidian Aphrodite as “an uncommonly powerful work.” Citing the supposed responses of male viewers recorded in the ancient literary sources, he concludes: “Rich though the message of this statue is about male sexuality, it has very little to say about female sexuality.” Hence, he suggests (1994, p.86) that the Knidian Aphrodite should “be seen to play upon male desire, male sexuality, and male expectations and values, and to say nothing to