High Classical Sculpture
Bronze bust, copy of the Doryphoros
Polykleitos, Spear-bearer
(Doryphoros), Roman copy in
marble of a bronze Greek original,
c. 450-440 BCE, 6’ 11” h
Polykleitos’s new canon
Canon &
Symmetria
Naples
Minneapolis
Chiasmus &
Contrapposto
Polykleitos, Spear-bearer
(Doryphoros), Roman copy in
marble of a bronze Greek original,
c. 450-440 BCE, 6’ 11” h
Polykleitos’s new canon
Polykleitos wrote an account of his “Canon,” which is
lost, but Galen, a 2nd-Century physician summarized it
as follows:
[Beauty arises from] the commensurability
(symmetria) of the parts, such as that of finger to
finger, and of all the fingers to the palm and the
wrist, and of these to the forearm, and of the
forearm to the upper arm, and in fact, of
everything to everything else, just as written in
the Canon of Polykleitos.
Chiasmus is a literary term derived from the Greek
letter chi (X) that describes switching words between
two similar sentences. In antiquity it is associated with
Chroesus, the 6th century King of Lydia, who is quoted
as saying: "In peace sons bury their fathers, but in war
fathers bury their sons."
450 BCE
420 BCE
10 BCE
1411 CE
1501 CE
1808 CE
The Classical Tradition in Western Sculpture
A bronze statue of a warrior was found in a ship
wreck near Riace, Italy, in 1972.
The original purpose of the statue is unclear.
The date assigned to the statue by scholars is c.
460-450 BCE. Why?
Riace Warrior, , bronze, 6’
6” tall, c. 460-450 BCE
Circa ?
600 BCE
480 BCE
530 BCE
480 BCE
450 BCE
450 BCE
420 BCE
Description…
The date assigned to the statue by scholars is c.
460-450 BCE. Why?
They place the date:
•after 500 BCE because it was made using cireperdu process.
•after c. 480 because it has contrapposto (S-curve
through the body) similar to, but more pronounced
than, Kritios Boy (left).
They place the date
before 450 BCE
because the
Warrior rests on
two feet, and thus
seems to lack the
potential for
movement
suggested in both
Myron’s Discus
Thrower of c. 450
BCE or Polykleitos’
Spearbearer of c.
450-440 BCE.
Riace Warrior, , bronze, 6’
6” tall, c. 460-450 BCE
They place the date:
• close to 450 BCE because it shows
evidence of chiasmus (right leg and left
arm working) similar to Polykleitos’s
Spearbearer of c. 450-440 BCE.
•slightly before 450 BCE because the
proportions are somewhat different from
Polykleitos’ canon.
Circa…
600 BCE
530 BCE
480 BCE
460 BCE
450 BCE
450 BCE
Greek Art
404 to 27 BCE
Late Classical Art
404 to 323 BCE
and
Hellenistic Art
323-27 BCE
Late Classical Sculpture
404-323 BCE
Phiale Painter,
Hermes delivering
Dionysos to
Papposilenos,
white-ground
krater, c. 440-435
BCE—
the same subject.
Praxiteles, Hermes and the Infant Dionysos,
marble copy after a marble original of 340 BCE
Found at the Temple of Hera at Olympia
Praxiteles, Hermes and the Infant Dionysos,
marble copy after a marble original of 340 BCE
Praxiteles, Hermes and the Infant Dionysos,
marble copy after a marble original of 340 BCE
Praxiteles, Hermes and the Infant Dionysos,
marble copy after a marble original of 340 BCE
Praxiteles, Hermes and the Infant Dionysos,
marble copy after a marble original of 340 BCE
Praxiteles, Hermes and the Infant Dionysos,
marble copy after a marble original of 340 BCE
Praxiteles, Hermes and the Infant Dionysos,
marble copy after a marble original of 340 BCE
Praxiteles, Aphrodite (Venus) of
Knidos, Roman copy after a marble
original of 350-340 BCE
“Praxitelean “sculptures of
Aphrodite, Roman marble
copies after a marble original
from Knidos, c. 350-340 BCE
Praxiteles, Aphrodite (Venus) of
Knidos, Roman copy after a marble
original of 350-340 BCE
Greek black-figure hydria
“Praxitelean” head from the MFA, Boston
Praxiteles, Aphrodite (Venus) of
Knidos, Roman copy after a marble
original of 350-340 BCE
“Praxitelean” head from the MFA, Boston
Praxiteles, Hermes and the Infant Dionysos,
marble copy after a marble original of 340 BCE
Temple of Aphrodite at Knidos, Turkey
Praxiteles, Aphrodite (Venus) of
Knidos, Roman copy after a marble
original of 350-340 BCE
Pliny the Elder, Natural History, 36.20-22:
First and foremost not only of his [Praxiteles], but indeed in the whole world,
is the Venus that many have sailed to Cnidus to see. He made two statues
and put them up for sale together: one was draped and for that reason was
preferred by the people of Cos, who had an option on the sale, even though
it was the same price as the other, for they judged this to be the sober and
proper thing to do. The Cnidians bought the rejected one, whose fame
became immensely greater.... With this statue, Praxiteles had made Cnidus
famous. The shrine she stands in is completely open, so that one can view
the image of the goddess from all sides, an arrangement (so it is believed)
that she herself favored. The statue is equally admirable from every angle.
There is a story that a man was once overcome with love for it, hid inside
during the night, and embraced it, leaving a stain to mark his lust.
Praxiteles, Aphrodite (Venus) of
Knidos, Roman copy after a marble
original of 350-340 BCE
“Praxitelean” Aphrodite viewed from behind.
Praxiteles, Aphrodite (Venus) of
Knidos, Roman copy after a marble
original of 350-340 BCE
Lysippos,
Apoxyomenos
(Scraper),
Roman copy of a
bronze original
of c. 330 BCE, c.
6’ 9” tall
Late Classical Sculpture
404-323 BCE
The second great sculptor from the
Late Classical period was Lysippos,
who worked in bronze.
Lysippos, Weary Herakles, c. 320
BCE, Roman copy in marble
from the baths of Rome, of a
Greek original in bronze
Lysippos,
Apoxyomenos
(Scraper), Roman
copy of a bronze
original of c. 330
BCE, c. 6’ 9” tall
Vatican Collection
Pliny the Elder, Natural History 34.62
Lysippos,
Apoxyomenos
(Scraper), Roman
copy of a bronze
original of c. 330
BCE, c. 6’ 9” tall
(62) He [Lysippos] was a most prolific artist, and made more
statues than any other sculptor, among them a Man Scraping
Himself with a Strigil, which M. Agrippa dedicated in front of his
baths, and which the emperor Tiberius was astonishingly fond
of. Although at the beginning of his principate he kept control of
himself, he was unable to do so in this case, and had the statue
removed [from the Baths of Agrippa] to his bedroom,
substituting another in its place. But the Roman people
became so indignant at this that they raised an outcry at the
theater, shouting, "Give us back our Apoxyomenos!" So
despite his admiration for it, the emperor returned it.
Lysippos,
Apoxyomenos
(Scraper), Roman
copy of a bronze
original of c. 330
BCE, c. 6’ 9” tall
Late Classical
Lysippos,
Apoxyomenos
(Scraper), Roman
copy of a bronze
original of c. 330
BCE, c. 6’ 9” tall
Praxiteles, Hermes and
Dionysus, copy of a marble
original of c. 340 BCE, 7’ 1”
tall
Lysippos,
Apoxyomenos
(Scraper), Roman
copy of a bronze
original of c. 330
BCE, c. 6’ 9” tall
Lysippos, Weary Herakles from the
baths of Rome, c. 320 BCE, Roman
copy in marble of a bronze Greek
original
Lysippos, Weary Herakles from the
baths of Rome, c. 320 BCE, Roman
copy in marble of a bronze Greek
original
Lysippos, Weary Herakles from the
baths of Rome, c. 320 BCE, Roman
copy in marble of a bronze Greek
original
Lysippos, Weary Herakles
from the baths of Rome, c.
320 BCE, Roman copy in
marble of a bronze Greek
original
Hendrick Goltzius, Farnese Hercules
engraving published 1617
Lysippos, Weary Herakles from the
baths of Rome, c. 320 BCE, Roman
copy in marble of a bronze Greek
original
When Alexander died in 323 BCE, the Mediterranean and the Near East were divided among his generals. Greek was imposed on defeated nations and
became the common language of the entire region. As Greek artistic and intellectual ideas were exported widely, foreign ideas were imported.
Having been defeated by Macedonia, Greeks began to lose their sense of superiority, including their mathematical idealism and their belief in the ability of
man to perfect nature through reason and order. In contrast to the rational order of the High Classical era, Greek-speaking regions of the world during the
“Hellenistic age” began to create new forms of visual art and literature including poetry and drama (both tragedies and comedies) that emphasized human
irrationality, seductive sensuality and emotion. The god of wine Dionysus emerged as a major cult figure during this period, which lasted until the Romans
conquered Greece in 27 BCE.
Hellenistic Sculpture
323 to 27 BCE
Laocoön and His Sons by Athanadoros,
Hagesandros and Polydoros of Rhodes, early 1st
century CE
Laocoön and His Sons by Athanadoros, Hagesandros and
Polydoros of Rhodes, early 1st century CE
Laocoön and His Sons by Athanadoros, Hagesandros and
Polydoros of Rhodes, early 1st century CE
Laocoön and His Sons by Athanadoros, Hagesandros and
Polydoros of Rhodes, early 1st century CE
Laocoön and His Sons was dug
up in Rome in 1506 with
Michelangelo watching. It
became the foundation of the
so-called Baroque tradition.
Michelangelo, Ignudi from the ceiling of the
Sistine Chapel, c. 1506.
Various dates have been
suggested for the statue, ranging
from about 160 to about 20 BC.
Inscriptions found in Rhodes
date Athanadoros and
Hagesandros to a period after 42
BCE, making this date the most
probable for the Laocoön
statue's creation. It is not
known whether it is an original
work or a copy of an earlier
sculpture, possibly of a bronze
sculpture from Pergamon
(Turkey), created around 200
BC. Pliny states that this marble
statue was located in the palace
of the emperor Titus and carved
from a single piece of marble,
though when found it was
discovered to comprise seven
interlocking pieces.
Laocoön and His Sons by Athanadoros, Hagesandros and
Polydoros of Rhodes, early 1st century CE
Peter Paul Rubens, Drawing of the Laocoön, 1601-2
Laocoön and His Sons by Athanadoros, Hagesandros and
Polydoros of Rhodes, early 1st century CE
Peter Paul Rubens, Elevation of the Cross, c. 1610-11
Laocoön and His Sons by Athanadoros, Hagesandros and
Polydoros of Rhodes, early 1st century CE
Giovanni Panini, Ancient Rome, 1757
Laocoön and His Sons by Athanadoros, Hagesandros and
Polydoros of Rhodes, early 1st century CE
Giovanni Panini, Ancient Rome, 1757
Epigonos (?), Dying Gaul, Roman copy of a bronze original from
Pergamom, Turkey, c. 230-220 BCE, commemorating the victory
of Attalos I over the Galatians
Epigonos (?), Dying Gaul, Roman copy of a bronze original from
Pergamom, Turkey, c. 230-220 BCE, commemorating the victory
of Attalos I over the Galatians
Epigonos (?), Dying Gaul, Roman copy of a bronze original from Pergamom,
Turkey, c. 230-220 BCE, commemorating the victory of Attalos I over the
Galatians
Epigonos (?), Dying Gaul, Roman copy of a bronze original from Pergamom,
Turkey, c. 230-220 BCE, commemorating the victory of Attalos I over the
Galatians
Epigonos (?), Dying Gaul, Roman copy of a bronze original from Pergamom,
Turkey, c. 230-220 BCE, commemorating the victory of Attalos I over the
Galatians
Epigonos (?), Dying Gaul, Roman copy of a bronze original from Pergamom,
Turkey, c. 230-220 BCE, commemorating the victory of Attalos I over the
Galatians
Epigonos (?), Dying Gaul, Roman copy of a bronze original from Pergamom,
Turkey, c. 230-220 BCE, commemorating the victory of Attalos I over the
Galatians
“King Attalos having conquered in battle the Tolistoagii
Gauls around the springs of the river Kaikos [set up this]
thank-offering to Athena.”
Epigonos (?), Gallic
Chieftain and wife, Roman
copy of a bronze original
from Pergamum, Turkey,
c. 230-220 BCE
“King Attalos having conquered in battle the Tolistoagii
Gauls around the springs of the river Kaikos [set up this]
thank-offering to Athena.”
Old Market Woman, marble, c. 150-100
BCE, 4’ tall, Met, Roman copy from c. 14 to
68 CE
According to the Metropolitan Museum of Art:
During the Hellenistic period, artists became concerned with the
accurate representation of childhood, old age, and even physical
deformity. The range of subject matter was extended to include genrelike figures from the fringes of society. Fine, large-scale statues of
fishermen, peasants, and aged courtesans became valued religious
dedications, sometimes placed in a park-like setting within the
sanctuary of the god. Although this statue is known familiarly as The
Old Market Woman, it probably represents an aged courtesan on her
way to a festival of Dionysos, the god of wine. Her delicate sandals and
the ample material in her thin, elaborately draped chiton are a far cry
from the rough garb of a peasant woman. The ivy wreath on her head
marks her association with Dionysos, and the basket of fruit and the two
chickens must be dedicatory gifts to the god or simply her own
provisions for a long day of celebration. Veneration of Dionysos was
widespread during the Hellenistic period, and ancient literary
descriptions give an idea of the extraordinary processions and festivals
held in his honor. The flattened composition of the figure is typical of
sculpture created in the late second century B.C. The original work may
have been dedicated in a sanctuary of Dionysos. The Roman copy
could have decorated a garden.
Old Market Woman, marble, c. 150-100
BCE, 4’ tall, Met, Roman copy from c. 14 to
68 CE
http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/130008606
Old Market Woman, marble, c. 150-100
BCE, 4’ tall, Met, Roman copy from c. 14 to
68 CE
Caryatid from the Porch of the Maidens,
British Museum, 7’ 7” tall
Sleeping Satyr (Barberini Faun),
c. 230-200 BCE
Old Market Woman, marble, c. 150-100
BCE, 4’ tall, Met, Roman copy from c. 14 to
68 CE
Sleeping Satyr (Barberini Faun),
c. 230-200 BCE
Sleeping Satyr (Barberini Faun),
c. 230-200 BCE
Sleeping Satyr (Barberini Faun),
c. 230-200 BCE
Sleeping Satyr (Barberini Faun),
c. 230-200 BCE
Hero and Centaur (Herakles and Nessos?), c. 740 BCE, 4 ½”
high, Metropolitan Museum of Art, lost wax cast bronze
Sleeping Satyr (Barberini Faun),
c. 230-200 BCE