[YOUR LAST NAME] 1 [YOUR NAME] [PROFESSOR’S NAME] [COURSE NAME] [DATE] Classical Sculpture Classical sculpture did not appear from nothing; its genesis was not that of Athena’s birth from the head of Zeus, but a rather more sedate process. The roots of classical sculpture are, surprisingly, to be found in Egypt. The Egyptians had highly developed sculpture, most of which had religious implications, as can be seen by the hieroglyphic inscriptions on many of the pieces (Wilkinson, 34-37). Subjects of sculptures included the numerous gods and goddesses of the Egyptian pantheon, pharoahs (who were considered divine) and slaves and other figures created for inclusion in burials; these sculptures, along with real items (e.g., chariots) would become part of the deceased’s “estate” in the afterlife (ibid., 64). The majority of Egyptian sculptures were all in the same style, regardless of whether they represented an animal-headed god, a king, or a scribe.
C. M. Bowra says of Greek influence on contemporary society: “the modern world is far too deeply indebted to Greece to accept in unthinking ingratitude what it has inherited”. Similarly, Hadas notes that at the dawn of Roman civilization “ancient cities already had a layer of Greek culture. On this Rome superimposed imperial buildings...Augustus boasted of restoring 82 temples” These two extracts show us just how pivotal ancient Greek architecture, particularly temples, was at the time and continues to be to this day. It speaks of the restoration projects the Romans undertook to resuscitate decrepit Greek temples, and whilst the new temples “shared many basic characteristics with Greek architecture... it tended to be ornate and elaborate overall”. The Romans moved away from the simple, ordered and comparatively humble style of Greek temples and created more lavish, grandiose buildings, made possible by engineering developments such as concrete, arches, vaults and domes, to emulate the epicurean taste, vast wealth and power of the Empire.
“In decade between 490 and 480 B.C.E, something remarkable happened in Greece, and in Athens in particular, that resulted in one of the most culturally productive eras in history of humankind.” Greeks developed a highly sophisticated culture, but it pales by comparison to developments in the so-called Athenian Golden Age. This Golden Age sparked a Classical period in Greece; focusing on the basis of Western tradition. The Classical style was the high point in Greek art. While trends began towards a more naturalistic depiction of the world, sculpture was the dominant art in this style. Sculptures from the earlier Archaic period were replaced with a form of sculpture in which statues became more characterized with simple, realistic anatomy and drapery.
Because of pottery’s durability, it comprises a large part of the archaeological record of the Ancient Greece, and since there is so much of it, it has exerted a large influence on the understanding of Greek society. Each period has its own style of decorations. Although, Greek pottery was used to explain myths and legends, it also had many other uses. Greek pottery is famed for its range of uses, from large storage containers for oil and grain to small pots meant to hold perfumes to vessels used strictly for ceremonial purposes, as much as for the range of motifs, patterns and painting techniques utilized, or used, by Greek artisans. As you can see, there are many uses for Greek pottery.
Some of the comparitive areas of Egyptian and Greek cultures include sculptures, pottery making, and various architectural designs. One of the main cultural relics for both Egyptian and Greek civilzation was no other than sculptures. Example of Greek sculpture is Athena Giustiniani Musei Capitolini, it is completely done in white marble depicting one of the gods of ancient Greek Mythology. She is wearling a robe and a metal helm while holding up a torch like item in her right hand. The feeling one while looking upon Athena is very cold and a little frighting.
One especially influential empire was that of Greece. Ancient Greece contributed many ideas and inventions that have truly survived the test of time, their concepts lasting millennia and more. Even the Olympics, an athletic event last watched in 2014 by hundreds of countries around the world, was actually founded 3000 years ago in Ancient Greece, as a competition to honor their gods! (Document B). The Ancient Greeks continue to influence our lives today in three prominent ways: architecture, politics, and medicine.
That figures from Greek mythology were still being represented artistically in Homer’s time shows that the people still respected the tales after centuries had gone by. Homer also described great palaces belonging to kings and heroes, enormous structures the like of which was unknown in Greece in the eighth century BC. Such opulence and extravagance had not been seen in Greece since the twelfth century BC, not long after Troy was said to have fallen and Homer is describing a world of which his audience would have no experience (BHAG, p. 41 – 42). From archaeological remains of eighth century settlements, homes were much smaller
“The greatest artist has no conception which a single block of marble does not potentially contain within its mass, but only a hand obedient to the mind can penetrate to this image.” ~ Michelangelo Buonarroti Michelangelo describes in the above quote what it is like to carve a likeness of a person out of a large block of marble. As we know from seeing his work, he did an excellent job with this task. Bernini did just as fine a job on his, but in a much different way as you will see in the following pages. Michelangelo Michelangelo was born on March 6, 1475, in Caprese, Italy, a tiny village, owned by the nearby city-state of Florence. His father was the mayor.
The Greeks believed that intellect is superior to forces of nature, while the Romans wanted their architecture to dominate the sites. A third similarity was their ability to be innovative during their time periods. Along with their innovations when it came to their temples, the Greeks also had the ability to create very life-like and dynamic sculptures, something that the Romans constantly struggled with during their time. Because of this, a lot of their sculptures were just replicas of Greek sculptures with small adaptations and changes occurring. One of the most innovative steps that the Romans took with their
Carlos Sambrano Greek Architecture Greek architecture changed and influenced a lot of the architecture of today. The ancient Classical eras of Greece were undoubtedly one of the most beautiful, having left behind ideas, concepts, and art that created the foundation of what we call “western civilization”. However, the two previous millennia that lead to these ancient eras, as well as the other two millennia that succeeded them are all part of the history of Greece and have left just as rich a cultural footprint. Doric The Doric style is sturdy and its top is plain. This style was mostly used in mainland Greece and in southern Italy and Sicily.