The Discobolus is one of the most recognisable and influential artistic pieces to emerge from Ancient Greece. The Discobolus was a bronze sculptured depicting an athlete throwing a discus and was created by prolific Greek artist Myron of Eleutherae (Harris & Zucker 2012). Although a precise date of creation is unknown, it is widely theorised that the sculpture was created between 450 and 460 BCE (Harris & Zucker 2012). Myron’s original Discobolus no longer exists, with evidence indicating that it was destroyed by Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius in 2nd Century C.E (Harris & Zucker 2012). However, it should be acknowledged that primary Greek evidence detailing the origins, creation and destruction of the Discobolus is scarce and subjective, and therefore even these basic facts may not be entirely accurate (Slowikowski, n.d). As Sylvia Slowikowski demonstrates, “even in art history, there is no one concise historiography of the discobolus; of how it came to be or where it is today” (Slowikowski, n.d. pp.10). Despite its destruction, Discobolus’ legacy was preserved predominantly due to an abundance of detailed Roman primary descriptions of the sculpture. These sources later made it possible for historians and art aficionados to identify and preserve the surviving Roman marble copies of the Discobolus (O’Mahony 2013). Consequently, Roman copies of the Discobolus are displayed globally today, including the Palombara Discobolus, which was acquired by Hitler in 1938, and the Townley version that is displayed in the British Museum (Anguissola 2005).
At the time of its creation, the Discobolus was considered artistically progressive and is therefore reflective of the changing attitudes and beliefs of Greek society at the time. The Discobolu...
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Greek art is considered as a turning point for the development of all aspects of cultural art history, such as architecture, sculpture, pottery and painting. The ancient Greek civilization was famous for its mythical and aesthetic principle in the art culture. Renowned for the pottery, Greek had developed its unique painting technique called the black-figured. “Achilles and Ajax playing Dice” by Exekias is the most significant black-figure amphora for its iconography and that represents the ideal art principle and history of the ancient Greece.
With works in every known medium, from every part of the world, throughout all points in history, exploring the vast collection of the Museum of Modern Art was an overwhelming experience. The objects in the Department of European Sculpture and Decorative Arts are an important historical collection, reflecting the development of a number of art forms in Western Europe. The department's holdings covered sculpture in many sizes, woodwork and furniture, ceramics and glass, jewelry, and tapestries. The gallery attracted my appreciation of the realistic qualities of the human body often portrayed in sculpture.
... and, thus, laid the foundation for the sports of modern day. The types of competition have changed throughout the centuries, but not the physical and mental
The Greek’s images also possessed two important ideas that brought the soul of the artist and subject to the surface while still capturing the passion and action of the movement and story: noble simplicity and quiet grandeur. Greek images contained faces that were full of expression but were also balanced because they were not overcome by pain or passion because they still had nobility of soul which creates a sense of tranquility even in the midst of rage, fervor, or desire.
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Print. The. Jane Laing, ed., pp. 113-117. Chronicle of the Olympics, 1896-1996. New York: DK Pub., 1996.
...o understanding and appreciating Greek art is significant, but as seen through the writings of Gazda, Marvin and Ellen, the practice of appreciating Greek sculpture as presented by the conservative historians is of detriment to the writings and perceptions of historians, as well as the general education of the public. Unfortunately, due to the popularity of the abovementioned historians during their times of writings, methodology including Kopienkritik has remained a valued and prevalent approach to judging and analysing of both Greek and Roman sculpture, despite increased criticism. All of these factors serve to undermine the validity of the construct, and show that while the construct may have suited and served the purposes of those who created it, it does nothing to legitimately further proper and rational history of Greek and more specifically, Roman sculpture.
book (pg. 166) under the subtitle of “The “anomaly” of mass support for athletics”, Kyle discusses another authors work (D.M. Pritchard) that converses popular culture and popular attitudes about athletics were reflected in Old Comedy and speeches. Pritchard asserts that even though athletics preserved the wealthy and the privileged, the lower-class people still enthusiastically supported the athletes and athletics. He says that despite the non-elite Athenians seeing the rewards and privileges given to them, the lower-class people still identified with the athletes. Why? Spectators, assuming they themselves were former athletes, still carried a passion for athletics that did not die out when they became of age to stop playing games and start going to work for their families or going to war for their city-state. So, since they can not continue their athletic careers, they look to those
...r. "Ancient Greece." Gardner's art through the ages the western perspective. 13th ed., Backpack ed. Boston, Mass.: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2010. 101, 123,129. Print.
Greek art is considered as a turning point for the development of all aspects of cultural art history, such as architecture, sculpture, pottery and painting. The ancient Greek civilization was famous for its mythical and aesthetic principle in the art culture. Renowned for the pottery, Greek had developed its unique painting technique called the black-figured. “Achilles and Ajax playing Dice” by Exekias is the most significant black-figure amphora for its iconography and that represents the ideal art principle and history of the ancient Greece.
Honour, Hugh, and John Fleming. "Hellenistic and Roman Art." A World History of Art. London: Laurence King, 1999. 179-213. Print.
Conlin, Diane Atnally. The artists of the Ara Pacis: the process of Hellenization in Roman relief sculpture. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1997. (P. 4)
Following Poliakoff’s introduction to the ancient combat sports, he proceeds to provide a basic outline to the world of ancient combat sports in a series of sections within the chapter, including: The definition of a ‘combat sport’ and its relation to recreation and training; similarities amongst combat sports, training methods and common practise; the premise of athletic festivals, and the organization of said competition.
Holt, Elizabeth G. From the Classicist to the Impressionists: Art and Architecture in the 19th Century. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1966.