Incredible Art History

The artists of ancient period were presenting their artwork to illustrate the historical periods of time from different cultures. Every cultures in the world are valuable with their histories, because every culture holds their own values, which is reflected in their art. Greek and Italy have fabulous histories of artworks, their art had powerful influence of every aspect. Artists throughout history have celebrated the nude male body in their art , were demonstrated their verity artistic skills in their work, images of the naked body portrayed the gods and heroes of the Ancient Greek and Italy religion, where they are express naturalistic of the body and how nude figures is related with cultural traditions.

Artists were not only based on visually, also there were storytelling, and they were presenting detailed information by the decorations to transmitted messages and the lifestyle of ancient society to the future generation. In this essay, I will compare and contrast two artworks.

The Roman copy of an original attributed to the Classical Greek sculptor Polykleitos Fragments of a Marble Statue of the Diadoumenos, 69-96 CE and The Italian Neoclassicism, Perseus with the Head of Medusa, by Antonio Canova, 1804-06, in order to show their differences and similarities that how each of them are presenting their historical, cultural, religious aspects in the artwork.

Greek ancient sculpture are famous of development naturalistic of human body, human appearance is the sculpture of the classical period, and it is most beautiful such a regular facial features, particular shape of body. The best known art of classical period was the sculpture Polykleitos, he was one of the most famous sculptor of the world.

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Polykleitos’ had design figures with special attention to body proportions and stance. According on the Metropolitan Museum’s description “The figure’s thorax and pelvis tilt in opposite directions, setting up rhythmic contrasts in the torso that create an impression of organic vitality.”

One of most famous artwork of Polykleitos was Fragments of a Marble Statue of the Diadoumenos, it was from the Classical period of Greek which was created around 69-96 CE, this piece of artwork is stone sculpture and presents idealized representations of young athlete man with naturalistic manners. Sculpture is giving us message that Diadoumenos was winner an athletic games, moreover the different kind sports were most important in that time in Greece. “Sports in ancient Greece generally excluded team competitions and performances aimed at setting records. Contests included footraces, the long jump, diskos and javelin throwing, wrestling, the pentathlon, boxing, the pankration horse races, and chariot races. During competition and training, athletes were usually naked and covered with olive oil to keep off the dust. They trained in the gymnasium or xystos often coached by past victors”.

However the band which Diadoumenos is holding, it is symbolized that it was given to athlete during the Olympics, moreover we can understand the idea of this beautiful artwork is that sculptor tried to show that the athleticism is main focus among Greek citizens in that period. Diadoumenos is trying to filet around his head, his positions of feet gives us imitation that of the potential movement, his face looks youthful, his hair is very curly. Statue depicts nude man “Figures with no clothes are perfectly natural when one considers how frequent the state of undress is in every human life, from birth to the bath to the boudoir. In art, however, naked figures relate very little to these humble conditions instead reflect a very complex set of formal ideals, philosophical concerns, and cultural traditions.” (Sorabella, Jean) However in the artwork sculptor emphasized of athletic human body and showed naturalistic of it.

Neoclassism in Italy produced a variety remarkable work. Antonio Canova was an Italian Sculptor, painter and architect. He was famous, successful and influential with his marble sculptures. ​ In his work, Canova was presenting the perfect balance between reality and ideal beauty. Canova was using many techniques, such as detailed anatomy and contrapposto. Canova studied anatomy that was the secret of his art. Canova continued to present classical mythological subjects in the art. One of gorgeous example was Perseus with the head of Medusa by Antonio Canova on 1804-06. The Greek myth of Perseus and Medusa was most powerful significance demonstration of many artists in ancient time. Antonio Canova was one of the most famous Italian sculptor of all the time, his marble statues were characterized by classical style of artwork. The author expressed those features and showed the real character of the hero.

According Art Institute of Chicago” The face of Medusa, a monster from Greek mythology, had the power to petrify anyone who beheld it. Medusa face is looks that she is in pain. Her snake hair doesn’t look like real. It is not naturalistic. She appears as an idealized. Canova expressed the horror of Medusa’s appearance and her death throes in this decapitated head” (Bruce, Head of Medusa.) The marble copy of stone illustrates Mythological episodes of young warrior male holding in his left hand head of Monster Medusa, it was just cut off, and in fact looking at the sculpture we can see facial expression of Medusa. He is looking at the medusa very interesting, he is wearing the cap of heads which is invisible, in another hand he is holding sword, robe hangs in his arm loosely, and he is standing like imitating of moving forward.

The purpose of this art was that Perseus returned to king Polydects, he showed him the Medusa’s head with that he expressed his power. Medusa had Republican political symbol, however cut of head represented the power of the Republic. By analyzing differences and similarities of the artwork images, I will compare and contrast the styles, techniques of the two sculptures from different periods, Fragments of a Marble Statue of the Diadoumenos and Perseus with the Head of Medusa , we can understand that the neoclassical artwork was more decorated that time renaissance and with greater stylistic elements of ancient Greece, both movements expressing classical motifs with design but they were developed in different time of periods. Both artwork represent particular individuals. Muscles are makes both statues look very realistic and shows all lines of the body and face expressions. Both figures are presenting young man.

Diadoumenus is more sculpted and more muscular then Perseus, they were different with sizes, sculpture of Perseus with the Head of Medusa was 95.1/2 inch height tall, sculpture of Diadoumenus was 73 inch height tall, and both sculptures style are naturalistic, Perseus was warrior, Diadoumenus was athlete, both are marbles. The position of Diadoumenus between standing and walking is giving us interpretation of potential movement, Perseus is standing in contrapposto. Both artworks are important figures because they depicts of a male nude “Since the nudes of ancient Greece and Rome became normative in later Western art, it is worth pausing to consider what they are and are not .

They express profound admiration for the body as a shape of humanity, yet they do not celebrate variety; they may have sex appeal, yet they are never totally prurient in intent. The nudes of Greco- Roman art are conceptually perfect ideal persons, each one a vision of health, youth, geometric clarity , and organic Equilibrium” (Sorabella , Jean ) However Sculptures were using technics that showed real, natural and classical beauty of the human body. In conclusion, due the technics, architectures of ancient time in this essay we observed more information and discussed the importance history of artwork, that it has been used to show emotion to the civilizations, to describe cultures and tell about people’s lives that how expressions are reflecting of the cultures and religious.