Ancient Greek goddesses who helped artists, sculptors and painters. Antique sculpture: on the way to the soul

Ancient Greek sculpture is the leading standard in world sculptural art, which continues to inspire modern sculptors to create artistic masterpieces. Frequent themes of sculptures and stucco compositions of ancient Greek sculptors were the battles of great heroes, mythology and legends, rulers and ancient Greek gods.

Greek sculpture received particular development in the period from 800 to 300 BC. e. This area of ​​sculptural creativity drew early inspiration from Egyptian and Middle Eastern monumental art and evolved over the centuries into a uniquely Greek vision of the form and dynamics of the human body.

Greek painters and sculptors achieved the pinnacle of artistic excellence that captured the elusive features of a person and showcased them in a way that no one else had ever been able to show. Greek sculptors were particularly interested in proportion, balance, and the idealized perfection of the human body, and their stone and bronze figures became some of the most recognizable works of art ever produced by any civilization.

The Origin of Sculpture in Ancient Greece

From the 8th century BC, archaic Greece saw an increase in the production of small solid figures made of clay, ivory and bronze. Of course, wood was also a widely used material, but its susceptibility to erosion prevented wooden products from being mass-produced as they did not exhibit the necessary durability. Bronze figures, human heads, mythical monsters, and in particular griffins, were used as decoration and handles for bronze vessels, cauldrons and bowls.

In style, Greek human figures have expressive geometric lines, which can often be found on pottery of the time. The bodies of warriors and gods are depicted with elongated limbs and a triangular torso. Also, ancient Greek creations are often decorated with animal figures. Many of them have been found throughout Greece at sites of refuge such as Olympia and Delphi, indicating their general function as amulets and objects of worship.

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The oldest Greek limestone stone sculptures date back to the mid-7th century BC and were found at Thera. During this period, bronze figures appeared more and more often. From the point of view of the author's plan, the subjects of the sculptural compositions became more and more complex and ambitious and could already depict warriors, scenes from battles, athletes, chariots and even musicians with instruments of that period.

Marble sculpture appears at the beginning of the 6th century BC. The first life-size monumental marble statues served as monuments dedicated to heroes and nobles, or were located in sanctuaries where symbolic worship of the gods was carried out.

The earliest large stone figures found in Greece depicted young men dressed in women's clothing, accompanied by a cow. The sculptures were static and crude, as in Egyptian monumental statues, the arms were placed straight at the sides, the legs were almost together, and the eyes looked straight ahead without any special facial expression. These rather static figures slowly evolved through the detailing of the image. Talented craftsmen emphasized the smallest details of the image, such as hair and muscles, thanks to which the figures began to come to life.

A characteristic posture for Greek statues was a position in which the arms are slightly bent, which gives them tension in the muscles and veins, and one leg (usually the right) is slightly moved forward, giving a sense of dynamic movement of the statue. This is how the first realistic images of the human body in dynamics appeared.

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Painting and staining of ancient Greek sculpture

By the early 19th century, systematic excavations of ancient Greek sites had revealed many sculptures with traces of multicolored surfaces, some of which were still visible. Despite this, influential art historians such as Johann Joachim Winckelmann objected so strongly to the idea of ​​painted Greek sculpture that proponents of painted statues were labeled eccentrics and their views were largely suppressed for over a century.

Only the published scientific papers of the German archaeologist Windzenik Brinkmann in the late 20th and early 21st centuries described the discovery of a number of famous ancient Greek sculptures. Using high-intensity lamps, ultraviolet light, specially designed cameras, plaster casts and some powdered minerals, Brinkmann proved that the entire Parthenon, including the main part, as well as the statues, were painted in different colors. He then chemically and physically analyzed the original paint's pigments to determine its composition.

Brinkmann created several multi-colored replicas of Greek statues that were toured around the world. The collection included copies of many works of Greek and Roman sculpture, demonstrating that the practice of painting sculpture was the norm and not the exception in Greek and Roman art.

The museums in which the exhibits were exhibited noted the great success of the exhibition among visitors, which is due to some discrepancy between the usual snow-white Greek athletes and the brightly colored statues that they actually were. Exhibition venues include the Glyptothek Museum in Munich, the Vatican Museum and the National Archaeological Museum in Athens. The collection made its American debut at Harvard University in the fall of 2007.

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Stages of the formation of Greek sculpture

The development of sculptural art in Greece went through several significant stages. Each of them was reflected in the sculpture with its own characteristic features, noticeable even to non-professionals.

Geometric stage

It is believed that the earliest incarnation of Greek sculpture was in the form of wooden cult statues, first described by Pausanias. No evidence of this survives, and descriptions of them are vague, despite the fact that they were likely objects of veneration for hundreds of years.

The first real evidence of Greek sculpture was found on the island of Euboea and dates back to 920 BC. It was a statue of a Lefkandi centaur by an unknown terracotta sculpture. The statue was collected in parts, having been deliberately broken and buried in two separate graves. The centaur has a distinct mark (wound) on his knee. This allowed researchers to suggest that the statue may depict Chiron wounded by the arrow of Hercules. If this is indeed true, this may be considered the earliest known description of the myth in the history of Greek sculpture.

The sculptures of the Geometric period (approximately 900 to 700 BC) were small figurines made of terracotta, bronze and ivory. Typical sculptural works of this era are represented by many examples of equestrian statues. However, the subject repertoire is not limited to men and horses, as some found examples of statues and stucco from the period depict images of deer, birds, beetles, hares, griffins and lions.

There are no inscriptions on early period geometric sculpture until the early 7th century BC statue of Mantiklos "Apollo" found at Thebes. The sculpture represents a figure of a standing man with an inscription at his feet. This inscription is a kind of instruction to help each other and return good for good.

Archaic period

Inspired by the monumental stone sculpture of Egypt and Mesopotamia, the Greeks began carving in stone again. The individual figures share the solidity and frontal stance characteristic of oriental models, but their forms are more dynamic than those of Egyptian sculpture. Examples of sculptures from this period are the statues of Lady Auxerre and the torso of Hera (early archaic period - 660-580 BC, exhibited in the Louvre, Paris).

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Such figures had one characteristic feature in their facial expression - an archaic smile. This expression, which has no specific relevance to the person or situation depicted, may have been the artist's tool to give the figures an animated, "live" quality.

During this period, sculpture was dominated by three types of figures: a standing naked youth, a standing girl dressed in traditional Greek attire, and a seated woman. They emphasize and summarize the main features of the human figure and show an increasingly accurate understanding and knowledge of human anatomy.

Ancient Greek statues of naked youths, in particular the famous Apollo, were often presented in enormous sizes, which was supposed to show power and masculine strength. These statues show much more detail of the musculature and skeletal structure than the early geometric works. The clothed girls have a wide range of facial expressions and poses, as in the sculptures of the Athenian Acropolis. Their drapery is carved and painted with the delicacy and care characteristic of the details of sculpture of this period.

The Greeks decided very early on that the human figure was the most important subject of artistic endeavor. It is enough to remember that their gods have a human appearance, which means that there was no difference between the sacred and the secular in art - the human body was both secular and sacred at the same time. A male nude without character reference could just as easily become Apollo or Hercules, or depict a mighty Olympian.

As with pottery, the Greeks did not produce sculpture just for artistic display. Statues were created to order, either by aristocrats and nobles, or by the state, and were used for public memorials, to decorate temples, oracles and sanctuaries (as is often proven by ancient inscriptions on statues). The Greeks also used sculptures as grave markers. Statues in the Archaic period were not intended to represent specific people. These were images of ideal beauty, piety, honor or sacrifice. This is why sculptors have always created sculptures of young people, ranging from adolescence to early adulthood, even when they were placed on the graves of (presumably) older citizens.

Classical period

The Classical period brought a revolution in Greek sculpture, sometimes associated by historians with radical changes in socio-political life - the introduction of democracy and the end of the aristocratic era. The Classical period brought with it changes in the style and function of sculpture, as well as a dramatic increase in the technical skill of Greek sculptors in depicting realistic human forms.

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The poses also became more natural and dynamic, especially at the beginning of the period. It was during this time that Greek statues increasingly began to depict real people, rather than vague interpretations of myths or completely fictional characters. Although the style in which they were presented had not yet developed into a realistic portrait form. The statues of Harmodius and Aristogeiton, created in Athens, symbolize the overthrow of aristocratic tyranny and, according to historians, become the first public monuments to show the figures of real people.

The classical period also saw the flourishing of stucco art and the use of sculptures as decoration for buildings. Characteristic temples of the classical era, such as the Parthenon at Athens and the Temple of Zeus at Olympia, used relief molding for decorative friezes and wall and ceiling decoration. The complex aesthetic and technical challenges faced by sculptors of that period contributed to the creation of sculptural innovations. Most of the works of that period have survived only in the form of individual fragments, for example, the stucco decoration of the Parthenon is today partly in the British Museum.

Funeral sculpture made a huge leap during this period, from the rigid and impersonal statues of the Archaic period to the highly personal family groups of the Classical era. These monuments are usually found in the suburbs of Athens, which in ancient times were cemeteries on the outskirts of the city. Although some of them depict “ideal” types of people (a yearning mother, an obedient son), they increasingly become the personification of real people and, as a rule, show that the deceased leaves this world with dignity, leaving his family. This is a noticeable increase in the level of emotions relative to the archaic and geometric eras.

Another noticeable change is the flourishing of the creativity of talented sculptors, whose names have gone down in history. All information known about sculptures in the Archaic and Geometric periods focuses on the works themselves, and rarely is attention given to their authors.

Hellenistic period

The transition from the classical to the Hellenistic (or Greek) period occurred in the 4th century BC. Greek art became increasingly diverse under the influence of the cultures of the peoples involved in the Greek orbit and the conquests of Alexander the Great (336-332 BC). According to some art historians, this led to a decrease in the quality and originality of the sculpture, although people of the time may not have shared this opinion.

It is known that many sculptures previously considered the geniuses of the classical era were actually created during the Hellenistic period. The technical ability and talent of Hellenistic sculptors is evident in such major works as the Winged Victory of Samothrace and the Pergamon Altar. New centers of Greek culture, especially in sculpture, developed in Alexandria, Antioch, Pergamon and other cities. By the 2nd century BC, the growing power of Rome had also absorbed much of the Greek tradition.

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During this period, sculpture again experienced a shift towards naturalism. The heroes for creating sculptures now became ordinary people - men, women with children, animals and domestic scenes. Many of the creations from this period were commissioned by wealthy families to decorate their homes and gardens. Lifelike figures of men and women of all ages were created, and sculptors no longer felt obligated to depict people as ideals of beauty or physical perfection.

At the same time, the new Hellenistic cities that arose in Egypt, Syria and Anatolia needed statues depicting the gods and heroes of Greece for their temples and public places. This led to sculpture, like ceramics, becoming an industry, with subsequent standardization and some decline in quality. That is why many more Hellenistic creations have survived to this day than the era of the classical period.

Along with the natural shift towards naturalism, there was also a shift in the expression and emotional embodiment of the sculptures. The heroes of the statues began to express more energy, courage and strength. A simple way to appreciate this shift in expression is to compare the most famous works created during the Hellenistic period with the sculptures of the classical phase. One of the most famous masterpieces of the classical period is the sculpture “The Carrier of Delphi”, expressing humility and submission. At the same time, the sculptures of the Hellenistic period reflect strength and energy, which is especially clearly expressed in the work “Jockey of Artemisia”.

The most famous Hellenistic sculptures in the world are the Winged Victory of Samothrace (1st century BC) and the statue of Aphrodite from the island of Melos, better known as the Venus de Milo (mid-2nd century BC). These statues depict classical subjects and themes, but their execution is much more sensual and emotional than the austere spirit of the classical period and its technical skills allowed.

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Hellenistic sculpture also underwent an increase in scale, culminating in the Colossus of Rhodes (late 3rd century), which historians believe was comparable in size to the Statue of Liberty. A series of earthquakes and robberies destroyed this heritage of Ancient Greece, like many other major works of this period, the existence of which is described in the literary works of contemporaries.

After the conquests of Alexander the Great, Greek culture spread to India, as shown by the excavations of Ai-Khanum in eastern Afghanistan. Greco-Buddhist art represented an intermediate stage between Greek art and the visual expression of Buddhism. Discoveries made since the late 19th century regarding the ancient Egyptian city of Heracles have revealed the remains of a statue of Isis dating back to the 4th century BC.

The statue depicts the Egyptian goddess in an unusually sensual and subtle way. This is uncharacteristic of the sculptors of that area, because the image is detailed and feminine, symbolizing the combination of Egyptian and Hellenistic forms during the time of Alexander the Great's conquest of Egypt.

Ancient Greek sculpture is the progenitor of all world art! To this day, the masterpieces of Ancient Greece attract millions of tourists and art connoisseurs seeking to touch timeless beauty and talent.

An interesting hypothesis regarding the ancient Greek miracle was found on the blog of sculptor Nigel Konstam: he believes that the ancient statues were casts of living people, since otherwise it is impossible to explain such a rapid transition from the production of static statues of the Egyptian type to the perfect realistic art of transmitting movement, which occurs between 500 and 450 BC.

Nigel confirms his hypothesis by examining the feet of ancient statues, comparing them with plaster prints and wax castings made from modern sitters standing in a given pose. The deformation of the material on the feet confirms his hypothesis that the Greeks did not make statues as before, but began to use casts of living people instead.
Konstama first learned about this hypothesis from the film “Athens. The Truth about Democracy,” searched for material on the Internet and this is what she found.

Nigel made a video explaining his hypothesis regarding the ancient casts and it can be viewed here http://youtu.be/7fe6PL7yTck in English.
But let's first look at the statues themselves.

Antique kouros statue from the archaic era, approximately 530 BC. seems constrained and tense, then contrapposto was not yet known - the free position of the figure when the balance of rest is created from movements opposite to each other.


Kouros, figure of a youth, early 5th century BC. looks a little more dynamic.

Warriors from Riace, statues from the second quarter of the 5th century BC. 197 cm high - a rare find of original Greek sculpture from the classical period, most of which is known to us from Roman copies. In 1972, Roman engineer Stefano Mariotini, who was snorkeling, found them at the bottom of the sea off the coast of Italy.

These bronze figures were not cast entirely; their parts were fastened together like a construction set, which allows us to learn much more about the technique of creating sculptures of that time. Their pupils are made of gold paste, their eyelashes and teeth are made of silver, their lips and nipples are made of copper, and their eyes are made using bone and glass inlay techniques.
That is, in principle, as scientists have found out, some details of the statues could have been altered several times by casts from living models, albeit enlarged and improved.

It was in the process of studying the gravity-deformed feet of the Warriors from Riace that the sculptor Konstam came up with this idea of ​​​​casts that may have been used by ancient sculptors.

When watching the film "Athens. The Truth about Democracy" I was interested in how the rather fluffy sitter felt when the plaster mold was removed, because many who had to wear the plaster complained that it was painful to remove because they had to tear off their hair.

On the one hand, there are sources from which it is known that in Ancient Greece not only women, but also male athletes removed body hair.
On the other hand, it was their hairiness that distinguished them from women. It is not for nothing that in Aristophanes’ comedy “Women in the National Assembly” one of the heroines who decided to take away power from men says:
- And the first thing I did was throw away the razor.
Farther away, so that I can become rough and shaggy,
Don't look a bit like a woman.

It turns out that if men had their hair removed, it was most likely by those who were professionally involved in sports, and it was precisely such sitters that the sculptors needed.

However, I read about plaster and found out that even in ancient times there were ways to combat this phenomenon: when masks and casts were made, the sitters’ bodies were smeared with special oil ointments, thanks to which the plaster was removed painlessly, even if there was hair on the body. That is, the technique of making casts not only from a dead, but also from a living person in ancient times was indeed well known in Egypt, however, it was precisely the transfer of movement and copying of a person that was not considered beautiful there.

But for the Hellenes, the beautiful human body, perfect in its nakedness, seemed to be the greatest value and object of worship. Perhaps that is why they did not see anything reprehensible in using casts from such a body to make works of art.


Phryne in front of the Areopagus. J.L. Jerome. 1861, Hamburg, Germany.
On the other hand, they could well accuse the sculptor of impiety and insulting the gods because he used a hetera as a model for the statue of the goddess. In the case of Praxiteles, Phryne was accused of atheism. But would a non-heterosexual agree to pose for him?
The Areopagus acquitted her in 340 BC, however, after, during a speech in her defense, the orator Hyperides presented the original - naked Phryne, pulling off her chiton and rhetorically asking how such beauty could be guilty. After all, the Greeks believed that a beautiful body has an equally beautiful soul.
It is possible that even before Praxiteles, goddesses were depicted naked, and the judges could have considered it wickedness that the goddess looked too much like Phryne, as if one to one, and accusing the hetaera herself of atheism was only a pretext? Maybe they knew or guessed about the possibilities of working with plaster casts of a living person? And then an unnecessary question could arise: who do they worship in the temple - Phryne or the goddess.

Using photography, a modern computer artist “revitalized” Phryne, that is, of course, the statue of Aphrodite of Knidos, and more specifically, her copy, since the original has not reached us.
And, as we know, the ancient Greeks painted statues, so it may well be that the hetaera could have looked like this if her skin had been slightly yellowish, for which, according to some sources, she was nicknamed Phryne.
Although in this case our contemporary is competing with Nicias, an artist, of course, and not a commander, to whom there is an incorrect link on Wikipedia. After all, when asked which of his works Praxiteles considered the best, according to legend, he answered that those painted by Nicias.
By the way, this phrase remained mysterious for many centuries to those who did not know or did not believe that completed Greek sculptures were not white.
But it seems to me that the statue of Aphrodite itself was unlikely to be painted that way, because scientists claim that the Greeks painted them quite colorfully.

Rather, approximately the same way Apollo is painted from the exhibition The Motley Gods "Bunte Götter".

And imagine how strange the sitter felt when he saw people worshiping him in the form of a god.
Or not him, but his copy, which the artist proportionally enlarged, brightly colored and corrected minor physical inconsistencies and shortcomings in accordance with the canon of Polykleitos? It's your body, but bigger and better. Or is it no longer yours? Could he believe that the statue made of him was a statue of a god?

In one of the articles I also read about a huge number of plaster blanks in an ancient Greek workshop for copies prepared for shipment to Rome, which were discovered by archaeologists. Maybe these were also casts of people, and not just statues?

I will not insist on Konstam’s hypothesis, which interested me: of course, specialists know better, but there is no doubt that ancient sculptors, like modern ones, used casts of living people and parts of their bodies. Can you really think that the ancient Greeks were so stupid that, knowing what gypsum was, they would not have guessed?
But do you think making copies of living people is art or deception?

D The sculpture of Ancient Greece from the Classical era, the heyday of the polis, is characterized by the following features. The main object of the image is still the human figure. But compared to archaic sculpture, the image becomes more dynamic and anatomically correct. But the figures and faces of the sculptures are still devoid of individual features: these are generalized, abstract images of heavily armed warriors, athletes, athletes, gods and heroes.

Famous sculptors of Ancient Greece

The development of sculpture is directly related to the names of three famous sculptors of Ancient Greece - Myron, Polykleitos and Phidias.

Miron- sculptor of Ancient Greece of the 5th century. BC. worked in bronze. As an artist, his main task was to capture the moments of transition from one movement to another, to notice the culminating moments in these movements. For your famous "Disco thrower", with which we are familiar from a late Roman marble copy, is characterized by a careful, but somewhat generalized rendering of the anatomy of the human body, and the cold beauty of the lines of the figure. In it, Myron completely abandoned the solemn stillness of his model.

Another work of Miron is a group composition "Athena and Silenus Marsyas", installed on the Acropolis of Athens. In it, the artist tried to convey the culminating points of the movement of the human body: Athena, standing in a calm pose, throws the flute she invented, and the wild forest demon is shown in motion, he wants to grab the flute, but Athena stops him. The dynamics of the movement of Marcia's body are suppressed by the immobility and stiffness of the pose of the figure of the goddess Athena.

Polykleitos- another ancient Greek sculptor who also lived in the 5th century BC, he worked in Argos, Athens and Ephesus. He owns numerous images of winning athletes in marble and bronze. In his sculptures, Polykleitos was able to convey the appearance of idealized and courageous hoplite warriors, members of the civil militia of the polis. Polycletus also belongs "Diadumen"- a statue of a young man tying a winner's bandage around his head.

Another theme of his work is images of young warriors who embodied the idea of ​​valor as a citizen. For the heraion in Argos he created an ivory image of the goddess Hera. The sculptures of Polykleitos are characterized by proportionality, which was recognized by contemporaries as a standard.

Phidias- famous sculptor of Ancient Greece of the 5th century BC. He worked in Athens, and... Phidias took an active part in reconstruction in Athens. He was one of the leaders in the construction and decoration of the Parthenon. He created a 12 meter high statue of Athena for the Parthenon. The base of the statue is a wooden figure. Ivory plates were placed on the face and naked parts of the body. Clothing and weapons were covered with almost two tons of gold. This gold served as an emergency reserve in case of unforeseen financial crises.

The pinnacle of Phidias' creativity was his famous statue, 14 meters high. It depicted the Thunderer sitting on a richly decorated throne, his upper torso naked and his lower torso wrapped in a cloak. In one hand Zeus holds a statue of Nike, in the other a symbol of power - a rod. The statue was made of wood, the figure was covered with ivory plates, and the clothes were covered with thin gold sheets. Now you know what kind of sculptors there were in Ancient Greece.

The art of Ancient Greece became the support and foundation on which the entire European civilization grew. The sculpture of Ancient Greece is a special topic. Without ancient sculpture there would be no brilliant masterpieces of the Renaissance, and the further development of this art is difficult to imagine. In the history of the development of Greek ancient sculpture, three large stages can be distinguished: archaic, classical and Hellenistic. Each one has something important and special. Let's look at each of them.

Archaic

"Goddess with Pomegranate", which is kept in the Berlin State Museum, is one of the best preserved archaic sculptures. Despite the external roughness and “wrong” proportions, the viewer’s attention is drawn to the hands of the sculpture, executed brilliantly by the author. The expressive gesture of the sculpture makes it dynamic and especially expressive.

Classic

In the classical era, such famous sculptures as Athena Parthenos, Olympian Zeus, Discobolus, Doryphorus and many others were created. History has preserved for posterity the names of outstanding sculptors of the era: Polykleitos, Phidias, Myron, Scopas, Praxiteles and many others.

The masterpieces of classical Greece are distinguished by harmony, ideal proportions (which indicates excellent knowledge of human anatomy), as well as internal content and dynamics.

Hellenism

Oriental emotionality and temperament penetrates the calm and majesty of the classics.

Aphrodite of Cyrene, decorating the Roman Museum of Baths, is full of sensuality, even some coquetry.

Ancient Greek sculpture occupies a special place among the variety of masterpieces of cultural heritage belonging to this country. It glorifies and embodies, using visual means, the beauty of the human body, its ideal. However, not only smooth lines and grace are the characteristic features that mark ancient Greek sculpture. So great was the skill of its creators that they were able to convey a range of emotions even in cold stone, to give a deep, special meaning to the figures, as if breathing life into them. Each ancient Greek sculpture is endowed with a mystery that still attracts today. The creations of great masters do not leave anyone indifferent.

Like other cultures, it experienced different periods in its development. Each of them was marked by changes in all types of fine arts, including sculpture. Therefore, it is possible to trace the main stages of the formation of this type of art by briefly characterizing the features of ancient Greek sculpture in various periods of the historical development of this country.

Archaic period

Time from 8th to 6th century BC. Ancient Greek sculpture at this time had a certain primitiveness as a characteristic feature. It was observed because the images embodied in the works were not diverse; they were too generalized, called kors, young men - kouros).

Apollo of Tenei

The statue of Apollo Tenaeus is the most famous of all the extant figures of this era. In total, several dozen of them are now known. It is made of marble. Apollo is depicted as a young man with his hands down, his fingers clenched into fists. His eyes are wide open, and his face reflects an archaic smile, typical of sculptures dating from this period.

Female figures

The images of women and girls were distinguished by wavy hair and long clothes, but what attracted them most was their elegance and smooth lines, the embodiment of grace and femininity.

Archaic ancient Greek sculptures were somewhat disproportional and sketchy. Each work, on the other hand, is attractive with its restrained emotionality and simplicity. For this era, the depiction of human figures is characterized, as we have already noted, by a half-smile, which gives them depth and mystery.

Today in the Berlin State Museum, the "Goddess with Pomegranate" is one of the best preserved figures among other archaic sculptures. With the “wrong” proportions and external roughness of the image, the hands, brilliantly executed by the author, attract the attention of the audience. An expressive gesture makes the sculpture especially expressive and dynamic.

"Kouros from Piraeus"

Located in the Athens Museum, "Kouros from Piraeus" is a later, therefore more perfect creation, made by an ancient sculptor. A young powerful warrior appears before us. and a slight tilt of the head indicate the conversation he is having. The disturbed proportions are no longer so striking. Archaic ancient Greek sculptures, as we have already mentioned, have generalized facial features. However, in this figure this is not as noticeable as in creations dating back to the early archaic period.

Classical period

The Classical period is the time from the 5th to the 4th century BC. The works of ancient Greek sculpture at this time underwent some changes, which we will tell you about now. Among the sculptors of this period, one of the most famous figures is Pythagoras of Rhegium.

Features of Pythagoras sculptures

His creations are characterized by realism and liveliness, which were innovative at the time. Some works by this author are even considered too bold for this era (for example, a statue of a boy taking out a splinter). The liveliness of his mind and extraordinary talent allowed this sculptor to study the meaning of harmony using mathematical calculation methods. He conducted them on the basis of the philosophical and mathematical school, which he founded. Pythagoras, using these methods, explored harmony of various natures: musical, architectural structures, the human body. There was a Pythagorean school based on the principle of number. It was this that was considered the basis of the world.

Other sculptors of the classical period

The classical period, in addition to the name of Pythagoras, gave world culture such famous masters as Phidias, Polykleitos and Myron. The works of ancient Greek sculpture by these authors are united by the following general principle - displaying the harmony of the ideal body and the beautiful soul contained in it. This principle is the main one that guided various masters of that time when creating their creations. Ancient Greek sculpture is the ideal of harmony and beauty.

Miron

Great influence on the art of Athens in the 5th century BC. e. were rendered by the works of Myron (just remember the famous Discus thrower, made of bronze). This master, unlike Polykleitos, whom we will talk about later, loved to depict figures in motion. For example, in the above statue of the Discobolus, dating back to the 5th century BC. e., he depicted a handsome young man at the moment when he swung his hand to throw the disc. His body is tense and curved, caught in the movement, like a spring ready to unfold. Trained muscles bulged under the elastic skin of the arm pulled back. Forming a reliable support, we pressed deep into the sand. This is the ancient Greek sculpture (Discobolus). The statue was cast from bronze. However, only a marble copy made by the Romans from the original has reached us. The image below shows a statue of the Minotaur by this sculptor.

Polykleitos

The ancient Greek sculpture of Polykleitos has the following characteristic feature - the figure of a man standing with his arm raised up on one leg is characterized by balance. An example of its masterful embodiment is the statue of Doryphoros the spear-bearer. In his works, Polykleitos sought to combine ideal physical characteristics with spirituality and beauty. This desire inspired him to publish his treatise called “The Canon,” which, unfortunately, has not survived to this day.

The statues of Polykleitos are full of intense life. He loved to depict athletes at rest. For example, the “Spearman” is a man of powerful build who is full of self-esteem. He stands motionless in front of the viewer. However, this peace is not static, characteristic of ancient Egyptian statues. Like a person who easily and skillfully controls his own body, the spearman bent his leg a little, moving it to the other weight of the body. It seems that it won't be long before he turns his head and steps forward. Before us appears a handsome, strong man, free from fear, restrained, proud - the embodiment of the ideals of the Greeks.

Phidias

Phidias can rightfully be considered a great creator, creator of sculpture dating back to the 5th century BC. e. It was he who was able to master the art of bronze casting to perfection. Phidias cast 13 sculptural figures, which became worthy decorations of the Delphic Temple of Apollo. The statue of Virgin Athena in the Parthenon, whose height is 12 meters, is also among the works of this master. It is made of ivory and pure gold. This technique of making statues was called chryso-elephantine.

The sculptures of this master especially reflect the fact that in Greece the gods are images of an ideal person. Of the works of Phidias, the best preserved is the 160-meter marble relief frieze ribbon, which depicts the procession of the goddess Athena heading to the Parthenon Temple.

Athena statue

The sculpture of this temple was badly damaged. Even in ancient times, this figure died inside the temple. It was created by Phidias. The ancient Greek sculpture of Athena had the following features: her head with a rounded chin and a smooth, low forehead, as well as her arms and neck were made of ivory, and her helmet, shield, clothes and hair were made of sheets of gold.

There are many stories associated with this figure. So famous and great was this masterpiece that Phidias immediately had many envious people who tried in every possible way to annoy the sculptor, for which they looked for reasons to accuse him of anything. This master, for example, was accused of allegedly concealing part of the gold intended for the sculpture of Athena. To prove his innocence, Phidias removed all the gold objects from the statue and weighed them. This weight coincided exactly with the amount of gold provided to him. Then the sculptor was accused of godlessness. Athena's shield caused this. It depicted a battle scene with the Amazons of the Greeks. Phidias depicted himself among the Greeks, as well as Pericles. The Greek public, despite all the merits of this master, still opposed him. The life of this sculptor ended with a brutal execution.

Phidias' achievements were not limited to sculptures made in the Parthenon. Thus, he created a bronze figure of Athena Promachos, which was erected around 460 BC. e. in the Acropolis.

Zeus statue

Phidias came to true fame after this master created a statue of Zeus for the temple located in Olympia. The height of the figure was 13 meters. Many originals, unfortunately, have not survived; only their descriptions and copies have survived to this day. This was largely due to the fanatical destruction by Christians. The statue of Zeus did not survive either. It can be described as follows: a 13-meter figure sat on a golden throne. The god's head was decorated with a wreath of olive branches, which was a symbol of his love of peace. The chest, arms, shoulders, and face were made of ivory. Zeus' cloak is draped over his left shoulder. The beard and crown are made of sparkling gold. This is this ancient Greek sculpture, briefly described. It seems that God, if he stood up and straightened his shoulders, would not fit in this vast hall - the ceiling would be low for him.

Hellenistic period

The stages of development of ancient Greek sculpture are completed by the Hellenistic. This period is a time in the history of Ancient Greece from the 4th to the 1st century BC. Sculpture at this time still had the main purpose of decorating various architectural structures. But it also reflected the changes taking place in government.

In sculpture, which was one of the main forms of art at that time, many trends and schools arose. They existed in Rhodes, Pergamon, and Alexandria. The best works presented by these schools reflect the problems that worried the minds of the people of that era at that time. These images, in contrast to the classical calm sense of purpose, carry passionate pathos, emotional tension, and dynamics.

Late Greek antiquity is characterized by a strong influence of the East on all art in general. New features of ancient Greek sculpture appear: numerous details, exquisite draperies, complex angles. The greatness and tranquility of the classics is penetrated by the temperament and emotionality of the East.

The Baths of Aphrodite of Cyrene, located in the Roman Museum, is full of sensuality and some coquetry.

"Laocoon and his sons"

The most famous sculptural composition belonging to this era is “Laocoon and His Sons”, made by Agesander of Rhodes. This masterpiece is today kept in the Vatican Museum. The composition is full of drama, and the plot suggests emotionality. The hero and his sons, desperately resisting the snakes sent by Athena, seem to understand their terrible fate. This sculpture was made with extraordinary precision. The figures are realistic and plastic. The faces of the characters make a strong impression.

Three great sculptors

In the works of sculptors dating back to the 4th century BC. e., the humanistic ideal is preserved, but the unity of the civil collective disappears. Ancient Greek sculptures and their authors are losing the feeling of fullness of life and the integrity of their worldview. Great masters who lived in the 4th century BC. e., create art that reveals new facets of the spiritual world. These searches were expressed most clearly by three authors - Lysippos, Praxiteles and Scopas.

Skopas

Skopas became the most prominent figure among the other sculptors working at that time. His art breathes deep doubt, struggle, anxiety, impulse and passion. This native of the island of Paros worked in many cities in Hellas. The skill of this author was embodied in a statue called "Nike of Samothrace". This name was received in memory of the victory in 306 BC. e. Rhodesian fleet. This figure is installed on a pedestal, reminiscent in design of a ship’s bow.

Skopas's "Dancing Maenad" is presented in a dynamic, complex perspective.

Praxiteles

This author sang the sensual beauty of the body and the joy of life. Praxiteles enjoyed great fame and was rich. The statue of Aphrodite that he made for the island of Cnidus brought this sculptor the greatest fame. She was the first depiction of a nude goddess in Greek art. The beautiful Phryne, the famous hetaera, beloved of Praxiteles, served as a model for the statue of Aphrodite. This girl was accused of blasphemy, and then acquitted by judges admiring her beauty. Praxiteles is a singer of female beauty, which was revered by the Greeks. Unfortunately, Aphrodite of Cnidus is known to us only from copies.

Leohar

Leochares is an Athenian master, the greatest of Praxiteles' contemporaries. This sculptor, working in various Hellenic cities, created mythological scenes and images of gods. He made several portrait statues in the chryso-elephantine technique, depicting members of the king's family. After this, he became the court master of Alexander the Great, his son. At this time, Leochares created a statue of Apollo, very popular in antiquity. It was preserved in a marble copy made by the Romans, and received world fame under the name of Apollo Belvedere. Leohar demonstrates virtuoso technique in all his creations.

After the reign of Alexander the Great, the Hellenistic era became a period of rapid flowering of portrait art. Statues of various speakers, poets, philosophers, generals, and statesmen were erected in city squares. The masters wanted to achieve external similarity and at the same time emphasize the features in the appearance that turn a portrait into a typical image.

Other sculptors and their creations

Classical sculptures became examples of various creations of masters who worked in the Hellenistic era. Gigantomania is clearly visible in the works of that time, that is, the desire to embody the desired image in a huge statue. It manifests itself especially often when ancient Greek sculptures of gods are created. The statue of the god Helios is a prime example of this. It is made of gilded bronze and stood at the entrance of the Rhodes harbor. The height of the sculpture is 32 meters. Hares, a student of Lysippos, worked on it tirelessly for 12 years. This work of art has rightfully taken an honorable place in the list of wonders of the world.

After the capture of Ancient Greece by the Roman conquerors, many statues were taken outside the country. Not only sculptures, but also masterpieces of painting, collections of imperial libraries and other cultural objects suffered this fate. Many people working in the fields of education and science were captured. Thus, various Greek elements were woven into the culture of Ancient Rome, having a significant influence on its development.

Conclusion

Of course, the different periods of development that Ancient Greece experienced made their own adjustments to the process of sculpture formation, but one thing united masters belonging to different eras - the desire to comprehend spatiality in art, the love of expressing the plasticity of the human body using various techniques. The ancient Greek sculpture, the photo of which is presented above, unfortunately, has only partially survived to this day. Marble was often used as a material for figures, despite its fragility. This was the only way to convey the beauty and elegance of the human body. Bronze, although a more reliable and noble material, was used much less frequently.

Ancient Greek sculpture and painting are unique and interesting. Various examples of art give an idea of ​​the spiritual life of this country.