2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25
The whole world knows about the religious beliefs of the ancient Greeks. Memories of this were preserved not only in the form of legends and myths, but also in the material form of temples and sculptures, or rather, their remains. After so much time, not all the memos managed to survive, but we know some of them from ancient Roman copies. The sculpture of Ancient Greece was distinguished by its splendor and richness.
Early development of ancient Greek sculpture
Let's find out who was immortalized as sculptures, who was honored with such an honor? Since the ancient peoples, and not only the Greek, were avid pagans, and attached great importance to their faith, they depicted exclusively gods.
Sculptures of Ancient Greece, up to the 6th century BC. e., created from expensive materials, such as marble, ivory, dressed the gods only in golden clothes. Whatever the Greeks did to appease Olympus!
Ancient Greece, the sculpture of which is already in the 7th-6th century BC. e. reached significant heights, was the cultural center of the ancient world. One has only to recall the architectural structures in the form of temples, and some of them are included in the list of the Sevenwonders of the world (the famous columns from the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus). Let us return nevertheless to the ancient Greek perpetuation of the gods, who in early times were depicted majestically, in full growth.
They seemed to be frozen in a straight pose, there should not have been any unnecessary movements or dismemberments. The sculpture of Hera from the island of Samos in 560 BC rises just as peacefully and regally. e., which is now kept in the Louvre.
It is noteworthy that the gods have always been portrayed as beautiful. What are these gods? Beauty for the Greeks meant strength. Elegance and a wasp waist were not yet well-known canons of beauty. That is why the inhabitants of Olympus were depicted as large, with a strong body, pumped up arms and legs, huge eyes, head, lips.
Remember the statue of Olympian Zeus, one of the Seven Wonders of the World? Its dimensions confirm that the supreme god should be the most beautiful of all and have large sizes. The statue itself was built of ivory, and the clothes "sewn" for Zeus from an equally expensive material - gold.
This sculpture of Ancient Greece, unfortunately, has not survived to this day, although we know how it looks from the reconstructions and developments of archaeologists, historians and sculptors. And in ancient times, this statue was revered, even sacrificed so that Zeus would protect the people from natural disasters and the disfavor of other gods.
Late Sculpture of Ancient Greece
From the 5th century BC e. image of upright or frozen inthe erect posture of the sculptures ceased. The sculpture of ancient Greece has changed significantly. Firstly, not only gods, but also heroes, warriors, that is, ordinary mortal people, were subject to the image. Secondly, marble and ivory were already a thing of the past, metals, in particular bronze, were gaining popularity. Thirdly, straightened poses and large sizes of body parts have become obsolete, the image of nudity has become beautiful. The easily falling cape and free posture only added grandeur to the sculpture.
Remember the Disco Thrower or the marble statue of Venus de Milo, which is still kept in the Louvre. The sculpture of Ancient Greece acquired new features over time, but this did not make it less majestic. The Romans who conquered Greece admired her, they completely adopted their culture and religion, and we still admire her.
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