Ancient Greece was one of the greatest states in the world. During its existence and on its territory, the foundations of European art were laid. The preserved cultural monuments of that period testify to the highest achievements of the Greeks in the field of architecture, philosophical thought, poetry and, of course, sculpture. Little scripts have survived: time does not spare even the most unique creations. We know a lot about the craftsmanship that the ancient sculptors of Ancient Greece were famous for thanks to written sources and later Roman copies. However, this information is enough to realize the importance of the contribution of the inhabitants of the Peloponnese to world culture.
Periods
The sculptors of ancient Greece were not always great creators. The era of the heyday of their skill was preceded by the period of the archaic (VII-VI centuries BC). The sculptures of that time that reached us are distinguished by symmetry and static. They do not have the vitality and hidden internal movement that makes the statues look like frozen people. All the beauty of these early works is expressed through the face. It is no longer as static as the body: a smile radiates a sense of joy and serenity, giving a special sound to the whole sculpture.
After the completion of archaic, the most fruitful time follows, in which the ancient sculptors of Ancient Greece created their most famous works. It is divided into several periods:
- early classics - the beginning of the 5th century BC e .;
- high classics - V century BC e .;
- late classics - IV century BC e .;
- Hellenism - the end of the 4th century BC e. - I century n e.
Transition time
An early classic is the period when the sculptors of Ancient Greece begin to move away from static in the position of the body, to look for new ways to express their ideas. Proportions are filled with natural beauty, poses become more dynamic, and faces expressive.
The sculptor of Ancient Greece Miron created precisely in this period. In written sources, he is characterized as a master of the transfer of the anatomically correct body structure, capable of capturing reality with high accuracy. Contemporaries of Miron also pointed out its flaws: in their opinion, the sculptor did not know how to add beauty and liveliness to the faces of his creations.
The statues of the master embody heroes, gods and animals. However, the most preferred sculptor of Ancient Greece, Miron gave the image of athletes during their accomplishments in competitions. The famous "Discus" is his creation. The sculpture has not been preserved to this day in the original, but there are several copies of it. "Discus thrower" depicts an athlete preparing to fire his shell. The athlete’s body was perfectly executed: the tense muscles indicate the severity of the disc, the twisted body resembles a spring ready to turn around. It seems another second, and the athlete will throw a shell.
The statues “Athena” and “Marsyas”, which also came to us only in the form of later copies, are considered to be perfectly executed by Miron.
Heyday
Outstanding sculptors of ancient Greece created throughout the period of high classics. At this time, the masters of creating reliefs and statues comprehend both the methods of transmitting movement and the foundations of harmony and proportions. High classics - the formation period of those foundations of Greek sculpture, which later became the standard for many generations of masters, including for the creators of the Renaissance.
At this time, the sculptor of Ancient Greece Poliklet and the brilliant Phidius worked. Both of them forced to admire themselves during their lifetime and have not been forgotten for centuries.
Peace and harmony
Polyclet worked in the second half of the 5th century. BC e. He is known as a master of sculptures depicting athletes at rest. Unlike Miron’s Discus Ball, his athletes are not tense, but relaxed, but the viewer does not have doubts about their power and capabilities.
Polyclletus was the first to apply a special position of the body: his heroes often relied on a pedestal with only one foot. Such a posture created the feeling of natural relaxation characteristic of a resting person.
Canon
The most famous sculpture of Polycletes is considered to be "Dorifor", or "Spear Bear". The work is also called the canon of the master, because it embodies some of the provisions of Pythagoreanism and is an example of a special way of staging a figure, a counterpost. The composition is based on the principle of cross uneven movement of the body: the left side (the hand holding the spear and the leg set back) is relaxed, but at the same time in motion as opposed to the strained and static right (supporting leg and arm straightened along the body).
Polyclet used this technique later in many of his works. Its main principles are set forth in a treatise on aesthetics that has not reached us, written by the sculptor and called him “Canon”. Polycletus devoted a rather large place in it to the principle of the golden ratio, which he also successfully applied in his works when this principle did not contradict the natural parameters of the body.
Recognized Genius
All the ancient sculptors of ancient Greece of the period of high classics left behind admirable creations. However, the most outstanding among them was Phidias, rightfully considered the founder of European art. Unfortunately, most of the master’s works have survived only as copies or descriptions on the pages of treatises of ancient authors.
Phidias worked on the decoration of the Athenian Parthenon. Today, the idea of ​​the sculptor’s skill can be summarized by the preserved marble relief, 1.6 m long. Numerous pilgrims are recorded on it, heading to the temple of Athena. The rest of the Parthenon jewelery perished. The same fate befell the statue of Athena, erected here and created by Phidias. The goddess, made of ivory and gold, symbolized the city itself, its power and greatness.
Wonder of the world
Other outstanding sculptors of Ancient Greece, perhaps, were not much inferior to Phidias, but not one of them could boast of creating a miracle of the world. The statue of Olympian Zeus was made by the master for the city where the famous Games took place. The thunderbolt, seated on a golden throne, was amazing (14 meters). Despite such power, God did not look formidable: Phidias created a calm, majestic and solemn Zeus, somewhat strict, but at the same time kind. The statue before its death for nine centuries attracted many pilgrims who sought solace.
Late classic
With the completion of V c. BC e. the sculptors of Ancient Greece did not run dry. The names Skopas, Praxiteles and Lysippos are known to everyone who is interested in ancient art. They worked in the next period, called the late classics. The works of these masters develop and complement the achievements of the previous era. Each in their own way, they transform the sculpture, enriching it with new plots, ways of working with material and options for conveying emotions.
Seething passions
Scopas can be called an innovator for several reasons. The great sculptors of Ancient Greece preceding him preferred to use bronze as a material. Skopas created his creations mainly from marble. Instead of the traditional calm and harmony with which the famous sculptors of Ancient Greece filled their works, the master chose expression. His creations are full of passions and experiences, they are more like real people than equanimous gods.
The most famous work of Skopas is the frieze of the mausoleum in Halicarnassus. It depicts amazonomachy - the struggle of the heroes of Greek myths with warlike Amazons. The main features of the style inherent in the master are clearly visible by the preserved fragments of this creation.
Smoothness
Another sculptor of this period, Praxiteles, is considered the best Greek master in terms of transmitting body grace and inner spirituality. One of his outstanding works - Aphrodite of Cnidus - was recognized by the contemporaries of the master as the best creation ever created. The marble statue of the goddess became the first monumental image of a naked female body. The original of it did not reach us.
The features of the style characteristic of Praxiteles are fully visible in the statue of Hermes. With a special staging of a naked body, smooth lines and soft tones of marble, the master managed to create a somewhat dreamy mood that literally envelops the sculpture.
Attention to detail
At the end of the late classic era, another famous Greek sculptor, Lysippus, worked. His creations were distinguished by special naturalism, careful elaboration of details, and some elongation of proportions. Lysippos sought to create statues full of grace and elegance. He honed his skills, studying the canon of Polycletus. Contemporaries noted that the work of Lysippos, unlike Dorifor, gave the impression of a more compact and balanced. According to legend, the master was the favorite creator of Alexander the Great.
The influence of the East
A new stage in the development of sculpture begins at the end of the 4th century. BC e. The border between the two periods is considered the time of the conquests of Alexander the Great. With them, the era of Hellenism actually begins, which was a combination of the art of Ancient Greece and the eastern countries.
The sculptures of this period are based on the achievements of masters of previous centuries. Hellenistic art gave the world such works as Nika of Samothrace and Venus of Milos. At the same time, the famous reliefs of the Pergamon Altar appeared. In some works of late Hellenism, an appeal to everyday subjects and details is noticeable. The culture of ancient Greece of this time had a strong influence on the formation of the art of the Roman Empire.
Finally
The value of antiquity as a source of spiritual and aesthetic ideals cannot be overestimated. Ancient sculptors in Ancient Greece laid not only the foundations of their own craft, but also the standards for understanding the beauty of the human body. They managed to solve the problem of the image of movement by changing the posture and moving the center of gravity. The ancient sculptors of Ancient Greece learned to convey emotions and feelings with the help of a processed stone, to create not just statues, but practically living figures, ready at any moment to move, sigh, smile. All these achievements will form the basis of the heyday of culture in the Renaissance.