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Compare the classical and hellenistic sculptures, using at least one sculpture from each style
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The time of Doryphoros and Augustus of Prima Porta was a time of battle for everyone, but we mostly know of Ancient Greece and the Romans because of their story-filled ways of producing art. They had this amazing way of telling a story through sculptures and paintings. The Romans resembled most of their art on Greek predecessors; this is why the statue of Doryphoros and Augustus Prima Porta are so similar in detail and in their meanings. Augustus of Prima Porta was crafted in 20 B.C.E and is known as one of the most famous sculptures by Augustus. Not only does this portrait resemble Augustus as a general of his army, it also shows his power and ideology as the first emperor of the Roman Empire. His hand raised in the air is a symbol of him …show more content…
Doryphoros was originally sculpted in 440 B.C.E in a bronze form, but was copied in marble in 120 B.C.E after the originally was lost. Some believe that Augustus did not intend to copy Doryphoros, but rather to use the sculpture as a starting point and to better his own work. “In the reading by Pollini entitled ‘Augustus of Prima Porta and the Transformation of the Polykleitan Ideal: The Rhetoric of Art,’ the author points out that the muscled form as seen on Augustus was rarely seen in earlier Roman art. This suggests that the creator of Augustus did not use the Doryphoros as a model” (watereddownamerica). Like the statue of Augustus, Doryphoros is very muscular and shows a lot of power and strength. They are both also very similar in stance. Although Doryphoros seems to be in mid stride, Augustus looks as if he is standing still and speaking boldly. An obvious difference between the two would be the clothing and lack of clothing. I believe this is showing two completely different meanings. The lack of clothing on Doryphoros is meant to show the perfection of the human body while Augustus was showing an ideal protector of his time. Polykleitos wanted to capture the, what was known as ideal, figure of the human body when he began to sculpt Doryphoros. Polykleitos believed that the body was made up and divided into exact mathematical measurements that all related to each other, so he formulated a rule for this known as the “Canon” which also means rule or measure. This sculpture stands at about six feet tall to resemble the true height of a man with true
The difference between an archaic statue such as Kroisos (fig. 5-11) and a classical statue such as Doryphoros (fig. 5-42) may not seem very great in a single glance. In fact, you may not notice any differences in that one glance. Yet, if you were to look at them closely, you can see that these two statues actually have very little in common.
We find that, in conclusion, that these pieces are very similar in many ways. They are both originally created in the same style and time period. They are Hellenistic and dramatic, although in their own, individualistic way. Each sculpture was created in different mediums and have different stories. These are both very individualistic pieces of Greco/Roman sculpture that has influenced many artists throughout time and will
Polykleitos’s focus on proportion was mathematical in its exactness and thus created a manikin–like form in its sharp separations between appendages (obvious in the exaggerated indentation between the upper thighs, groin and waste region). This unnatural yet understandably idealistic (perfect abdominals, wide chest region, etc.) rectangular presence leaves Doryphorus appearing rigid and fixed in space. Some say Polykleitos designed his work with a “charm beyond [the] truth” by exceeding/flouting the limits of possible physical form. However, by placing a high degree of artificiality within his work, it lacks the narrative that comes forth when presenting an alternate to the ideal (Polykleitos). Donatello utterly embodies narrative sculpture through his less rigid, more youthful and effeminate rendering of
The Statue of a kouros and the Portrait statue of a boy both depict similar subjects, however are greatly different in how they accomplish this task. Through detail, or lack there of, the Greeks and Romans are able to display a certain value they have in its members. These two statues were made about 500 years apart and approach the sculpting process quit differently. The Greek statue seems to use geometric exaggerated lines to form the body while the Romans use a more realistic approach and sculpt the body with a more rounded finish. Statue of a kouros, from about 590 B.C and Portrait of a boy, from about the first century, do not share any great technical aspects and are basically nothing alike.
In this paper I am exploring “Portrait of Augustus as general” and “Khafre enthroned”. From exploring and getting to know the Statues in my Art History Book I have compared these statues (Kleiner, 2013). The first and most obvious similarity between the two is in the artists’ idealization and immortalization of their subjects. Both Khafre and Augustus are portrayed in an idealized manner, designed to give the impression of nobility, timelessness, and divinity. The two statues were the political advertisements of their times that showed the public images of reliable leaders who one
The Ancient Middle East the Roman time periods brought about many different works of art. The Votive Statue of Gudea, an Ancient Near Eastern work, and the Augustus of Primaporta, a Roman work, are good representations of art from their respective time periods. The two works have many similarities and differences within their formal elements, iconography, and historical significance to the time periods in which they were crafted.
There is much symmetry between Cleopatra and Dido, both are Africans, both fall in love with a roman, and both lead their men astray. However Anthony remains with her queen, whereas Aeneas leaves
Augustus is well known for developing a wide-spread Roman empire that included the provinces of Egypt, Cyprus, Spain, Gaul and Syria. The Egyptian influence resulted from the Battle of Actium in 31 B.C and negotiations with Mark Antony and Cleopatra VII. Egypt became a Roman province under the direct control of Augustus. He ruled as the pharaoh in Egypt and called himself, “the offspring of the gods.”
In regards to subject matter, both pieces of sculpture are of leaders, Mycerinus and Kha-merer-nebty II were the pharaoh and queen of Egypt around 2500 BCE., and Caesar Augustus was the Emperor of Rome from September 23, 63 BCE to August 19, 14 CE., shown in this work as a general from Primaport, Italy.
He discusses that Roman statues appear greatly similar to those of Ancient Greece, both in material and in style. The statues both from Greece and Roman Republic were made from slabs of marble and bronze. In both cultures, portraits were used as expressions of honor to both the living and the dead. They were often used in funerary spaces and sanctuaries. Stewart supports the same principle that the other critics have stated, that portraits and statues were used primarily by the wealthy and elite members of the republic. They decorated the public spaces of the people, as a reminder of leadership within the community and as a way to honor the authority’s power. Imperial portraits were used as a symbol of devotion and established the presence of a powerful empire, bringing the devotion towards the emperor
Here, we will be looking at a rendition of the high marble statue of Augustus Caesar known as “Augustus of Prima Porta.” Originating from 1st Century A.D., it is said that there is a possibility that the original sculpture could have been of greek descent. Upon a general overview of the sculpture, one can see that Augustus fulfils a millitarial role of some kind. From his very stance to the garments portrayed on him, Augustus is draped in a decorative cuirass and a tunic, accompanied by a figure of Cupid clutching on to his right calf. After taking the general themes of the work into account, one can then began to start unraveling the many symbolic elements embedded into the sculpture that allude to godly themes. Starting from the crown of his head, the very chiselment and structure of his face gives the work a youthful element to it, even though some say that Augustus was around 40 years old. A recurring theme within Greek and Roman culture is the matter of godliness and immortality amongst idolized figures themselves. This idea is usually depicted by displaying powerful human being in a younger light. This
Roman art was also deeply influenced by the art of the Hellenistic world, which had spread to southern Italy and Sicily through the Greek colonies there. The Etruscans and Babylonians can also be seen as inspirations. “With the founding of the Republic, the term Roman art was virtually synonymous with the art of the city of Rome, which still bore the stamp of its Etruscan art” (Honour and Fleming,1999). During the last two centuries, notably that of Greece, Roman art shook off its dependence on Etruscan art. In the last two centuries before Christ, a distinctive Roman manner of building, sculpting, and painting emerged. Indeed, because of the extraordinary geographical extent of the Roman Empire and the number of diverse populations encompassed within its boundaries, “the art and architecture of the Romans was always eclectic and is characterized by varying styles attributable to differing regional tastes and the...
The Romans have adopted many features from the Greek style of art and architecture during the third and second centuries B.C. During that time period the Romans discovered that they have taking a liking to Greek statues, which they placed in many different places. The Roman sculptors then decided to also start making statues alongside the Greeks. The statues that the Romans created were realistic looking with, sometime, unpleasant details of the body. The Greeks made statues with, what they thought of, ideal appearances in the statues figure. Sculpture was possibly considered the highest form of art by the Romans, but figure painting was very high considered as well. Very little of Roman painting has survived the tests of time.
The sculpture is a Roman copy of the original Greek bronze made by artist Polykleitos in 450BC. It is recorded that he made the Doryphoros as an example of perfect proportion. He wrote a book to accompany the statue called, "The Cannon of Proportion, " and countless artists copied the statue because of its perfection. This regal figure was named Doryphoros (Greek for "spearbearer") because it originally held a long spear in its left hand.
Even the few sculptor’s names known to us, usually by chance, from the imperial period are Greek names and seem to confirm the assumption that these artists’ work should be regarded simply as a late phase of Greek art” (Hanfmann, 12). The Greeks were the first western culture to figure out how to accurately depict the human form which they did through the use of geometric ratios. It is also widely accepted that it was even Greek artists who first made marble portraits for the Romans as the Romans originally had no skill with the stone. “It was certainly at first Greek artists who were entrusted by eminent Romans with the execution of portraits of themselves and of important personalities in the Roman state, just as it was Greeks who depicted Aemilius Paulus victory at Pydna and later were largely responsible for the portraits of the emperors” (Kahler 16). The Romans mainly used terracotta for their sculptures and it was only when Augustus reigned that the marble quarries at Carrara were opened and marble was used on a large scale. The Romans inherited the use of realistic proportions, the sense of movement (contrapposto), and the overall beauty of Greek sculptures. A great example of Roman sculpture that was clearly carved by a Greek artist who was familiar with the Hellenistic styles of Greece, is the Relief of the Wedding of Amphitrite and Neptune. It “shows a mythological