This is the moment you've all been waiting for, my final post! I will be talking about all the amazing things I have been researching and discovering throughout this experience. In the start of researching about Greek art I didn't know to much about it. I wasn't really sure of what exactly I would be researching about, Greek art is a very broad topic to say the least. As I was starting to research I discovered that sculptures played a very big part in Greek art so this is what I decided to focus in on.
To start off I'm going to discuss the difference between early Greek sculptors and when the sculptors developed more. When the greeks first started to create sculptors in the 8th century B.C.E they looked fake and non realistic. The Greeks took their inspiration from ancient Egyptian art. Most of the sculptures were of figures standing completely straight with the face looking forward. The facial features were not very realistic or lifelike. The body parts were more rough representations of the human body. All of these early pieces looked stiff and sculptors of the time couldn't figure out how to show a body in motion.
Over the centuries, the Greeks evolved their art and their techniques became better and better. By the 5th century B.C.E two men, Polykleitos and Pheidias learned a new technique to make the statues look much more human like. They studied the proportions of the body. Once they understood this, it was easier for them to reproduce in sculpture form. The statues slowly started to be more detailed and after a while they were even able to show the figures in motion. This was a huge leap forward.
These figures were usually carved in clay, ivory, and bronze. It is thought that wood was also used, but the years have worn almost all examples of wooden sculptures away. Marble started to be used as an art medium somewhere around the 6th century B.C.E. Many ancient greek statue and sculptors aren't around today because the stone or marble has broken and the metal has melted.
To start off I'm going to discuss the difference between early Greek sculptors and when the sculptors developed more. When the greeks first started to create sculptors in the 8th century B.C.E they looked fake and non realistic. The Greeks took their inspiration from ancient Egyptian art. Most of the sculptures were of figures standing completely straight with the face looking forward. The facial features were not very realistic or lifelike. The body parts were more rough representations of the human body. All of these early pieces looked stiff and sculptors of the time couldn't figure out how to show a body in motion.
Over the centuries, the Greeks evolved their art and their techniques became better and better. By the 5th century B.C.E two men, Polykleitos and Pheidias learned a new technique to make the statues look much more human like. They studied the proportions of the body. Once they understood this, it was easier for them to reproduce in sculpture form. The statues slowly started to be more detailed and after a while they were even able to show the figures in motion. This was a huge leap forward.
These figures were usually carved in clay, ivory, and bronze. It is thought that wood was also used, but the years have worn almost all examples of wooden sculptures away. Marble started to be used as an art medium somewhere around the 6th century B.C.E. Many ancient greek statue and sculptors aren't around today because the stone or marble has broken and the metal has melted.
Common themes for the more modern ancient Greek sculptures included more ambitious subjects like warriors, charioteers, athletes and musicians. Many of the sculptures served as grave markers for the dead. Sculptors can also be found in or on buildings. Many buildings have small sculptors on the outside on the pediment.
Many of the sculptures would actually sign there artwork. Some of the artists became famous in their lifetime. To name a few there was Phidias, Polykleitos, Kresilas, Praxiteles, and Kallimaschos. Phiadas created two gigantic sculptures of Athena and Zeus both around 430 B.C.E. The sculpture of Athena sits in the Parthenon to this day. And the sculpture of Zeus sits in the Temple of Zeus at Olympia. The sculpture of Zeus is considered by some people to be one of the wonders of the world. The sculptor names Polykleitos actually wrote a book on sculpting. This books actually captures a lot of what the Greeks understood about body proportions. He also documented many sculpting techniques used by artists of the time. One of the other sculptors, Praxiteles (it's a shame his name sounds like disease) sculpted Aphrodite around 340 B.C.E. This was the first time a Greek did a full female nude. This might have had something to do with the fact that he became famous.
It's interesting to note that not all Greek sculptures were of full bodies. Some of them were portrait busts, relief panels, friezes, pediments, metopes and grave monuments. There was also something called a perirrhanteria carved into stone. This is basically a bowl supported by three or four female figures. These different types of sculptures required the artists to have different types of skills.
One of the most famous friezes in Greek architecture is the one carved onto the exterior wall of the Parthenon. It is one continuous line around the entire outside of the building. It is about three feet high and 500 feet around. The frieze shows the people of Athens in a procession (that means marching as part of a ceremony). The sculpture also shows the Olympian gods seated watching the citizens of Athens. The gods are shown as being twice as large as the rest of the humans. The processing ends at a depiction of virgins folding something called a peplos. This was a woven fabric dedicated to the goddess Athena. The frieze depicts all types of Athenians; soldiers, elders, musicians, and people herding animals. At the time all the sculptures were painted with vivid, bright colors. We didn't know this for a long time because all the sculptures are just plain marble today. This is because the centuries have worn all the paint off the art. It would have been interesting to see the sculptures when they were new. It must have been amazing.
Many art historians credit the ancient Greeks and the advances they made in art with supporting all great European art in later centuries. These artists were able to break free of the early ways of showing the human body and transformed art into something that looks like real humanity. Without this art today would not be the same. It would be much more dull and lifeless.
Many of the sculptures would actually sign there artwork. Some of the artists became famous in their lifetime. To name a few there was Phidias, Polykleitos, Kresilas, Praxiteles, and Kallimaschos. Phiadas created two gigantic sculptures of Athena and Zeus both around 430 B.C.E. The sculpture of Athena sits in the Parthenon to this day. And the sculpture of Zeus sits in the Temple of Zeus at Olympia. The sculpture of Zeus is considered by some people to be one of the wonders of the world. The sculptor names Polykleitos actually wrote a book on sculpting. This books actually captures a lot of what the Greeks understood about body proportions. He also documented many sculpting techniques used by artists of the time. One of the other sculptors, Praxiteles (it's a shame his name sounds like disease) sculpted Aphrodite around 340 B.C.E. This was the first time a Greek did a full female nude. This might have had something to do with the fact that he became famous.
It's interesting to note that not all Greek sculptures were of full bodies. Some of them were portrait busts, relief panels, friezes, pediments, metopes and grave monuments. There was also something called a perirrhanteria carved into stone. This is basically a bowl supported by three or four female figures. These different types of sculptures required the artists to have different types of skills.
One of the most famous friezes in Greek architecture is the one carved onto the exterior wall of the Parthenon. It is one continuous line around the entire outside of the building. It is about three feet high and 500 feet around. The frieze shows the people of Athens in a procession (that means marching as part of a ceremony). The sculpture also shows the Olympian gods seated watching the citizens of Athens. The gods are shown as being twice as large as the rest of the humans. The processing ends at a depiction of virgins folding something called a peplos. This was a woven fabric dedicated to the goddess Athena. The frieze depicts all types of Athenians; soldiers, elders, musicians, and people herding animals. At the time all the sculptures were painted with vivid, bright colors. We didn't know this for a long time because all the sculptures are just plain marble today. This is because the centuries have worn all the paint off the art. It would have been interesting to see the sculptures when they were new. It must have been amazing.
Many art historians credit the ancient Greeks and the advances they made in art with supporting all great European art in later centuries. These artists were able to break free of the early ways of showing the human body and transformed art into something that looks like real humanity. Without this art today would not be the same. It would be much more dull and lifeless.