Sculpture of ancient Greece of the classical period. sculpture greece classical era art ancient greece sculpture

Subject: Outstanding Sculptors of Ancient Greece.

Target: The study of the main stages in the development of ancient Greek sculpture.

New words:

MIMESIS"- similarity.

Kalokagatiya (gr. kalos- lovely + agathos Kind).

Kuros and bark - created in the era of archaic men. and female figures (up to 3 m.) Mimesis - similarity. Caryatid - (Greek karyatis) - a sculptural image of a standing female figure that serves as a support for a beam in a building (or figuratively expresses this function).

germs – stone pylons with "hands", placed at the main entrance to the house.

Questions.

Sculptural canons of Polikleitos and Miron.

Sculptures of Scopas and Praxiteles.

Lysippus and Leochar.

Hellenistic sculpture.

During the classes.

1. Actualization of students' knowledge about the architecture of Ancient Greece.

2. The message of the topic, the purpose of the lesson.

The Greeks always believed that only in a beautiful body can a beautiful soul live. Therefore, the harmony of the body, external perfection - an indispensable condition and basis of an ideal person. The Greek ideal is defined by the term kalokagatiya(gr. kalos- lovely + agathos Kind). Since kalokagatiya includes the perfection of both bodily constitution and spiritual and moral disposition, then along with beauty and strength, the ideal carries justice, chastity, courage and reasonableness. This is what makes the Greek gods, sculpted by ancient sculptors, uniquely beautiful.

Despite the similarity of the sculptures of the VI and V centuries. BC, they also have characteristic differences:

There is no longer the numbness, the schematism of archaic sculptures;

The statues become more realistic.

Sculptural canons of Polikleitos and Miron .

1. A hymn to the greatness and spiritual power of Man;

2. Favorite image - a slender young man with an athletic physique;

3. Spiritual and physical appearance are harmonious, there is nothing superfluous, "nothing beyond measure."

The most famous sculptors of the High Classical era are Polykleitos and Myron.

Polykleitos - An ancient Greek sculptor and art theorist who worked in Argos in the 2nd half of the 5th century BC.

Poliklet loved to depict athletes at rest, he specialized in depicting athletes, Olympic winners.

"Dorifor"("Spearman")

Poliklet was the first to think of giving the figures such a statement that they rested on the lower part of only one leg. (An early example of a classical contraposto is Doryphorus). Polykleitos he knew how to show the human body in a state of balance - his human figure at rest or a slow step seems to be mobile and animated due to the fact that the horizontal axes are not parallel.

The statues of Polykleitos are full of intense life. Polikleitos liked to depict athletes at rest. Take the same "Spearman". This powerfully built man is full of self-esteem. He stands motionless in front of the viewer. But this is not the static rest of ancient Egyptian statues. Like a man who skillfully and easily controls his body, the spearman slightly bent one leg and shifted the weight of his body to the other. It seems that a moment will pass and he will take a step forward, turn his head, proud of his beauty and strength. Before us is a man strong, handsome, free from fear, proud, restrained - the embodiment of Greek ideals.

Artworks:

2. "Diadumen" ("Young man tying a bandage").

"Wounded Amazon"

Colossal statue of Hera in Argos. It was made in the chrysoelephantine technique and was perceived as a pandan to Olympian Zeus Phidias.

The sculptures have been lost and are known from surviving ancient Roman copies.

1.By order of the priests of the Temple of Artemis of Ephesus c. 440 BC Poliklet created a statue of a wounded Amazon, taking first place in the competition, where, in addition to him, Phidias and Cresilaus participated. An idea of it is given by copies - a relief discovered in Ephesus, as well as statues in Berlin, Copenhagen and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The legs of the Amazon are set, just like those of Doryphorus, but the free arm does not hang along the body, but is thrown behind the head; the other hand supports the body, leaning on the column. The pose is harmonious and balanced, but Poliklet did not take into account the fact that if a wound gapes under the right chest of a person, his right hand cannot be raised high up. Apparently, the beautiful, harmonious form interested him more than the plot or the transmission of feelings. The same care is imbued with the careful development of the folds of the short tunic of the Amazon.

2. Then Policlet worked in Athens, where approx. 420 BC he created Diadumen, a young man with a bandage around his head. In this work, which was called a gentle youth, in contrast to the courageous Doryphoros, one can feel the influence of the Attic school. Here again the motif of the step is used, despite the fact that both hands are raised and hold the bandage, a movement that would be more suitable for a calm and steady position of the legs. The opposite of the right and left sides is not so pronounced. Facial features and lush locks of hair are much softer than in previous works. The best reproductions of the Diadumen are a copy found on Delos and now in Athens, a statue from Vezon in France, which is kept in the British Museum, and copies in Madrid and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Several terracotta and bronze figurines have also been preserved. The best copies of the head of Diadumen are in Dresden and Kassel.

3. Around 420 BC Poliklet created for the temple in Argos a colossal chrysoelephantine (made of gold and ivory) statue of Hera, seated on a throne. Argive coins can give some idea of what this ancient statue looked like. Next to Hera stood Hebe, sculpted by Naucis, a student of Polykleitos. In the plastic design of the temple, one can feel both the influence of the masters of the Attic school and Polykleitos; perhaps it is the work of his students. Polykleitos' creations lacked the majesty of Phidias' statues, but many critics consider them superior to Phidias in their academic perfection and perfect poise of pose. Polykleitos had numerous students and followers until the era of Lysippus (end of the 4th century BC), who said that Doryphoros was his teacher in art, although he subsequently departed from the canon of Poliklet and replaced it with his own.

Myron he created statues of victorious athletes, correctly and naturally conveyed the human figure, discovered the secret of the plastic concept of movement. But (!!!) his works have only one viewing point. Among his most famous works is the sculptural composition

"Athena and Marsyas", as well as "Discobolus".

Myron was an older contemporary of Phidias and Polykleitos and was considered one of the greatest sculptors of his time. He worked in bronze, but none of his works have survived; they are known mainly from copies. Miron's most famous work is the Discus Thrower. The discus thrower is depicted in a complex pose at the moment of the highest tension before the throw. The sculptor was interested in the shape and proportion of figures in motion. Myron was a master at conveying movement at the climax, the transitional moment. In a laudatory epigram dedicated to his bronze statue of the athlete Ladas, it is emphasized that the panting runner is depicted with unusual vividness. The sculptural group of Myron Athena and Marsyas, which stood on the Athenian Acropolis, is marked by the same skill in conveying movement.

2.Sculptural creations of Scopas and Praxiteles.

4th century BC.

1. Strived for the transfer of vigorous action;

2. They conveyed the feelings and experiences of a person:

Passion

reverie

Love

Fury

Despair

Suffering

SCOPAS (heyday of activity 375–335 BC), Greek sculptor and architect, born on the island of Paros c. 420 BC, possibly. The first work of Scopas known to us is the temple of Athena Alea in Tegea, in the Peloponnese, which had to be rebuilt, since the former burned down in 395 BC. Scopas was part of a group of four sculptors (and may have been the eldest among them) who were commissioned by the widow of Mavsolos Artemisia to create the sculptural part of the Mausoleum (one of the seven wonders of the world) in Halicarnassus, the tomb of her husband. The passion inherent in the works of Scopas is achieved primarily with the help of a new interpretation of the eyes: they are deeply planted and surrounded by heavy folds of the eyelids. Liveliness of movements and bold body positions express intense energy and demonstrate the ingenuity of the master.

The most famous work of Scopas were:

- Scopas . "Amazonomachy".

- Battle of the Greeks with the Amazons. Fragment of the frieze of the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus. Marble. Around 350 BC e. London. British museum.

The relief is magnificent, which depicts a warrior leaning back sharply, trying to resist the onslaught of the Amazon, who grabbed his shield with one hand and inflicted a mortal blow with the other. To the left of this group is an Amazon riding a hot horse. She sits turned back and, apparently, throws a dart at an enemy pursuing her. The horse almost runs over the leaning back warrior. The sharp clash of oppositely directed movements of the rider and the warrior and the unusual landing of the Amazon enhance the overall drama of the composition with their contrasts.

Scopas. Head of a wounded warrior from the western pediment of the temple of Athena-Aleia in Tegea. Marble. First half of the 4th c. BC e. Athens. National Museum.

Scopas. Maenad. Middle 4th c. BC e. Reduced marble Roman copy of a lost original. Dresden. Albertinum.

The marble "Maenad", which has come down to us in a small damaged antique copy, embodies the image of a man possessed by a violent outburst of passion. Not the embodiment of the image of a hero who is able to confidently rule over his passions, but the disclosure of an extraordinary ecstatic passion that embraces a person is characteristic of the Maenad. Interestingly, the Maenad of Scopas, unlike the sculptures of the 5th century, is designed for viewing from all sides.

PRAXITELS (4th century BC),

Praxiteles is an ancient Greek sculptor, one of the greatest Attic sculptors of the 4th century BC. e. The author of the famous compositions "Hermes with the baby Dionysus", "Apollo killing the lizard". Most of Praxiteles' works are known from Roman copies or from descriptions by ancient authors. The sculptures of Praxiteles were painted by the Athenian artist Nikias.

Praxiteles - the first sculptor to depict a naked woman as realistically as possible: the sculpture of Aphrodite of Cnidus, where a naked goddess holds a fallen robe with her hand.

Praxiteles. Head of Aphrodite of Knidos (Aphrodite Kaufmann). Until 360 BC e. Marble Roman copy of a lost original. Berlin. Sobr. Kaufman.

The statue of Aphrodite of Cnidus was considered in antiquity not only the best creation of Praxiteles, but in general the best statue of all time. As Pliny the Elder writes, many came to Knidos just to see her. It was the first monumental image of a completely naked female figure in Greek art, and therefore it was rejected by the inhabitants of Kos, for whom it was intended, after which it was bought by the townspeople of neighboring Cnidus. In Roman times, the image of this statue of Aphrodite was minted on Knidos coins, numerous copies were made from it (the best of them is now in the Vatican, and the best copy of the head of Aphrodite is in the Kaufmann collection in Berlin). In ancient times, it was claimed that the model of Praxiteles was his beloved, hetaera Phryne.

The best idea of the style of Praxiteles gives a statue of Hermes with the infant Dionysus (Museum at Olympia), which was found during excavations in the temple of Hera at Olympia. Despite some doubts, this is almost certainly an original, created c. 340 BC The flexible figure of Hermes gracefully leaned on a tree trunk. The master managed to improve the interpretation of the motif of a man with a child in his arms: the movements of both hands of Hermes are compositionally connected with the baby. Probably, in his right, not preserved hand, there was a bunch of grapes, with which he teased Dionysus, which is why the baby was reaching for it. The figure of Hermes is proportionately built and perfectly worked out, the smiling face is full of liveliness, the profile is graceful, and the smooth surface of the skin contrasts sharply with the schematically outlined hair and the woolly surface of the cloak thrown over the trunk. Hair, drapery, eyes and lips, and sandal straps were painted.

Worse are other statues of Aphrodite attributed to Praxiteles. A copy of the statue chosen by the inhabitants of Kos has not been preserved. Aphrodite from Arles, named after the place of discovery and kept in the Louvre, may not depict Aphrodite, but Phryne. The legs of the statue are hidden by drapery, and the torso is completely exposed; judging by her posture, she held a mirror in her left hand. A few fine statuettes of a woman putting on a necklace have also survived, but again one can see both Aphrodite and a mortal woman in them.

Praxiteles. Artemis from Gabia. About 340-330 years. BC e. Marble Roman copy of a lost original. Paris. Louvre.

In the statue of Artemis, we see examples of solving the motif of a draped human figure. Artemis is depicted here as the patroness of women: she throws a veil over her right shoulder, brought by a woman as a gift for a successful release from a burden.

Praxiteles was an unsurpassed master in conveying the grace of the body and the subtle harmony of the spirit. Most often he portrayed the gods, and even the satyrs, as young; in his work to replace the majesty and sublimity of the images of the 5th century. BC. grace and dreamy tenderness come.

3. Leochar and Lysippus. The art of the pseudo-classical direction was most consistently revealed in the work of Leohara, Leohar, an Athenian by birth, became the court painter of Alexander the Great. It was he who created a number of chrysoelephantine statues of the kings of the Macedonian dynasty for the Philippeion. The cold and pompous classicizing, that is, outwardly imitating classical forms, style of Leochar's works met the needs of the emerging monarchy of Alexander. An idea of the style of Leohar's works, dedicated to the praise of the Macedonian monarchy, gives us a Roman copy of his heroized portrait of Alexander the Great. The naked figure of Alexander had an abstract and ideal character.

Leohar. Apollo Belvedere . Around 340 BC. e. Marble Roman copy of a lost bronze original. Rome. Vatican.

The most significant among the works of Leohar was the statue of Apollo - the famous "Apollo Belvedere" ( "Apollo Belvedere" - the name of the Roman marble copy that has come down to us from the bronze original of Leochar, which was located at one time in the Vatican Belvedere (open loggia)).

However, the image of Apollo is more outwardly spectacular than inwardly significant. The splendor of the hairstyle, the haughty turn of the head, the well-known theatricality of the gesture are deeply alien to the true traditions of the classics.

The famous statue of "Artemis of Versailles", full of cold, somewhat arrogant grandeur, is also close to the circle of Leochar.

Leohar. Artemis of Versailles. Third quarter of the 4th c. BC e. Marble Roman copy of a lost original. Paris. Louvre.

Lysippos.. In art, Lysippe decided the task of revealing the inner world of human experiences and a certain individualization of the image of a person. At the same time, Lysippus introduced new shades to the solution of these artistic problems, and most importantly, he ceased to consider the creation of the image of a perfect beautiful person as the main task of art. Lysippus, as an artist, felt that the new conditions of social life deprived this ideal of any serious vital ground.

Firstly, Lysippus finds the basis for the image of the typical in the image of a person not in those features that characterize a person as a member of a team of free citizens of the polis, as a harmoniously developed personality, but in the characteristics of his age, occupation, belonging to one or another psychological temperament. A particularly important new feature in the work of Lysippus is the interest in revealing the characteristically expressive, and not ideally perfect in the image of a person.

Secondly, Lysippus to some extent emphasizes in his works the moment of personal perception, seeks to convey his emotional attitude to the event depicted. According to Pliny, Lysippus said that if the ancients portrayed people as they really were, then he, Lysippus, is as they seem. Lysippos. Apoxyomenos. Head (see ill. 215).

Lysippus's understanding of the image of a man was especially vividly embodied in his bronze statue, famous in antiquity. the statue of Apoxyomenos. Lysippus depicted a young man who cleans off the sand of the arena with a scraper, which has stuck to his body during a sports competition. In this statue, the artist very: expressively conveyed the state of fatigue that seized the young man after the stress of the struggle he had experienced.

In Apoxyomeno, Lysippus wants to show not inner peace and stable balance, but a complex and contradictory change of mood shades.

Lysippos. Resting Hermes . Third quarter of the 4th c. BC e. Bronze Roman copy of a lost original. Naples. National Museum.

Hermes seemed to sit for a moment on the edge of a cliff. The artist conveyed here peace, slight fatigue and at the same time the readiness of Hermes to continue a swiftly fast flight.

The same series also included a group depicting the struggle of Hercules with the Nemean lion, which also came down to us in a Roman copy stored in the Hermitage.

Lysippos. Hercules with a lion . Second half of the 4th c. BC e. Reduced marble copy of the Roman period from a lost bronze original. Leningrad. Hermitage Museum.

Of particular importance was the work of Lysippus for the further evolution of the Greek portrait.

Head of Alexander the Great from the island of Kos. Marble. The originality and strength of Lysippos's portrait skill were most vividly embodied in his portraits of Alexander the Great.

A strong-willed, energetic turn of the head, sharply thrown back strands of hair create a general feeling of a pathetic impulse. On the other hand, the mournful folds on the forehead, the suffering look, the curved mouth give the image of Alexander the features of tragic confusion. In this portrait, for the first time in the history of art, the tension of passions and their internal struggle are expressed with such force.

4. Sculpture of Hellenism.

1. Excitement and tension of faces;

2. A whirlwind of feelings and experiences in images;

3. Dreaminess of images;

4. Harmonic perfection and solemnity

Hellenistic art is full of contrasts - gigantic and miniature, ceremonial and domestic, allegorical and natural. Main trend - departure from the generalized human typeto the understanding of man as a concrete, individual being, and hence the increasing attention to his psychology, interest in events, and new vigilance to national, age, social and other signs of personality.

All of the above does not mean that the Hellenistic era did not leave great sculptors and their monuments of art. Moreover, she created works that, in our view, synthesize the highest achievements of ancient plastic arts, are her inaccessible samples -

Aphrodite of Melos,

Nike of Samothrace , the altar of Zeus in Pergamon. These famous sculptures were created during the Hellenistic era. Their authors, about whom nothing or almost nothing is known, worked in line with the classical tradition, developing it truly creatively.

Among the sculptors of this era, the names of the following can be noted: Apollonius, Taurisk (“Farnesian bull”), Athenodorus, Polydorus, Agesander (“Aphrodite of Melos”, “Laocoon”).

Morals and forms of life, as well as forms of religion, began to mix in the Hellenistic era, but friendship did not reign and peace did not come, discord and war did not stop.

5.Conclusion. One thing united all periods of the development of Greek society and art: this special predilection for plastic arts, for spatial arts.

We examined the creations of the greatest sculptors of Ancient Greece throughout the entire period of antiquity. We saw the whole process of formation, flourishing and decline of sculpture styles - the whole transition from strict, static and idealized archaic forms through the balanced harmony of classical sculpture to the dramatic psychologism of Hellenistic statues. The creations of the sculptors of Ancient Greece were rightfully considered a model, an ideal, a canon for many centuries, and now it does not cease to be recognized as a masterpiece of world classics. Nothing like this has been achieved before or since. All modern sculpture can be considered, to one degree or another, a continuation of the traditions of Ancient Greece. The sculpture of Ancient Greece in its development has passed a difficult path, paving the way for the development of plastic art of subsequent eras in various countries.

It is known that most ancient masters of plastic art did not sculpt in stone, they cast in bronze. In the centuries following the era of Greek civilization, it was preferable to preserve bronze masterpieces that they were melted down into domes or coins, and later into cannons. At a later time, the traditions laid down by ancient Greek sculptures were enriched with new developments and achievements, while the ancient canons served as the necessary basis, the basis for the development of plastic art in all subsequent eras.

6. House. task: ch.8, st.84-91., task st.91.

LIST OF SOURCES USED

1. Antique culture. Dictionary-reference / under the general. ed. V.N. Yarkho - M., 2002

2. Bystrova A. N. "The world of culture, the foundations of cultural studies"
Polikarpov V.S. Lectures on cultural studies - M .: "Gardarika", "Expert Bureau", 1997

3. Vipper B.R. Art of Ancient Greece. - M., 1972

4. Gnedich P.P. World History of Arts - M., 2000

5. Gribunina N.G. History of world artistic culture, in 4 parts. Parts 1, 2. - Tver, 1993

6. Dmitrieva, Akimova. Antique art. Essays. - M., 1988

antique sculpture

HERMITAGE

Aphrodite

Aphrodite (Venus Taurida)
Description:
According to Hesiod's Theogony, Aphrodite was born near the island of Cythera from the seed and blood of Uranus castrated by Kronos, which fell into the sea and formed snow-white foam (hence the nickname "foam-born"). The breeze brought her to the island of Cyprus (or she herself sailed there, because she did not like Kiefera), where she, who emerged from the waves of the sea, was met by Ores.

The statue of Aphrodite (Venus Tauride) dates back to the 3rd century BC. e., now it is in the Hermitage and is considered its most famous statue. The sculpture became the first antique statue of a naked woman in Russia. Life-size marble statue of Venus bathing (height 167 cm), modeled after Aphrodite of Cnidus or Venus Capitoline. The arms of the statue and a fragment of the nose are missing. Before entering the State Hermitage, she decorated the garden of the Tauride Palace, hence the name. In the past, "Venus Tauride" was intended to decorate the park. However, the statue was delivered to Russia much earlier, even under Peter I and thanks to his efforts. The inscription on the bronze ring of the pedestal recalls that Venus was presented by Clement XI to Peter I (as a result of an exchange for the relics of St. Brigid, sent to Pope Peter I). The statue was discovered in 1718 during excavations in Rome. Unknown sculptor of the 3rd century. BC. portrayed the naked goddess of love and beauty Venus. A slender figure, rounded, smooth silhouette lines, softly modeled body shapes - everything speaks of a healthy and chaste perception of female beauty. Along with a calm restraint (posture, facial expression), a generalized manner, alien to fragmentation and fine detail, as well as a number of other features characteristic of the art of the classics (5th - 4th centuries BC), the creator of Venus embodied in her his idea of beauty, associated with the ideals of the III century BC. e. (graceful proportions - high waist, somewhat elongated legs, thin neck, small head, tilt of the figure, rotation of the body and head).

Italy. Antique sculpture in the Vatican Museum.

Joseph Brodsky

Torso

If you suddenly wander into the stone grass,
looking better in marble than in reality,
Or do you notice a faun who indulges in a feast
with a nymph, and both in bronze are happier than in a dream,
you can release the staff from your weary hands:
you're in the Empire, friend.

Air, fire, water, fauns, naiads, lions,
taken from nature or from the head, -
everything that God came up with and keep tired
brain, turned into stone or metal.
This is the end of things, this is the end of the road
mirror to enter.

Stand in a free niche and, rolling your eyes,
watch the centuries pass, disappearing behind
corner, and how moss grows in the groin
and dust falls on the shoulders - this tan of epochs.
Someone will cut off the hand, and the head from the shoulder
rolls down, knocking.

And there will be a torso, an unnamed sum of muscles.
A thousand years later, a mouse living in a niche with
with a broken claw, not having overcome granite,
going out one evening, squeaking, mince
across the road so as not to come into the hole
at midnight. Not in the morning.

10 secrets of famous sculptures

The silence of the great statues holds many secrets. When Auguste Rodin was asked how he creates his statues, the sculptor repeated the words of the great Michelangelo: "I take a block of marble and cut off everything superfluous from it." This is probably why the sculpture of a real master always creates a feeling of a miracle: it seems that only a genius is able to see the beauty that is hidden in a piece of stone.

We are sure that in almost every significant work of art there is a mystery, a “double bottom” or a secret story that you want to uncover. Today we will share a few of them.

1. Horned Moses

Michelangelo Buanarotti, Moses, 1513-1515

Michelangelo depicted Moses with horns on his sculpture. Many art historians attribute this to a misinterpretation of the Bible. The Book of Exodus says that when Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the tablets, it was difficult for the Jews to look into his face. At this point in the Bible, a word is used that can be translated from Hebrew as both “rays” and “horns”. However, from the context, we can definitely say that we are talking about rays of light - that Moses' face was shining, and not horned.

2. Color Antiquity

"August from Prima Port", antique statue.

For a long time it was believed that ancient Greek and Roman sculptures made of white marble were originally colorless. However, recent studies by scientists have confirmed the hypothesis that the statues were painted in a wide range of colors, which eventually disappeared under prolonged exposure to light and air.

3. The suffering of the Little Mermaid

Edvard Eriksen, The Little Mermaid, 1913

The Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen is one of the most long-suffering in the world: it is she who is most loved by vandals. Its history has been very turbulent. It was broken and sawn into pieces many times. And now you can still find barely noticeable "scars" on the neck, which appeared from the need to replace the head of the sculpture. The Little Mermaid was beheaded twice: in 1964 and 1998. In 1984, her right hand was sawn off. On March 8, 2006, a dildo was placed on the mermaid's hand, and the unfortunate woman herself was splashed with green paint. In addition, there was a scrawled inscription “Since March 8!” on the back. In 2007, the Copenhagen authorities announced that the statue could be moved further into the harbor to avoid further vandalism and to prevent tourists from constantly trying to climb it.

4. "Kiss" without a kiss

Auguste Rodin, The Kiss, 1882

The famous sculpture of Auguste Rodin "The Kiss" was originally called "Francesca da Rimini", in honor of the noble Italian lady of the XIII century depicted on it, whose name was immortalized by Dante's Divine Comedy (Second Circle, Fifth Canto). The lady fell in love with her husband's younger brother Giovanni Malatesta, Paolo. As they read the story of Lancelot and Guinevere, they were discovered and then killed by her husband. On the sculpture, Paolo can be seen holding a book in his hand. But in fact, the lovers do not touch each other with their lips, as if hinting that they were killed without committing a sin.
The renaming of the sculpture into a more abstract one - Kiss (Le Baiser) - was done by critics who first saw it in 1887.

5. The secret of the marble veil

Raphael Monti, "Marble Veil", mid-19th century

When you look at the statues covered with a translucent marble veil, you involuntarily think about how it is even possible to make this out of stone. It's all about the special structure of the marble used for these sculptures. The block, which was to become a statue, had to have two layers - one more transparent, the other more dense. Such natural stones are hard to find, but they exist. The master had a plot in his head, he knew what kind of block he was looking for. He worked with it, observing the texture of a normal surface, and walked along the border separating the denser and more transparent part of the stone. As a result, the remains of this transparent part "shone through", which gave the effect of a veil.

6The Perfect David Made Of Damaged Marble

Michelangelo Buanarotti, "David", 1501-1504

The famous statue of David was made by Michelangelo from a piece of white marble left over from another sculptor, Agostino di Duccio, who unsuccessfully tried to work with this piece and then abandoned it.

By the way, David, who for centuries was considered a model of male beauty, is not so perfect. The thing is, he's a jerk. This conclusion was reached by American scientist Mark Levoy from Stanford University, who examined the statue using laser-computer technology. The “vision defect” of the more than five-meter sculpture is imperceptible, since it is set on a high pedestal. According to experts, Michelangelo deliberately endowed his offspring with this flaw, because he wanted David's profile to look perfect from any angle.
Death inspired creativity

7. Kiss of Death, 1930

The most mysterious statue in the Catalan cemetery of Poblenou is called "The Kiss of Death". The sculptor who created it is still unknown. Usually the authorship of The Kiss is attributed to Jaume Barba, but there are those who are sure that the monument was sculpted by Joan Fonbernat. The sculpture is located in one of the far corners of the Poblenou cemetery. It was she who inspired the film director Bergman to create the film "The Seventh Seal" - about the communication between the Knight and Death.

8. Hands of Venus de Milo

Agesander (?), Venus de Milo, c. 130-100 BC
The figure of Venus takes pride of place in the Louvre in Paris. A certain Greek peasant found her in 1820 on the island of Milos. At the time of discovery, the figure was broken into two large fragments. In her left hand, the goddess held an apple, and with her right hand she held a falling robe. Realizing the historical significance of this ancient sculpture, the officers of the French navy ordered the marble statue to be taken away from the island. As Venus was being dragged over the rocks to the waiting ship, a fight broke out between the bearers and both arms were broken off. Tired sailors flatly refused to return and look for the remaining parts.

9. Beautiful imperfection of Nike of Samothrace

Nika of Samothrace, 2nd cent. BC.
The statue of Nike was found on the island of Samothrace in 1863 by Charles Champoiseau, a French consul and archaeologist. Carved from golden Parian marble, a statue on the island crowned the altar of sea deities. Researchers believe that an unknown sculptor created Nike in the 2nd century BC as a sign of Greek naval victories. The hands and head of the goddess are irretrievably lost. Repeatedly made and attempts to restore the original position of the hands of the goddess. It is assumed that the right hand, raised up, held a goblet, wreath or bugle. Interestingly, repeated attempts to restore the hands of the statue were unsuccessful - they all spoiled the masterpiece. These failures force us to admit: Nika is beautiful just like that, perfect in her imperfection.

10. Mystical Bronze Horseman

Etienne Falcone, Monument to Peter I, 1768-1770
The Bronze Horseman is a monument surrounded by mystical and otherworldly stories. One of the legends associated with him says that during the Patriotic War of 1812, Alexander I ordered especially valuable works of art to be taken out of the city, including a monument to Peter I. At this time, a certain major Baturin achieved a meeting with the personal friend of the tsar, Prince Golitsyn and told him that he, Baturin, was haunted by the same dream. He sees himself on Senate Square. Peter's face turns. The rider leaves his rock and heads along the streets of St. Petersburg to Kamenny Ostrov, where Alexander I then lived. The rider enters the courtyard of the Kamenoostrovsky Palace, from which the sovereign comes out to meet him. “Young man, what have you brought my Russia to,” Peter the Great tells him, “but as long as I am in place, my city has nothing to fear!” Then the rider turns back, and the “heavy-voiced gallop” is heard again. Struck by Baturin's story, Prince Golitsyn conveyed the dream to the sovereign. As a result, Alexander I canceled his decision to evacuate the monument. The monument remained in place.

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Greece and art are inseparable concepts. In numerous archaeological museums you can see ancient sculptures and bronze statues, many of which were raised from the bottom of the Aegean Sea. Local history museums display handicrafts and textiles, and the best Athens museums are on par with art galleries elsewhere in Europe.

Athens, Archaeological Museum of Piraeus.
Origin: The statue was discovered among others in 1959 in Piraeus, at the intersection of Georgiou and Filona streets in a storage room near the ancient harbor. The sculpture was hidden in this room from the troops of Sulla in 86 BC. e.
Description: Bronze statue of Artemis
This type of powerful female figure was originally identified as a poetess or muse from the sculptural compositions of Silanion. This statue is identified as an image of Artemis by the presence of a sling for a quiver on the back, as well as by the location of the fingers of the hand in which the bow was located. This cleissicizing work is attributed to Euphranor on the basis of its resemblance to Apollo Patros on the Agora.

The sculpture of Ancient Greece occupied an important place in ancient Greek art and was the highest achievement in the culture of the ancient world.

Ancient Greek sculpture in all its manifestations has always remained deeply anthropocentric, expressing the religiosity and spiritual world of a person or a sacred act that the sculptor tried to capture and convey.

Most of the sculptures were made to be offered to shrines or as funerary monuments. The peculiarity of Greek art was that the master, creating works, tried to convey the beauty and perfection of the human body.

In the forms of the first statues, an attempt is made to balance the deity and man, in the expression of their emotions. The sculpture of Ancient Greece reached its highest flowering in the 5th century BC. e, while the origin of the sculpture of Ancient Greece can be attributed to the XII-VIII centuries BC. e.

Initially, Greek craftsmen used soft materials in their work - wood and porous limestone, later marble. Casting from bronze was the first to be used by the masters of the island of Samos.

The figurines of the Homeric period depicted gods or heroes; in the work of the masters, interest in the plasticity of the body is only outlined.

During the archaic period sculpture of ancient Greece, acquires an archaic smile, turning the faces of the sculptures more and more to take on the image of a person, the body acquires a harmonious balance of forms. The men were depicted naked, while the woman was clothed.

At this time, in the sculptural art of Ancient Greece, kouros were widespread - young boys, who were mainly made for memorial rituals. The masters portrayed the kuros as restrained, with good posture, a smile, with clenched fists, the kuros hairstyle resembled a wig. One of the most famous kouros sculptures is "Kouros from Tenea" (κούρος της Τενέας). The sculpture was found near Corinth, in Tenea, in the temple of Apollo. Now it is kept in the Museum of Munich.

Young girls or kors, the Greeks depicted in traditional clothes, in a tunic or peplos. Kora (κόρη) - a specific type of statue with female forms of the archaic time, namely from the second half of the 7th century BC. A rich hairstyle, fashionable jewelry and colored ornaments of clothes - this is how the sculptors of Ancient Greece depicted them.

The Classical Age is what we call the period that begins in 480 BC. and ends in 323 BC, that is, from the end of the Greco-Persian wars to the death of Alexander the Great. During this period there were important social changes and parallel innovations in the sculpture of ancient Greece. The ancient Greeks focus their attention on conveying spirit and passion. Artists study body language to reveal their innermost thoughts, to show body movement: the placement of limbs, head and chest.

The first statue, which essentially depicts the end of one era and the beginning of another, is the "Boy of Critias" (Κριτίου παίς), kept in the Acropolis Museum. This 1.67 m high statue of a naked teenager is one of the most beautiful and perfect examples of early classical art. The sculpture combines movement, plasticity, seriousness appears in facial expression.

The famous sculpture of the charioteer (chariot driver) belongs to the period of the early classics, is stored in the Delphi Museum. The statue of a young man is made of bronze, has a height of 1.8 m, wearing a chiton with sleeves, shows the muscular arm of the young man, in his hand he holds fragments of the reins. The drapery of the folds on the clothes, which correspond to the movements, is well transmitted.

In 450-420 years. BC e. classical period, the sculpture of ancient Greece is modified. Now the sculptures have more softness, plasticity and maturity. Features of classical art were represented by Phidias in the sculptures of the Parthenon.

At this time, other worthy sculptors appear: Agoracritos, Alkamen, Kolot, who were experts in making statues from gold and ivory. Callimachus, was one of the inventors of the Corinthian order, Policlet, who depicted athletes, was the first to write a theoretical text on sculpture, and others.

During the late classical period, in the sculpture of ancient Greece, tendencies appear in the study of the human form in three-dimensional space, there is more sensual beauty and drama.

The great sculptors of this time are: Kefisodot ("Eirena with a baby in her arms"), Πρaxiteles, who created the Marathon youth and Aphrodite of Cnidus, Ephranor, Silanion, Leocharus, Scopas and Lysippus, the last sculptors of the late classical period who opened the way to the era of Hellenistic art.

The Hellenistic era in the sculpture of Ancient Greece was reflected in a more differentiated interpretation of plastic forms, the complication of angles and the smallest details. Monumental sculpture develops, huge relief compositions, multi-figure groups, reliefs appear, which are an integral part of the expression of sculptural art, small plasticity is complicated by the vitality of the images.

The most famous works of this time: Pythokrit's Nika of Samothrace, 3.28 m high, Venus de Milo, 2.02 m high, made by the sculptor Alexander from Antioch, is kept in the Louvre, Laocoön and his sons by the Rhodes sculptors Agesander of Rhodes, Polydorus and Athenodorus, is located in the Vatican.

Ancient Greek sculpture is the leading standard in the world of 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 sculpture drew early inspiration from Egyptian and Near Eastern monumental art and developed over the centuries into a unique Greek vision of the form and dynamics of the human body.

Greek painters and sculptors reached the pinnacle of artistic excellence that captured the elusive features of a person and displayed them in a way that no one else could ever show. Greek sculptors were particularly interested in proportion, balance, and the idealized perfection of the human body, and their stone and bronze figures have become some of the most recognizable works of art ever created 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 in clay, ivory and bronze. Undoubtedly, wood was also a widely used material, but its susceptibility to erosion did not allow mass production of wooden products, as they did not show the necessary durability. Bronze figures, human heads, mythical monsters, and in particular griffins, were used as decorations 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 that time. The bodies of warriors and gods are depicted with elongated limbs and a triangular torso. Also often ancient Greek creations are decorated with animal figures. Many have been found throughout Greece in places of refuge such as Olympia and Delphi, indicating their common function as amulets and objects of worship.

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The oldest Greek stone sculptures made of limestone date back to the middle of the 7th century BC and were found in Thera. During this period, bronze figures also appear more and more often. From the point of view of the author's intention, the plots of the sculptural compositions became more and more complex and ambitious and could already depict warriors, battle scenes, athletes, chariots, and even musicians with instruments of that period.

Marble sculpture appears at the beginning of the 6th century BC. The first monumental life-sized marble statues served as monuments dedicated to heroes and noble persons, or were located in sanctuaries in which symbolic service to the gods was held.

The earliest large stone figures found in Greece depicted young men dressed in women's clothes, who were 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 particular facial expression. These rather static figures slowly evolved through the detailing of the image. Talented masters focused on the smallest details of the image, such as hair and muscles, thanks to which the figures began to come to life.

A characteristic pose for Greek statues was the position in which the arms are slightly bent, which gives them tension in the muscles and veins, and one leg (usually the right one) is slightly advanced forward, giving a sense of the 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 coloring of ancient Greek sculpture

By the early 19th century, systematic excavations of ancient Greek sites had unearthed many sculptures with traces of multicolored surfaces, some of which were still visible. Despite this, influential art historians such as Johann Joachim Winckelmann objected to the idea of painted Greek sculpture so strongly 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 Vindzenik Brinkmann in the late 20th and early 21st century described the discovery of a number of famous ancient Greek sculptures. Using high-intensity lamps, ultraviolet light, specially designed chambers, plaster casts, and some powdered minerals, Brinkmann proved that the entire Parthenon, including its main body, as well as the statues, were painted in different colors. Next, he chemically and physically analyzed the pigments of the original paint to determine its composition.

Brinkmann created several color-painted replicas of Greek statues that went on tour around the world. The collection included copies of many works of Greek and Roman sculpture, thereby 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 those bright statues that they really were. Venues include the Glyptotek Museum in Munich, the Vatican Museum and the National Archaeological Museum in Athens. The collection staged 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 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 has survived, and descriptions of them are vague, despite the fact that they were probably objects of veneration for hundreds of years.

The first real evidence of Greek sculpture was found on the island of Euboea and dated to 920 BC. It was a statue of a Lefkandi centaur by the hand of an unknown terracotta sculpture. The statue was pieced together as it was deliberately smashed and buried in two separate graves. The centaur has a distinct mark (wound) on his knee. This allowed the researchers to suggest that the statue may depict Chiron, wounded by the arrow of Hercules. If true, this could 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 plot repertoire is not limited to men and horses, since some examples of statues and stucco found from that time depict images of deer, birds, beetles, hares, griffins and lions.

There are no inscriptions on the geometric sculpture of the early period until the appearance of the statue of Manticlos "Apollo" from the beginning of the 7th century BC, found in Thebes. The sculpture is 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 kindness for kindness.

archaic period

Inspired by the monumental stone sculpture of Egypt and Mesopotamia, the Greeks began carving in stone again. The individual figures share the hardness and frontal stance characteristic of Oriental models, but their forms are more dynamic than those of Egyptian sculpture. An example of the sculptures of 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 facial expression - an archaic smile. This expression, which has no specific relevance to the person or situation depicted, may have been an artist's tool to give animation and "liveness" to the figures.

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 generalize 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 huge sizes, which was supposed to show power and male strength. In these statues, the details of the musculature and skeletal structure are much more visible than in the early geometric works. The dressed girls have a wide range of facial expressions and postures, as in the sculptures of the Athenian Acropolis. Their drapery is carved and painted with the delicacy and meticulousness characteristic of the details of the sculpture of this period.

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

As with ceramics, the Greeks did not produce sculpture just for artistic display. Statues were made to order either by aristocrats and nobles, or by the state, and were used for public memorials, for the decoration of temples, oracles and sanctuaries (which ancient inscriptions on statues often prove). The Greeks also used sculptures as monuments for graves. Statues in the archaic period were not meant to represent specific people. These were images of ideal beauty, piety, honor or sacrifice. That 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) elderly citizens.

classical period

The classical period made a revolution in Greek sculpture, sometimes associated by historians with radical changes in social and 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 began to increasingly depict real people, rather than vague interpretations of myths or wholly fictional characters. Although the style in which they were presented has not yet developed into a realistic form of portraiture. The statues of Harmodius and Aristogeiton, created in Athens, symbolize the overthrow of aristocratic tyranny and, according to historians, become the first public monuments that show the figures of real people.

The Classic period also saw the flourishing of stucco art and the use of sculptures as decorations 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, wall and ceiling decoration. The complex aesthetic and technical challenge facing the 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 separate 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 very 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 are increasingly becoming the personification of real people and, as a rule, show that the departed 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 notable change is the flourishing of the creative work of talented sculptors whose names have gone down in history. All information known about sculptures in the Archaic and Geometric periods is focused on the works themselves, with little 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 more and more diverse under the influence of the cultures of the peoples involved in the Greek orbit, 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, however, people of that time may not have shared this opinion.

It is known that many sculptures, previously considered geniuses of the classical era, were actually created in the Hellenistic period. The technical ability and talent of the 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 swallowed up much of the Greek tradition.

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

At the same time, the new Hellenistic cities that sprang up in Egypt, Syria, and Anatolia needed statues depicting the gods and heroes of Greece for their temples and public spaces. This led to the fact that sculpture, like ceramic production, became an industry with subsequent standardization and some decrease in quality. That is why much more Hellenistic creations have survived to this day than the epochs 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. An easy way to appreciate this shift in expression is to compare the best-known creations of the Hellenistic period with those of the Classical period. One of the most famous masterpieces of the classical period is the Delphi Carrier sculpture, which expresses humility and humility. At the same time, the sculptures of the Hellenistic period reflect strength and energy, which is especially pronounced in the work "The 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 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 harsh spirit of the classical period and its technical skills allowed.

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Hellenistic sculpture was also subject to 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 evidenced by the excavations of Ai-Khanoum in eastern Afghanistan. Greco-Buddhist art represented an intermediate stage between Greek art and the visual expression of Buddhism. Discoveries made since the end of the 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 an Egyptian goddess in an unusually sensual and subtle way. This is not typical for the sculptors of that area, because the image is detailed and feminine, which symbolizes the combination of Egyptian and Hellenistic forms during the conquest of Egypt by Alexander the Great.

Ancient Greek sculpture is the progenitor of all world art! Until now, the masterpieces of Ancient Greece attract millions of tourists and art lovers who seek to touch the beauty and talent that is not subject to time.

We have already spoken about the ORIGINS. The planned dotted line was interrupted for objective reasons, but I still want to continue. I remind you that we stopped in deep history - in the art of ancient Greece. What do we remember from the school curriculum? As a rule, three names are firmly seated in our memory - Miron, Phidias, Poliklet. Then we remember that there was also Lysippus, Skopas, Praxiteles and Leochar ... So let's see what is what. So, the time of action is 4-5 centuries BC, the scene is Ancient Greece.

PYTHAGORAS REGIA
Pythagoras of Regius (5th century BC) is an ancient Greek ancient Greek sculptor of the early classic period, whose works are known only from mentions of ancient authors. Several Roman copies of his works have survived, including my favorite, The Boy Taking Out a Splinter. This work gave rise to the so-called landscape gardening sculpture.

Pythagoras Rhegian Boy removing a splinter c. middle 5th century BC br.roman copy of the Capitoline museum

MIRON
Myron (Μύρων) - sculptor of the middle of the 5th century. BC e. Sculptor of the era immediately preceding the highest flowering of Greek art (late 6th - early 5th century). The ancients characterize him as the greatest realist and expert in anatomy, who, however, did not know how to give life and expression to faces. He portrayed gods, heroes and animals, and with special love he reproduced difficult, fleeting poses. His most famous work, "Discobolus", an athlete intending to start a discus, is a statue that has come down to our time in several copies, of which the best is made of marble and is located in the Massimi Palace in Rome.

Discus thrower.
PHIDIUS.
One of the founders of the classical style is the ancient Greek sculptor Phidias, who decorated with his sculptures both the temple of Zeus in Olympia and the temple of Athena (Parthenon) in the Acropolis of Athens. Fragments of the sculptural frieze of the Parthenon are now in the British Museum (London).

Fragments of the frieze and pediment of the Parthenon. British Museum, London.

The main sculptural works of Phidias (Athena and Zeus) have long been lost, the temples have been destroyed and plundered.

Parthenon.

There are many attempts to reconstruct the temples of Athena and Zeus. You can read about it here:
Information about Phidias himself and his legacy is relatively scarce. Among the statues that exist today, there is not a single one that would undoubtedly belong to Phidias. All knowledge about his work is based on the descriptions of ancient authors, on the study of later copies, as well as surviving works, which are attributed with more or less certainty to Phidias.

More about Phidias http://biography-peoples.ru/index.php/f/item/750-fidij
http://art.1september.ru/article.php?ID=200901207
http://www.liveinternet.ru/users/3155073/post207627184/

Well, about the rest of the representatives of ancient Greek culture.

POLYCLETUS
Greek sculptor of the second half of the 5th c. BC e. The creator of many statues, including the winners of sports games, for the cult sports centers of Argos, Olympia, Thebes and Megalopolis. The author of the canon of the image of the human body in sculpture, known as the "canon of Polykleitos", according to which the head is 1/8 of the length of the body, the face and palms are 1/10, the foot is 1/6. The canon was observed in Greek sculpture to the end, the so-called. classical era, that is, until the end of the 4th century. BC e., when Lysippus laid down new principles. His most famous work is "Dorifor" (Spearman). It's from an encyclopedia.

Polykleitos. Doryphorus. Pushkin Museum. Gypsum copy.

PRAXITELS

APHRODITE OF CNIDS (Roman copy from original 4th century BC) Rome, National Museums (head, arms, legs, drapery restored)
One of the most famous works in ancient sculpture is Aphrodite of Knidos, the first ancient Greek sculpture (height - 2 m.), depicting a naked woman before bathing.

Aphrodite of Cnidus, (Aphrodite of Braschi) Roman copy, 1st c. BC. Glyptothek, Munich

Aphrodite of Knidos. Medium grained marble. Torso - Roman copy of the 2nd century. n. gypsum copy of the Pushkin Museum
According to Pliny, the inhabitants of the island of Kos ordered the statue of Aphrodite for the local sanctuary. Praxiteles performed two options: a naked goddess and a dressed goddess. For both statues, Praxiteles appointed the same fee. The customers did not risk and chose the traditional version, with a draped figure. Its copies and descriptions have not been preserved, and it has sunk into oblivion. And Aphrodite of Knidos, who remained in the workshop of the sculptor, was bought by the inhabitants of the city of Knidos, which favored the development of the city: pilgrims began to flock to Knidos, attracted by the famous sculpture. Aphrodite stood in an open-air temple, visible from all sides.
Aphrodite of Cnidus enjoyed such fame and was copied so often that they even told an anecdote about her, which formed the basis of the epigram: “Seeing Cyprida on Knida, Cyprida bashfully said: “Woe to me, where did Praxiteles see me naked?”
Praxiteles created the goddess of love and beauty as the personification of earthly femininity, inspired by the image of his beloved, the beautiful Phryne. Indeed, the face of Aphrodite, although created according to the canon, with a dreamy look of languid shaded eyes, bears a hint of individuality, indicating a specific original. Having created an almost portrait image, Praxiteles looked into the future.
A romantic legend about the relationship between Praxiteles and Phryne has been preserved. It is said that Phryne asked Praxiteles to give her his best work as a token of love. He agreed, but refused to say which of the statues he considered the best. Then Phryne ordered the servant to inform Praxiteles about the fire in the workshop. The frightened master exclaimed: “If the flame destroyed both Eros and Satyr, then everything died!” So Phryne found out what kind of work she could ask Praxiteles.

Praxiteles (presumably). Hermes with the infant Dionysus IV c. BC. Museum at Olympia
The sculpture "Hermes with the baby Dionysus" is typical of the late classic period. She personifies not physical strength, as was customary before, but beauty and harmony, restrained and lyrical human communication. The depiction of feelings, the inner life of characters is a new phenomenon in ancient art, not characteristic of high classics. The masculinity of Hermes is emphasized by the infantile appearance of Dionysus. The curved lines of the figure of Hermes are graceful. His strong and developed body is devoid of the athleticism characteristic of the works of Polykleitos. The facial expression, although devoid of individual features, is soft and thoughtful. Her hair was painted and tied with a silver headband.
Praxiteles achieved the feeling of warmth of the body by fine modeling of the surface of marble and with great skill conveyed in stone the fabric of Hermes' cloak and Dionysus' clothes.

SCOPAS

Museum in Olympia, Skopas Menada Reduced marble Roman copy after the original 1st third of 4 c
Skopas - ancient Greek sculptor and architect of the 4th century. BC e., representative of the late classics. Born on the island of Paros, he worked in Teges (now Piali), Halicarnassus (now Bodrum) and other cities of Greece and Asia Minor. As an architect, he took part in the construction of the temple of Athena Alei in Tegea (350-340 BC) and the mausoleum in Halicarnassus (mid-4th century BC). Among the authentic works of S. that have come down to us, the most important is the frieze of the mausoleum in Halicarnassus depicting Amazonomachia (mid-4th century BC; together with Briaxis, Leoharomi Timothy; fragments - in the British Museum, London; see illustration). Numerous works by S. are known from Roman copies (“Potos”, “Young Hercules”, “Meleagr”, “Maenad”, see illustration). Rejecting the inherent art of the 5th century. harmonious calmness of the image, S. turned to the transfer of strong emotional experiences, the struggle of passions. To implement them, S. used a dynamic composition and new techniques for interpreting details, especially facial features: deep-set eyes, wrinkles on the forehead, and a parted mouth. The work of S., saturated with dramatic pathos, had a great influence on the sculptors of the Hellenistic culture (see Hellenistic culture), in particular on the works of masters of the 3rd and 2nd centuries who worked in the city of Pergamon.

LYSIPP
Lysippus was born around 390 in Sicyon in the Peloponnese and his work already represents the later, Hellenic part of the art of ancient Greece.

Lysippos. Hercules with a lion. Second half of the 4th c. BC e. Marble Roman copy of a bronze original. St. Petersburg, Hermitage.

LEOHAR
Leohar - ancient Greek sculptor of the 4th century. BC e., who in the 350s worked with Scopas on the sculptural decoration of Mausoleum in Halicarnassus.

Leohar Artemis of Versailles (Mr. Roman copy of 1-2 centuries from original c. 330 BC) Paris, Louvre

Leohar. Apollo Belvedere This is me with him in the Vatican. Forgive the liberties, but it's easier not to load a plaster copy this way.

Well, then there was Hellenism. We know him well from Venus (in "Greek" Aphrodite) of Milos and Nike of Samothrace, which are kept in the Louvre.

Venus de Milo. Around 120 BC Louvre.

Nike of Samothrace. OK. 190 BC e. Louvre