Art Of The Ancient Greeks, Romans And Christians Essay Example For Students

Art Of The Ancient Greeks, Romans And Christians Essay Classical Greek Art is characterized by the emerging need among artists to imitate and perfect the ideal human form through idealized naturalism. The Classical period is marked by the introduction of the contrapposto position first seen in the Kritios Boy (ca 480 BC). The function of sculptures during this period was mostly to glorify gods and athletes usually depicted as male nudes. One of the most renowned sculptures of an athlete from that period is Polykleitos Doryphoros a bronze original (ca 450 BC) that now only exists in marble copies. Polykleitos made it to serve as a standardization for future sculptures. He intended to perfect the human being using the contrapposto pose as well as measuring the body to be able to fit eight heads stacked on top of each other as the dimensions of the ideal. The flexed limbs and the relaxed limbs oppose each other diagonally, with right arm and left leg relaxed while left arm and right leg are ready for action. The head is turned in opposite direction of the slight twist of the hips and is a much more natural pose for a human than the stiff awkward poses of Ancient Egyptian Art. Classical Greek art also had innovations in bronze. While The Hellenistic period of Greek Art still utilized naturalism in its art, it began to move away from idealism and started to lean more towards realism. As artists gained more freedom to explore social realism they started to create sculptures and art depicted the old, the poor and the suffering. The Old Market Woman (ca 150 BCE) depicts an old woman bringing chickens and a basket of fruits and vegetables to sell in the market. Shes bent over with exhaustion and a broken spirit. She is wrinkled and very realistic. Her drapery responds to gravity and her chest bones are visible at the top of her skinny body. Another classical Hellenistic piece is Athanadoros, Hagesandros and Polydoros of Rhodes Laoco? Â ¶n and his sons (ca 1st century BCE). Laco? Â ¶n was a priest in Troy and warned everyone of Greeks bearing gifts, of course no one believed him and he was punished by the gods for his attempt at thwarting the Greeks. Although Laco? Â ¶n is indeed in a naturalized idealistic form, his face displays so much agony and anguish as he appears to be screaming in pain while struggling to free himself of the serpents. His hair seems soft and natural and his face embodies so much agony. His muscles are flexing exactly where they should be with veins popping out on his arms as he struggles to pull serpents off of his body. Artists during the Hellenistic period were very aware of how their subjects interacted with their environment. The sculpture of Nike on a Warship (Nike of Samothrace ca 190 BCE) depicts the goddess Nike with elaborate wings and wind attacking her drapery. Her garments appear to subtly stick to her body because of the water and whip wildly in the wind. The piece was displayed in the upper basin of a two-tiered fountain with the statue reflecting in the water to create the effect of lightness and movement. Hellenistic Art rejected Polykleitos standardization of perfection in measurement and idealism and instead created very real, very emotive statues that interact with their environment. Roman architectural style originated from a combination of Greek and Etruscan but evolved into a style of its own. Among other innovations, Rome gave the world concrete, vaulting, roads, aqueducts and arches. The Sanctuary of Fortuna Primigenia (late 2nd Century BCE) utilizes axial planning like the Greeks but it also uses arches and a new material: concrete, to create this elaborate terraced structure. The arches allow for higher ceilings and more free space. It eliminates the need for columns by delivering the weight to the buttressed sides in a lateral thrust. By using concrete, material was less expensive and more readily available as opposed to transporting marble and other materials across the empire. As the empire expanded, so too did its need for elaborate structures to exemplify and remind its people of its success. An Analysis of Michael Fried’s Art and Objecthood EssayAlthough thought to have been physically weak in real life, Augustus is depicted with killer biceps and amazing Pecs in idealized naturalism. His drapery responds to gravity and his breastplate is elaborate, complete with symbolism as well as an agenda. The purpose of the sculpture is to demonstrate the military power of Augustus (after all, he is displayed as a general), display his lineage, introduce a golden age in Rome and return to the Greek Classical period in art. The sculpture is based closely on Polykleitos Doryphoros (quote from text book) with the shape and features of the head emulating that style. Augustus has cupid riding a dolphin at his feet to proclaim his divine ancestry and his familys connection with Venus. With his right arm raised as if addressing the people, Augustus is attempting to be portrayed as an orator and a diplomat, and his breastplate has Atlas on it. Every part of this statue has an agenda as was the case for Roman Republican Art. As the patrons in almost all cases were men from distinguished families with an agenda of immortalizing their lineage, wisdom and other romanticized attribute, the faces were often displayed with every unflattering detail and bodies were youthful and idealized. Frightened by persecution, early Christian Art was abstract and vague in order to hide and protect the beliefs and ideas of (as well as) the artists, patrons and audience themselves. As Christians werent allowed to practice publicly or be buried inside of Roman walls, art was often reserved for catacombs. Pope Gregory stated that art should be instructional as well as faithful, but the persecution of the time dictated that it too must be ambiguous. Artists often used seemingly vague symbols like lambs and doves. After the Edict of Milan however, Christianity became acceptable and eventually spread across the Roman Empire. The Emperor Constantine decided to make it the official religion of the empire and commissioned a monumental church: Old St. Peters Church. Built on top of what is believed to be St. Peters burial site, this church once could house 3,000 to 4,000 worshippers. The exterior wasnt elaborate like the pagan temples but its interior had frescoes and mosaics, marble columns, chandeliers and gold and silver vessels on jeweled altar cloths for use in the Mass. Christian churches rejected the designs that governed the Greco-Roman temples not only because they were pagan but also because of practical purposes. All pagan rituals took place outside but the Christians needed a building that could accommodate large numbers of people for congregation. Christian churches had 6 parts: the nave, aisles, apse, transept, narthex and atrium. They were usually built with axial planning and gathered most of its light from clear story windows. Churches evolved into monumental and elaborate structures equaling or outdoing the pagan temples before them.