Greek sculpture and art played a significant role throughout the stages of history. Majority of the styles have been preserved, and reproduced by what the modern audience regard as some of the finest artists to have ever lived such as Michelangelo. The ‘Golden Age’ of Ancient Greece, also referred to as Classical period formed the foundation of most of the most prosperous and academic civilizations of ancient times. During this period, all facets of humanistic pursuit excelled and thrived such as philosophy, art, politics, and literature. In particular, art gained fame for naturalistic interpretations of human nature and the mastery of sculpture ensured the legacy of Greece. This technical mastery of sculpture started during the Archaic Period only to climax during the Classical era. The Greeks perfected sculpturing using different materials, including stone, wood, gold, bronze, terracotta, and marble (Cohen 62).
The Greek sculpture reached its highest degree of technique when it captured an astounding realism. The most skilled sculptures lived in the ‘Golden Age” and some of the most acclaimed include Pheidias of Athens, Myron of Athens, Polykleitos of Argos, Praxiteles of Athens, Scopas of Paros, Praxiteles of Athens, and Lysippus of Sicyon (Cohen 62). However, there is little literature on artists and artworks. This essay will therefore detail the aspects of the three most interesting periods in Greek sculpture and the subject of the sculptures.
The Archaic Period marked the earliest period of Greek sculpture, started around 600 B.C., and lasted until 480 B.C. sculptures produced during this period have ridged and stiff appearance similar to the Egyptian sculpture. The dominant sculptures during this period were the Kouros statues. These sculptures were designed to represent state sponsored subjects or to decorate religious buildings, or immortal reminders of the virtues of dead people. However, secularism become evident with Archaic Greek sculptures in remarkable ways, as names of art patron appear curved on sculptures, and personal virtues of wealthy people became the main subject of archaic statues sanctuaries and temples.
The Greek art underwent a striking change beginning the archaic period. The abstract geometry patterning dominant between around 1050 and 700 B.C. was replaced during the seventh century by naturalistic style signifying the influence from Egypt and Near East (Pomeroy 12). The Greek colonization of the wear and east as well as contact with craftsmen, especially Cyprus and Crete, motivated the Greek to venture into new techniques as diverse as ivory curving, gem cutting, metalworking, and jewelry making (Langdon 31). They introduced eastern pictorial motifs such as animal hunts, lotus and palmette compositions, sphinxes, and sirens.
The second phase marked the Classical Period, which came between the Archaic and Hellenistic times. This period shows a significant shift from the stiff archaic sculptures to a more realistic and in some cases idealistic portrayal of the human figure. After the 5th century, females were depicted nude, with flowing robes. The aim of the robes was to give sculptures the idea of realism and movement in an effort to depict humans more pragmatically. The classical Period marked the turning point in art and saw the production of the most exquisite sculptures available today. During this period, artists started creating statues that showed freedom of expression and movement, while celebrating humankind as an independent entity (Cook 11).
One of the examples showing freedom of movement is The Discus Thrower (Cohen 62). During this second phase, betrayal of people in a stiff, and static position was replaced by more modern three-dimensional movements, in order to enable people admire the human body for aesthetic value. It was the first time that humans saw their body in the image of God, which resulted into the study of human body for the first time. The Greek statues lacked facial expression, while the depiction of ‘barbarians’ had a dramatic facial expression.
The third period, referred to as Hellenistic period, began a somewhere before 300 B.C. it is difficult for an average person to notice the difference between Classical and Hellenistic period. Majority of sculptures for both periods portrayed sculptures as nudes. Most Greeks portrayed their sculptures as young, athletic, and vigorous person in their artwork. These artworks romanticized the individual and in some way, attempted to capture the idea of strength and youth in their design. The sculptures portrayed the commonly held vies of strength, youth, and courage, which were desirable attributes in the Greek City states (Cook 12). One fascinating aspect of the Greek sculpture is that they portrayed the gods in a similar way as they did to humans. The sculptures of gods and humans did not have significant distinctions in terms of body make-up or size, which suggest that the gods were not powerful or greater that the regular humans. Similarly, Greek myths and stories show that gods and humans have similar characteristics, both bad and good. Some of the most known sculptures include the Venus de Milo, Dying Gaul, and the Winged Victory of Samothrace, all of which illustrate a classical hero, but show similarity to Hellenistic sculptures, which shows a more emotional and sensuous taste.
Works Cited
Pomeroy, Sarah B., et al. Ancient Greece: A Political, Social, and Cultural History. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999.
Langdon, Susan, ed. From Pasture to Polis: Art in the Age of Homer. Exhibition catalogue. Columbia: University of Missouri Press, 1993.
Cook, R. M. Greek Painted Pottery. 3d ed. New York: Routledge, 1996
Cohen, Beth "The Literate Potter: A Tradition of Incised Signatures on Attic Vases." Metropolitan Museum Journal, Vol. 26 (1991).
