ART APPRECIATION
Sculpture
SCULPT – to shape, mold or fashion with artistry or precision
Sculpture, just like any other art form, has evolved in purpose and style through the ages. Sculptures today are mainly artistic
expressions or serve as monuments to immortalize significant historical figures or events. But the earliest sculptures were meant to
provide spiritual support. As the human race evolved, so did the style and purpose of sculpture.
What is sculpture?
The art of making two- or three-dimensional representative or abstract forms.
Two types of sculptures:
1. Relief
2. Full round
Four basic techniques:
1.
Carving – involves cutting or chipping away a shape from a mass of material. This is a subtractive process.
2.
Casting – melting down of a material and pouring it into a mold to form a shape. This is an additive process.
3.
Modeling – modeled sculptures are created when a soft or malleable material like clay is built up and shaped to create a
form. This is an additive process.
4.
Assembling – joining and adding different materials to create an assembled sculpture. This is an additive process.
Materials:
The artist has many things to consider before choosing what material to use for sculptures. He has to consider availability, the
properties of the material and how it will affect his artwork.
Stone and metal (like bronze) have been favored because of their permanence. Other materials such as wood, marble, plaster, ivory,
jade, bone, glass, clay and wax have also been utilized. Junk made of copper, tin, shell, glass, plastic or a combination of any of these
may also be used.
I.
GREEK SCULPTURE
- fond of the human form
- head and feet are in profile while the torso is in frontal view (similar to the Egyptian style which influenced early Greek sculpture)
- Naturalistic approach to representation of the human body where bones and muscles were prominent
- Greek statues were not made for artistic display but were commissioned by aristocrats, by the state and used for public memorials
and as grave markers.
- Polyclitus
* Greek sculptor who used mathematical proportions in his sculptures. He believed that the human body could be
best depicted if the height of the man is seven times the height of the head.
*His free form sculpture Doryphoros (later known as Canon – model statue), epitomizes the proportioned human
form, caught in a natural pose and dynamic counterbalance of relaxed and tensed body parts.
- The decorative sculptures of the Parthenon are considered to be the highest expression of the Greek spirit.
“metopes” – rectangular decoration on a frieze; there are 92 metopes in the Parthenon
II.
RENAISSANCE SCULPTURE
- originated from Italy in the 15th century
- often executed on a grand scale
- Renaissance was a rebirth of the classical styles of Greek and Roman art
a.
b.
c.
Early Renaissance
i. Ghiberti – founder of Renaissance sculpture; work: Gates of Paradise – bronze door panels depicting scenes from
the life of Christ
ii. Donato di Niccolò di BettoBardi(Donatello)– considered to be the best Florentine sculptor; figures are natural yet
idealized, poised and full of vigor; works: David
iii. Andrea del Verrochio - pupils included Leonardo da Vinci; works: Equestrian statue of Bartolomeo Colleoni
High Renaissance
i. Michelangelo Buonarroti – master of High Renaissance; works: Pieta and David
Late Renaissance
i. Giambologna – most famous sculpture: Abduction of the Sabines
III.
BAROQUE – ROCOCO SCUPLTURE
- the period started with the extravagance and drama of Baroque and ended in Rococo’s (late Baroque) gentle and playful frivolity
- extravagant decoration; used extensive ornamentation, generally religious figures and mythological beings – saints, angels,
cherubs, animals, metals sunbursts, leaves, flowers
- usually painted in gold on wood or carved stones
- characterized by dynamic movement
- in the Philippines, most churches show stained glass windows, frescoes and relief sculptures
- Gian Lorenzo Bernini – founder and greatest master of the Baroque sculpture; works: The Ecstasy of St. Theresaand St Peter’s
Baldachin(St Peter’s Basilica)
IV.
NEO CLASSIC AND MODERN SCULPTURE
- Neo Classic sculptures are refined, unemotional with clean and noble features that are well-proportioned. Subjects are generally
heroes. It started in 1764 in Europe, England and America. It was popular throughout the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Era.
- Modern sculpture started in the 19th century. These were expressions of personal idiosyncrasy and a revelation of love of earth and
man. Modern sculptures are used as part of landscaping and to adorn public places, parks, cemeteries and other places where
people convene. Because they are products of the sculptor’s individual characteristic, modern sculptures are either realistic or
abstract. There are even “mobiles” that move with the wind or installed with mechanized motors.
- Famous modern sculptors are:
* AugusteRodin – the progenitor of modern sculpture; works: the Thinker, The Kiss, The Gates of Hell
* Pablo Picasso – The Chicago Picasso
- Famous Filipino modern sculptors are
* Guillermo Tolentino – The UP Oblation, The Bonifacio Monument
* Napoleon Abueva – known as the Father of Modern Philippine Sculpture; works: Sandugo; Transfiguration
* Solomon Saprid – Amihan, Tikbalang, Mother and child at play