Greek stone and bronze sculptures have become one of the most famous works of art in the history of any civilization. The artistic conception of human form in Greece was copied in ancient times and has been used ever since.
Influence and evolution
Since the 8th century BC, the output of clay, ivory and bronze figures in ancient Greece has been increasing. There is no doubt that wood is also a commonly used medium, but its sensitivity to erosion means that few examples can survive. Bronze figures and heads, especially Griffin, are used as accessories for bronze vessels such as cauldrons. In modeling, the figures are similar to those in contemporary geometric pottery design, with slender limbs and triangular trunk. Animal statues are also produced in large quantities, especially horses. Many animal statues have been found in holy places such as Olympia and Delphi all over Greece, which shows that they have the same function as offerings.
The oldest Greek stone carving (limestone) can be traced back to the middle of the 7th century BC and was found in Scylla. During this period, bronze independent figures with their own bases were more common, and more grand themes were tried, such as soldiers, coachmen and musicians. Marble sculptures appeared in the early 6th century BC, and the first life-size statues with commemorative significance were made. These have memorial functions, either providing symbolic service to the gods in the sanctuary or serving as tombstones.
The earliest large stone statues (Kouroi-naked young man and Corey-dressed female image) were all stiff. For example, the arms of the Egyptian memorial statue were held straight on both sides, with their feet touching the ground almost at the same time, their eyes staring blankly and without any special facial expressions. However, these rather static characters gradually evolved, and with more and more details in hair and muscles, these characters began to become vivid.
Slowly, the arm bends slightly, making its muscles tense, and one leg (usually the right leg) is put forward slightly, making the statue dynamic. An excellent example of this style is Argos of Culroy, who focused on Ueter Fifi (about 580 BC). Around 480 BC, the last kouroi became more lifelike, with the center of gravity on the left leg, the right hip lower, the hips and shoulders more relaxed, the head less stiff and smiling. Female Corey has followed a similar evolution, especially in their clothes carving, which is presented in an increasingly realistic and complicated way. Regardless of the actual size of the statue, a more natural figure ratio is established, and the ratio of head to body is 1:7. By 500 BC, Greek sculptors finally got rid of the strict rules of ancient conceptual art and began to reproduce what they actually observed in real life.
The sculptor tried to make the work look like it was carved from the inside, not from the outside.
In the classical period, Greek sculptors would get rid of the shackles of tradition and achieve achievements that others had never tried before. They created life-size and lifelike sculptures to beautify human beings, especially naked men. However, the achievements go far beyond this. As it turns out, marble is an excellent medium to present what all sculptors seek: to make the work look like it was carved from the inside, not from the outside. Characters become emotional and stiff in action; It seems that just a second ago, they were still alive. The face shows more, and the whole character has a special emotion. The rendering of clothes has also become more subtle, close to the body contour in a way described as "wind blowing" or "wet appearance". It's simple,
Materials and methods
To understand how this realism is realized, we must go back to the starting point again and examine the materials and tools used by artists and the technology of transforming raw materials into art more carefully.
Bronze and porous limestone are the most common sculptures in early Greece. Although bronze never seems out of date, the stone you choose will become marble. The best ones come from Naxos-tiny particles and bubbles, Parian (from Palos)-the particles are thicker and more translucent, and Pontellick (near Athens)-more opaque, and turn into a soft honey color over time (due to its iron content). But stone is chosen because of its machinability rather than decoration, because most Greek sculptures are painted rather than polished, which is usually quite fancy for modern people's taste.
Marble is mined by breaking feasible stones with an bow drill and a wooden wedge immersed in water. Usually, larger figures are not made of a piece of marble, but important appendages, such as arms, are carved separately and fixed to the main body with pins. Using iron tools, the sculptor will process wood blocks from all directions (perhaps focusing on small models to guide the scale), and first use pointed tools to remove more solid marble blocks. Next, use a combination of five-claw chisel, various sizes of flat chisel and small hand drill to carve details. Then the surface of the stone is trimmed with grinding powder (usually Naxos emery), but it is rarely polished. Then, the statue is fixed on the base with a lead fixture, or sometimes placed on a separate base. Pillars (such as the Sphinx of Naxian County in Delphi in 560 BC). The final touch-up of the statue was added with paint. Bright colors are added to the patterns on skin, hair, eyebrows, lips and clothes. Eyes are usually inlaid with bones, crystals or glass. Finally, bronze accessories such as spears, swords, helmets, jewels and crowns may be added. Some statues even have a small bronze plate hanging from their heads to prevent birds from polluting people.
Another popular material in Greek sculpture is bronze. Unfortunately, this kind of material always needs to be reused in the later period. Broken marble is of no use to anyone, so it is better to leave the marble sculpture to future generations. Therefore, the number of surviving bronze sculptures (less than 12) does not necessarily mean that the output of bronze sculptures may be more than that of marble, but the quality of a few surviving bronze sculptures proves that we have lost Excellence. In archaeological sites, we often see rows of stone pedestals, which are silent witnesses of the loss of art.
Early solid bronze sculptures were replaced by larger non-bronze core sculptures, and sometimes they were removed to leave hollow statues. The most common bronze statue is made by lost wax technology. This involves making a core that is almost the same size as the required character (or body part, if not the whole character), then waxing and carving the details. Then wrap the whole thing with clay and fix the stick to the core at some points. Then melt the wax and pour the molten bronze into the space once occupied by wax. After curing, the clay is removed and the surface is finished by scraping, carving and polishing. Sometimes copper or silver is added to lips, teeth and teeth. The eyes are embedded in marble sculptures.
Many Greek statues are signed, so that we can know the names of the most successful artists who have become famous in their own lives.
sculptor
Many statues are signed, so that we can know the names of the most successful artists who have become famous in their own lives. To give a few examples, we can start with the most famous phidias, who created huge golden statues of Athena (438 BC) and Zeus (456 BC), and lived in the Parthenon in Athens and Zeus Temple in Olympia respectively. The latter is considered as one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Polykleitos, in addition to creating great sculptures like Doryphoros, also wrote a paper on Garonne River. Regarding sculpture techniques, he emphasized the importance of correct proportions. Other important sculptors include keresey Lars, who copied the portrait of Perikles in large quantities (425 BC), praxiteles, whose Aphrodite (340 BC) was the first complete female nude, and Kalima Joschi, who is considered to have created the capital of Corinth, and his unique dance image was copied in large quantities in Roman times.
Sculptors often find permanent jobs in the ruins of the Great Temple, and archaeology reveals phidias's workshop in Olympia. All kinds of broken clay molds were found in the workshop, as well as the owner's own private clay cup, which read "I belong to phidias". Another feature of the temple site is that cleaners and polishers keep the bronze statues shiny with red brass, because the Greeks don't like weathering (and the dark green patina obtained by the surviving statues).
masterpiece
However, Greek sculpture is not limited to standing figures. Busts, reliefs, tombstones and stone products, such as perirrhanteria (a basin supported by three or four standing female statues), also tested the skills of Greek sculptors. Another important branch of art form is architectural sculpture, which has been popular on gables, lintels and walls of temples and treasury buildings since the late 6th century BC. However, people may find some great classical and ancient masterpieces in figure sculptures, and the proof of their class and popularity is that they often make replicas, especially in Roman times. In fact, fortunately, the Romans liked Greek sculpture and copied it widely, because it was often these replicas that survived, not the original Greek sculpture. However, these replicas also have their own problems, because they obviously lack the touch of the original owner, and may change the medium from bronze to marble, or even mix body parts.
Although words rarely represent visual art, we can give some examples of the most famous Greek sculptures here. Among the bronzes, three stand out, all of which were rescued from the sea (beautifully preserved bronzes are better than human beings): Artemesium and Riace, two warriors of Zeus or Poseidon (both 460-450 BC). The former can be Zeus (god's posture is common) or Poseidon, which is a transitional work between ancient and classical art, because the characters are very realistic, but in fact the proportion is not accurate (for example, the limbs are stretched out). However, as boardman eloquently described, "(it) tries to be both threatening and static in its perfect balance"; Onlookers have no doubt that this is a great god. Riace warriors are also very gorgeous, and the details of hair and beard are carefully carved. More classical styles, their perfect proportions and their balance are presented in a way that shows that they can leave the base at any time.
Among marble, two outstanding works are Diskobolos or discus thrower belonging to Miron (450 BC) and Pai Onos Nike of Olympia (420 BC). The discus thrower is one of the most copied statues in ancient times, which means to capture powerful muscle movements instantly, just like photos. This work is also interesting, because its carving way (on a plain) can be seen from one angle (just like removing the relief from the background). Nike is a good example of "wet clothes". The light and thin material of the clothes clings to the outline of the body, and the figure seems to be half suspended in the air, just letting her toes fall on the base.
conclusion
At that time, Greek sculpture got rid of the artistic conventions that dominated many civilizations for hundreds of years. They no longer copy characters according to the prescribed formula, but freely pursue idealized human figures. Hard and lifeless materials were magically transformed into intangible qualities such as calmness, emotion and elegance in some way, which created some great masterpieces of world art and inspired and influenced artists in Greek and Roman times. They will continue to create more masterpieces, such as Venus Demirlao. In addition, even today, the perfection of human proportions achieved by Greek sculptors continues to inspire artists. Great Greek works are even consulted by 3D artists to create accurate virtual images, and athletes' bodies are compared with Greek sculptures through sports management agencies to check the abnormal muscle development achieved by using prohibited substances such as steroids.