The ancient sculptures of Greece, together with the temples, the poems of Homer, the tragedies of Athenian playwrights and comedians, made the culture of the Hellenes great. But the history of the plastic art of Greece was not static, but went through several stages of development.
Archaic Sculpture of Ancient Greece
During the Dark Ages, the Greeks made cult images of gods from wood. They were called xoans. They are known from the works of ancient writers; samples of xoans have not survived.
In addition to them, in the 12th-8th centuries the Greeks made primitive figurines from terracotta, bronze or ivory. Monumental sculpture appeared in Greece at the beginning of the 7th century. The statues that were used to decorate the friezes and pediments of ancient temples are made of stone. Some sculptures were made of bronze.
The most early sculptures Archaics of Ancient Greece found on Crete. Their material is limestone, and the influence of the East is felt in the figures. But the bronze statue belongs to this region " Kriofor", depicting a young man with a ram on his shoulders.
Archaic sculpture of ancient Greece
There are two main types of statues from the Archaic era - kouros and koros. Kouros (translated from Greek as “youth”) was a standing, naked young man. One leg of the statue extended forward. The corners of the kouros' lips were often slightly raised. This created the so-called “archaic smile.”
Kora (translated from Greek as “maiden”, “girl”) is a female sculpture. Ancient Greece of the 8th-6th centuries left images of kors in long tunics. The craftsmen of Argos, Sikyon, and the Cyclades Islands preferred to make kouros. Sculptors of Ionia and Athens - cor. Kuros were not portraits of specific people, but represented a generalized image.
Female sculpture ancient Greece The architecture and sculpture of Ancient Greece began to interact in the Archaic era. At the beginning of the 6th century, there was a temple of Hekatompedon in Athens. The pediment of the cult building was decorated with images of the duel between Hercules and Triton.
Found on the Acropolis of Athens statue of Moschophorus(man carrying a calf) made of marble. It was completed around 570. The dedicatory inscription states that she is a gift to the gods from the Athenian Rhonba. Another Athenian statue - kouros on the grave of the Athenian warrior Kroisos. The inscription under the statue says that it was erected in memory of a young warrior who died in the front ranks.
Kouros, Ancient Greece Classical era
At the beginning of the 5th century, the realism of figures increased in Greek sculpture. Masters carefully reproduce the proportions of the human body and its anatomy. The sculptures depict a person in motion. The successors of the previous kouros - athletes statues.
Sculptures of the first half of the 5th century are sometimes classified as “severe” style. The most striking example of the work of this time is sculptures in the Temple of Zeus at Olympia. The figures there are more realistic than the Archaic kouros. The sculptors tried to depict emotions on the faces of the figures.
Architecture and sculpture of ancient Greece Severe style sculptures depict people in more relaxed poses. This was done through “contrapposto,” when the body is slightly turned to one side, and its weight rests on one leg. The head of the statue was made slightly turned, in contrast to the kouros looking forward. An example of such a statue is “ Boy Kritias" The clothing of female figures in the first half of the 5th century is made simpler in comparison with the complex clothing of the archaic era.
The second half of the 5th century is called the High Classical era for sculpture. During this era, plastic arts and architecture continued to interact. Sculptures of Ancient Greece decorate temples created in the 5th century.
At this time, a majestic Parthenon Temple, for the decoration of which dozens of statues were used. When creating the Parthenon sculptures, Phidias abandoned previous traditions. Human bodies in the sculptural groups of the Temple of Athena are more perfect, people’s faces are more impassive, and clothes are depicted more realistically. The masters of the 5th century paid main attention to the figures, but not to the emotions of the heroes of the sculptures.
Doryphoros, Ancient Greece In the 440s, an Argive master Polikle t wrote a treatise in which he outlined his aesthetic principles. He described the digital law perfect proportions human body. The statue “ Doryphoros"("Spearman").
Sculptures of ancient Greece In the sculpture of the 4th century there was a development of previous traditions and the creation of new ones. The statues became more naturalistic. The sculptors tried to depict mood and emotions on the faces of the figures. Some statues could serve as personifications of concepts or emotions. Example, goddess statue Eirene's world. The sculptor Kephisodotus created it for the Athenian state in 374, shortly after the conclusion of another peace with Sparta.
Previously, masters did not depict goddesses naked. The first to do this was the 4th century sculptor Praxiteles, who created the statue “ Aphrodite of Knidos" Praxiteles' work was lost, but its later copies and images on coins survived. To explain the nakedness of the goddess, the sculptor said that he depicted her bathing.
In the 4th century there were three sculptors whose works were recognized as the greatest - Praxiteles, Scopas and Lysippos. The ancient tradition associated the name of Skopas, a native of the island of Paros, with the depiction of figures of spiritual experiences on the faces. Lysippos was a native of the Peloponnesian city of Sikyon, but lived for many years in Macedonia. He was friends with Alexander the Great and made his sculptural portraits. Lysippos reduced the figures' head and torso in comparison to the legs and arms. Thanks to this, his statues were more elastic and flexible. Lysippos depicted the eyes and hair of the statues in a naturalistic manner.
The sculptures of Ancient Greece, whose names are known throughout the world, belong to the Classical and Hellenistic eras. Most of them perished, but their copies, created during the era of the Roman Empire, survived.
Sculptures of ancient Greece: names in the Hellenistic era
In the Hellenistic era, the depiction of human emotions and states developed - old age, sleep, anxiety, intoxication. The theme of the sculpture can even be ugliness. Statues of tired fighters, gripped by the rage of giants, and decrepit old men appeared. At the same time, the genre of sculptural portraits developed. The new type was “portrait of a philosopher.”
The statues were created by order of citizens of Greek city-states and Hellenistic kings. They could have religious or political functions. Already in the 4th century, the Greeks revered their commanders with sculptures. Sources contain references to statues that city residents erected in honor of the Spartan commander, the winner Athens Lysandra. Later, the Athenians and citizens of other policies erected figures of strategists Conon, Chabrias and Timothy in honor of their military victories. During the Hellenistic era the number of such statues increased.
One of the most famous works Hellenistic era - Nike of Samothrace. Its creation dates back to the 2nd century BC. The statue, as researchers suggest, glorified one of the naval victories of the kings of Macedonia. To some extent, in the Hellenistic era, the sculpture of Ancient Greece is a presentation of the power and influence of the rulers.
Ancient Greece sculpture: photo Among the monumental sculptural groups of Hellenism one can recall Pergamum school. In the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC. the kings of this state waged long wars against the Galatian tribes. Around 180 BC The altar of Zeus was completed in Pergamon. The victory over the barbarians was represented there allegorically in the form of a sculptural group of fighting Olympian gods and giants.
Ancient sculptures of Greece were created for different purposes. But since the Renaissance, they have attracted people with their beauty and realism.
Sculptures of ancient Greece: presentation
The sculpture of ancient Greece, like all ancient art, is a special example, standard craftsmanship and a unique ideal. Ancient Greek art, and especially the sculpture of Ancient Greece, had a very significant influence on the development of world culture. It was the foundation on which it later grew European civilization. The beautiful statues of Greek sculptors were made of stone, limestone, bronze, marble, wood and decorated with magnificent items of precious metals and stones. They were installed in the main squares of cities, on the graves of famous Greeks, in temples and even in rich Greek houses. The main principle of sculpture in Ancient Greece was the combination of beauty and strength, the idealization of man and his body. The ancient Greeks believed that only a perfect soul could reside in a perfect, ideal body.
The development of sculpture in Ancient Greece can be divided into three significant stages. This is archaic - VI-VII centuries BC. Classics, which in turn can be divided into the periods of early - the beginning of the 5th century BC, high classics - the end of the 5th century BC, and late - the 6th century BC. AND final stage- Hellenism. Also, from the descriptions of ancient historians, one can understand that there was sculpture of Homeric Greece, but only small figurines and vessels decorated with paintings have survived to our times. Each of these stages of Greek culture has its own unique features.
Archaic period
During this period, ancient Greek artists sought to create an ideal image of a man and woman. The sculpture was dominated by figures of naked young warriors called kouros. They had to show the valor, physical health and strength of a person, which were acquired in sports competitions of that time. The second example of art from this period were barks. These are girls draped in long clothes, which expressed the ideal of femininity and pristine purity. At this time, the so-called “archaic smile” appeared, which spiritualized the faces of the statues.
Outstanding examples of surviving sculptures from the archaic period are the "Kouros of Piraeus", which today adorns the Athens Museum, as well as the "Goddess with a Pomegranate" and "Goddess with a Hare", stored in the Berlin state museum. Quite famous is the sculpture of the brothers Kleobis and Biton from Argos, who delight the eyes of lovers of Greek art in the Delphic Museum.
In archaic times, monumental sculpture, in which relief plays the main role, also occupies an important place. These are quite large sculptural compositions, often depicting events described in the myths of Ancient Greece. For example, on the pediment of the Temple of Artemis the actions taking place in the story known to everyone from childhood about the Gorgon Medusa and the brave Perseus were depicted.
Early classic
With the transition to the classical period, the immobility, one might say, the static nature of archaic sculptures, is gradually replaced by emotional figures captured in movement. The so-called spatial movement appears. The poses of the figures are so far simple and natural, for example, a girl untying her sandal, or a runner getting ready to start.
Perhaps one of the most famous statues of that period is the “Discobolus” by Myron, who made a very significant contribution to the art of early classical Greece. The figure was cast in bronze in 470 BC and depicts an athlete preparing to throw a discus. His body is perfect and harmonious, and is ready to throw at the next second.
Another great sculptor of that time was Polykleitos. The most famous work of his today is called Doryphoros, created between 450 and 440 BC. This is a spearman, powerful, reserved and full of dignity. It is full of inner strength and, as it were, shows the desire of the Greek people of those times for sublimity, harmony and peace. Unfortunately, the originals of these sculptures of Ancient Greece, cast in bronze, have not survived to this day. We can only admire their copies made from various materials.
At the beginning of the twentieth century, a bronze statue of the god Poseidon was found at the bottom of the sea near Cape Artemision. He is depicted as majestic, formidable, raising the hand in which he held the trident. This statue seems to mark the transition from the early classical period to the high one.
High classic
The direction of high classics pursued a double goal. On the one hand, to show all the beauty of movement in sculpture, and, on the other hand, to combine the external stillness of the figure with the internal breath of life. The great sculptor Phidias managed to combine these two aspirations in his work. He is famous, in particular, for decorating the ancient Parthenon with beautiful marble sculptures.
He also created the magnificent masterpiece “Athena Parthenos”, which, unfortunately, died in ancient times. In the National Museum of Archeology of Athens you can see only a small copy of this statue.
The great artist created many more masterpieces during his creative life. This is the statue of Athena Promachos in the Acropolis, which amazes with its enormous size and grandeur, and, no less colossal, the figure of Zeus in the Temple of Olympia, which was later ranked as one of the amazing seven wonders of the world.
We must admit with bitterness that our vision of ancient Greek sculpture is far from the truth. It is almost impossible to see the original statues of that era. Many of them were destroyed during the redistribution of the Mediterranean world. And another reason for the destruction of these greatest monuments art was their destruction by fanatically believing Christians. We are left with only copies of them by Roman masters of the 1st-2nd centuries AD and descriptions of ancient historians.
Late classic
In times dating back to the late classics, the sculpture of Ancient Greece began to be characterized by plastic movements and elaboration of the smallest details. The figures began to be distinguished by their grace and flexibility, and the first naked female bodies began to appear. One of the striking examples of this magnificence is the statue of Aphrodite of Knidos by the sculptor Praxiteles.
The ancient Roman writer Pliny said that this statue was considered the most beautiful statue of those times, and many pilgrims flocked to Cnidus wanting to see it. This is the first work in which Praxiteles depicted a naked female body. The interesting history of this statue is that the sculpture created two figures - naked and clothed. The inhabitants of Kos, who ordered the statue of Aphrodite, chose the dressed goddess, being afraid to take a risk, despite all the beauty of this masterpiece. And the naked sculpture was acquired by the inhabitants of the city of Knidos, located in Asia Minor, and thanks to this they became famous.
Another prominent representative of the late classical movement was Skopas. He sought to express violent passions and emotions in his sculptures. Among his famous works are the statue of Apollo Cyfared, also Ares of the Villa Ludovisi, and the sculpture called Niobides dying around their mother.
Hellenistic period
The time of Hellenism is characterized by a fairly powerful influence of the East on all the art of Greece. The sculpture did not escape this fate either. Sensuality, oriental temperament and emotionality began to penetrate into the majestic poses and sublimity of the classics. Artists began to complicate the angles and use luxurious draperies. Naked female beauty has ceased to be something unusual, blasphemous and provocative.
At this time it appeared great amount various statues of the naked goddess Aphrodite or Venus. One of the most famous statues to this day remains the Venus de Milo, created by the master Alexander around 120 BC. We are all accustomed to seeing images of her without hands, but it is believed that initially the goddess held her falling clothes with one hand, and in the other hand she held an apple. Her image combines tenderness, strength, and beauty of the physical body.
Also very famous statues of this period are Aphrodite of Cyrene and Laocoon and his sons. Last piece filled strong emotions, drama and extraordinary realism.
The main theme of the sculptural creativity of Ancient Greece, apparently, was man. And indeed, nowhere else was a person so valued as in that very ancient Greek civilization.
With the development of culture, sculptors tried to convey more and more human feelings and emotions through their works. All these majestic masterpieces, created tens of hundreds of years ago, still attract people's attention, and have a fascinating and incredibly impressive effect on modern art lovers.
Conclusion
It is difficult to single out any one period in the development of ancient Greek culture and not find in it the rapid flourishing of sculpture. This type of art constantly developed and improved, reaching special beauty in the classical era, but even after it did not fade away, still remaining leading. Of course, it is possible to correlate sculpture and architecture of ancient Greece, but only in comparison, it is unacceptable to identify them. Yes, this is impossible, because sculpture is not a monumental structure, but a skillfully sculpted masterpiece. More often antique sculptors turned to the image of a person.
In their works they Special attention paid attention to postures, the presence of movement. They tried to create living images, as if it were not a stone in front of us, but living flesh and blood. And they did it very well, mainly due to their responsible approach to business. Knowledge of anatomy and general ideas about human character allowed the ancient Greek masters to achieve what many modern sculptors still cannot comprehend.
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Faced with the sculptures of Ancient Greece, many outstanding minds expressed genuine admiration. One of the most famous researchers of the art of ancient Greece, Johann Winckelmann (1717-1768) speaks about Greek sculpture: “Connoisseurs and imitators of Greek works find in their masterful creations not only the most beautiful nature, but also more than nature, namely its certain ideal beauty, which... is created from images sketched by the mind.” Everyone who writes about Greek art notes in it an amazing combination of naive spontaneity and depth, reality and fiction.
It, especially in sculpture, embodies the ideal of man. What is the peculiarity of the ideal? Why did he charm people so much that the aged Goethe cried in the Louvre in front of the sculpture of Aphrodite? The Greeks always believed that only in a beautiful body can a beautiful soul live. Therefore, harmony of the body, external perfection is an indispensable condition and basis ideal person. The Greek ideal is defined by the term kalokagathia (Greek kalos - beautiful + agathos good). Since kalokagathia includes the perfection of both physical constitution and spiritual and moral makeup, then at the same time, along with beauty and strength, the ideal carries justice, chastity, courage and rationality. This is exactly what does greek gods sculpted by ancient sculptors, uniquely beautiful.
The best monuments of ancient Greek sculpture were created in the 5th century. BC. But earlier works have also reached us. Statues of the 7th - 6th centuries. BC symmetrical: one half of the body - mirror reflection another. Shackled posture, outstretched arms pressed to the muscular body. Not the slightest tilt or turn of the head, but the lips are open in a smile. A smile seems to illuminate the sculpture from within with an expression of the joy of life. Later, during the period of classicism, statues acquired a greater variety of forms. There have been attempts to conceptualize harmony algebraically. The first scientific study of what harmony is was undertaken by Pythagoras. The school that he founded examined issues of a philosophical and mathematical nature, applying mathematical calculations to all aspects of reality.
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Number theory and sculpture of Ancient Greece
There were no exceptions musical harmony, nor the harmony of the human body or architectural structure. The Pythagorean school considered number the basis and beginning of the world. What does number theory have to do with Greek art? It turns out that it is the most direct, since the harmony of the spheres of the Universe and the harmony of the entire world is expressed by the same ratios of numbers, the main ones of which are the ratios 2/1, 3/2 and 4/3 (in music these are the octave, fifth and fourth, respectively). In addition, harmony presupposes the possibility of calculating any correlation of parts of each object, including sculpture, according to the following proportion: a / b = b / c, where a is any smaller part of the object, b is any larger part, c is the whole. On this basis, the great Greek sculptor Polykleitos (5th century BC) created a sculpture of a young spear-bearer (5th century BC), which is called “Doriphoros” (“Spear-bearer”) or “Canon” - after the title of the work sculptor, where he, discussing the theory of art, considers the laws of depicting a perfect person.
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Greece on the map, where the sculptures of Ancient Greece were created
Statue of Polykleitos "Spearman"
It is believed that the artist’s reasoning can be applied to his sculpture. The statues of Polykleitos are full of intense life. Polykleitos liked to depict athletes in a state of 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 peace 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, reserved - the embodiment of Greek ideals.
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Statue of Myron "Discobolus"
Unlike his contemporary Polykleitos, Myron loved to depict his statues in motion. Here, for example, is the statue “Discobolus” (5th century BC; Thermal Museum, Rome). Its author, the great sculptor Miron, depicted a beautiful young man at the moment when he swung a heavy disc. His body, caught in motion, is curved and tense, like a spring ready to unfold.
Under the elastic skin of the arm pulled back, trained muscles bulged. The toes, forming a reliable support, pressed deep into the sand.
Sculpture of Phidias "Athena Parthenos"
The statues of Myron and Polykleitos were cast in bronze, but only marble copies of ancient Greek originals made by the Romans have reached us. The Greeks considered Phidias the greatest sculptor of his time, who decorated the Parthenon with marble sculpture. His sculptures especially reflect that the gods in Greece are nothing more than images of an ideal person. The best preserved marble strip of the relief of the frieze is 160 m long. It depicts a procession heading to the temple of the goddess Athena - the Parthenon. The Parthenon sculpture was badly damaged. And “Athena Parthenos” perished in ancient times. She stood inside the temple and was incredibly beautiful. The goddess's head with a low, smooth forehead and rounded chin, neck and arms were made of ivory, and her hair, clothes, shield and helmet were minted from sheets of gold. The goddess in the form of a beautiful woman is the personification of Athens. Many stories are associated with this sculpture.
Other sculptures of Phidias
The created masterpiece was so great and famous that its author immediately had many envious people. They tried in every possible way to insult the sculptor and looked for different reasons by which one could accuse him of something. They say that Phidias was accused of allegedly concealing part of the gold given as material for the decoration of the goddess. To prove his innocence, Phidias removed all the gold objects from the sculpture and weighed them. The weight exactly coincided with the weight of the gold given for the sculpture. Then Phidias was accused of atheism. The reason for this was Athena's shield.
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Athens on the map, where the sculptures of Ancient Greece were created
It depicted the plot of the battle between the Greeks and the Amazons. Among the Greeks, Phidias depicted himself and his beloved Pericles. The image of Phidias on the shield became the cause of the conflict. Despite all the achievements of Phidias, the Greek public was able to turn against him. The life of the great sculptor ended in a cruel execution. The achievements of Phidias in the Parthenon were not exhaustive for his work. The sculptor created many other works, the best of which were the colossal bronze figure of Athena Promachos, erected on the Acropolis around 460 BC, and the equally huge ivory and gold figure of Zeus for the temple at Olympia.
Unfortunately, the original works no longer exist and we cannot see with our own eyes magnificent works art of ancient Greece. Only their descriptions and copies remain. This was largely due to the fanatical destruction of statues by Christian believers. This is how one can describe the statue of Zeus for the temple at Olympia: A huge fourteen-meter god sat on a golden throne, and it seemed that if he stood up, straightened his broad shoulders, he would feel cramped in the vast hall and the ceiling would be low. The head of Zeus was decorated with a wreath of olive branches - a sign of the peacefulness of the formidable god. His face, shoulders, arms, chest were made of ivory, and his cloak was thrown over his left shoulder. The crown and beard of Zeus were made of sparkling gold. Phidias endowed Zeus with human nobility. His handsome face, framed by a curly beard and curly hair, was not only stern, but also kind, his posture was solemn, stately and calm.
The combination of physical beauty and kindness of soul emphasized his divine ideality. The statue made such an impression that, according to the ancient author, people, depressed by grief, sought consolation in contemplating the creation of Phidias. Rumor declared the statue of Zeus one of the “seven wonders of the world.” The works of all three sculptors were similar in that they all depicted the harmony of a beautiful body and the beauty contained within it. kind soul. This was the main trend at the time. Of course, norms and guidelines in Greek art changed throughout history. Archaic art was more straightforward; it lacked the deep meaning of understatement that delights humanity in the period Greek classics. In the Hellenistic era, when man lost his sense of the stability of the world, art lost its old ideals. It began to reflect the feelings of uncertainty about the future that reigned in the social trends of that time.
Materials of sculpture of Ancient Greece
One thing united all periods of development of Greek society and art: this, as M. Alpatov writes, a special passion for plastic art, for spatial arts. Such a predilection is understandable: huge reserves of a variety of colors, noble and ideal material - marble - provided ample opportunities for its implementation. Although most Greek sculptures were made in bronze, since marble was fragile, it was the texture of marble with its color and decorativeness that made it possible to reproduce the beauty of the human body with the greatest expressiveness. Therefore, most often “the human body, its structure and pliability, its harmony and flexibility attracted the attention of the Greeks; they willingly depicted the human body both naked and in light transparent clothing.”
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Architecture and sculpture of Ancient GreeceCities of the ancient world usually appeared near a high rock, and a citadel was built on it, so that there would be a place to hide if the enemy penetrated the city. Such a citadel was called an acropolis. In the same way, on a rock that towered almost 150 meters above Athens and had long served as a natural defensive structure, an upper city gradually formed in the form of a fortress (acropolis) with various defensive, public and religious structures.
The Athenian Acropolis began to be built up in the 2nd millennium BC. During Greco-Persian wars(480-479 BC) it was completely destroyed; later, under the leadership of the sculptor and architect Phidias, its restoration and reconstruction began.
The Acropolis is one of those places “about which everyone insists that they are magnificent and unique. But don't ask why. No one can answer you...” It can be measured, even all its stones can be counted. It's not that big of a deal to get through it from end to end - it only takes a few minutes. The walls of the Acropolis are steep and precipitous. Four great creations still stand on this rocky hill. A wide zigzag road runs from the bottom of the hill to the only entrance. This is the Propylaea - a monumental gate with Doric style columns and a wide staircase. They were built by the architect Mnesicles in 437-432 BC. But before entering these majestic marble gates, everyone involuntarily turned to the right. There, on the high pedestal of the bastion that once guarded the entrance to the acropolis, stands the temple of the goddess of victory Nike Apteros, decorated with Ionic columns. This is the work of the architect Callicrates (second half of the 5th century BC). The temple - light, airy, unusually beautiful - stood out with its whiteness against the blue background of the sky. This fragile building, looking like an elegant marble toy, seems to smile itself and makes passers-by smile affectionately.
The restless, ardent and active gods of Greece resembled the Greeks themselves. True, they were taller, could fly through the air, take on any form, and turn into animals and plants. But in all other respects they behaved like ordinary people: they got married, deceived each other, quarreled, made peace, punished children...
Temple of Demeter, builders unknown, 6th century. BC. Olympia
Temple of Nike Apteros, architect Kallikrates, 449-421 BC. Athens
Propylaea, architect Mnesical, 437-432 BC. Athens
The goddess of victory Nike was depicted as a beautiful woman with large wings: victory is fickle and flies from one opponent to another. The Athenians depicted her as wingless so that she would not leave the city that she had so recently conquered. great victory over the Persians. Deprived of wings, the goddess could no longer fly and had to remain in Athens forever.
The Nika Temple stands on a rock ledge. It is slightly turned towards the Propylaea and plays the role of a beacon for processions going around the rock.
Immediately beyond the Propylaea, Athena the Warrior stood proudly, whose spear greeted the traveler from afar and served as a beacon for sailors. The inscription on the stone pedestal read: “The Athenians dedicated from the victory over the Persians.” This meant that the statue was cast from bronze weapons taken from the Persians as a result of their victories.
The Erechtheion temple ensemble was also located on the Acropolis, which (according to the plan of its creators) was supposed to link together several sanctuaries located on different levels, - the rock here is very uneven. The northern portico of the Erechtheion led to the sanctuary of Athena, where a wooden statue of the goddess was kept, supposedly falling from the sky. The door from the sanctuary opened into a small courtyard where the only sacred olive tree on the entire Acropolis grew, which rose when Athena touched the rock with her sword in this place. Through the eastern portico one could get into the sanctuary of Poseidon, where he, having struck the rock with his trident, left three furrows with gurgling water. Here was also the sanctuary of Erechtheus, revered on a par with Poseidon.
The central part of the temple is a rectangular room (24.1x13.1 meters). The temple also contained the tomb and sanctuary of the first legendary king of Attica, Cecrops. On the south side of the Erechtheion is the famous portico of the caryatids: at the edge of the wall, six girls carved from marble support the ceiling. Some scholars suggest that the portico served as a tribune for respectable citizens or that priests gathered here for religious ceremonies. But the exact purpose of the portico is still unclear, because “portico” means the vestibule, and in in this case the portico did not have doors and from here it is impossible to get inside the temple. The figures of the portico of the caryatids are essentially supports that replace a pillar or column; they also perfectly convey the lightness and flexibility of the girlish figures. The Turks, who at one time captured Athens and, due to their Muslim beliefs, did not allow images of humans, did not, however, destroy these statues. They limited themselves to only cutting off the girls' faces.
Erechtheion, builders unknown, 421-407 BC. Athens
Parthenon, architects Ictinus, Callicrates, 447-432 BC. Athens
In 1803, Lord Elgin, the English ambassador to Constantinople and a collector, using the permission of the Turkish Sultan, broke out one of the caryatids in the temple and took it to England, where he offered it to the British Museum. Interpreting the firman of the Turkish Sultan too broadly, he also took with him many of the sculptures of Phidias and sold them for 35,000 pounds sterling. Firman stated that “no one should prevent him from taking away a few stones with inscriptions or figures from the Acropolis.” Elgin filled 201 boxes with such “stones”. As he himself stated, he took only those sculptures that had already fallen or were in danger of falling, ostensibly in order to save them from final destruction. But Byron also called him a thief. Later (during the restoration of the portico of the caryatids in 1845-1847) British museum sent to Athens a plaster cast of the statue taken away by Lord Elgin. The cast was subsequently replaced by a more durable copy made of artificial stone, made in England.
At the end of the last century, the Greek government demanded that England return its treasures, but received the answer that the London climate was more favorable for them.
At the beginning of our millennium, when Greece was transferred to Byzantium during the division of the Roman Empire, the Erechtheion was turned into a Christian temple. Later, the crusaders, who captured Athens, made the temple a ducal palace, and during the Turkish conquest of Athens in 1458, a harem of the commandant of the fortress was installed in the Erechtheion. During the liberation war of 1821-1827, the Greeks and Turks took turns besieging the Acropolis, bombarding its structures, including the Erechtheion.
In 1830 (after the proclamation of Greek independence), only foundations could be found at the site of the Erechtheion, as well as architectural decorations lying on the ground. Funds for the restoration of this temple ensemble (as well as for the restoration of many other structures of the Acropolis) were given by Heinrich Schliemann. His closest associate V. Derpfeld carefully measured and compared the ancient fragments; by the end of the 70s of the last century he was already planning to restore the Erechtheion. But this reconstruction was subjected to severe criticism, and the temple was dismantled. The building was rebuilt under the leadership of the famous Greek scientist P. Kavadias in 1906 and finally restored in 1922.
"Venus de Milo" Agessander(?), 120 BC. Louvre, Paris
"Laocoon" Agessander, Polydorus, Athenodorus, c.40 BC. Greece, Olympia
"Hercules of Farnese" ca. 200 BC e., Nat. museum, Naples
"Wounded Amazon" Polykleitos, 440 BC. National museum rome
The Parthenon, the temple of the goddess Athena, is the largest structure on the Acropolis and the most beautiful creation of Greek architecture. It stands not in the center of the square, but somewhat to the side, so you can immediately take in the front and side facades and understand the beauty of the temple as a whole. The ancient Greeks believed that the temple with the main cult statue in the center represented the house of the deity. The Parthenon is the temple of Athena the Virgin (Parthenos), and therefore in its center there was a chrysoelephantine (made of ivory and gold plates on a wooden base) statue of the goddess.
The Parthenon was erected in 447-432 BC. architects Ictinus and Callicrates from Pentelic marble. It was located on a four-level terrace, the size of its base was 69.5 x 30.9 meters. The Parthenon is surrounded on four sides by slender colonnades, with gaps visible between their white marble trunks blue sky. Entirely permeated with light, it seems airy and light. There are no bright designs on the white columns, as is found in Egyptian temples. Only longitudinal grooves (flutes) cover them from top to bottom, making the temple seem taller and even slimmer. The columns owe their slenderness and lightness to the fact that they taper slightly towards the top. In the middle part of the trunk, not at all noticeable to the eye, they thicken and this makes them seem elastic, more able to withstand the weight of stone blocks. Iktin and Callicrates, having thought through every smallest detail, created a building that amazes with its amazing proportionality, extreme simplicity and purity of all lines. Placed on the upper platform of the Acropolis, at an altitude of about 150 meters above sea level, the Parthenon was visible not only from anywhere in the city, but also from numerous ships sailing to Athens. The temple was a Doric perimeter surrounded by a colonnade of 46 columns.
"Aphrodite and Pan" 100 BC, Delphi, Greece
"Diana the Huntress" Leochard, c.340 BC, Louvre, Paris, France
"Resting Hermes" Lysippos, IV century. BC BC, National Museum, Naples
"Hercules Fighting the Lion" Lysippos, c. 330 BC Hermitage, St. Petersburg
"Atlas Farnese" c.200 BC, Nat. museum, Naples
The most famous masters participated in the sculptural design of the Parthenon. The artistic director of the construction and decoration of the Parthenon was Phidias, one of the greatest sculptors of all time. He is responsible for the overall composition and development of the entire sculptural decoration, part of which he performed himself. The organizational side of the construction was handled by Pericles, the largest statesman of Athens.
The entire sculptural design of the Parthenon was intended to glorify the goddess Athena and her city - Athens. The theme of the eastern pediment is the birth of Zeus's beloved daughter. On the western pediment the master depicted a scene of a dispute between Athena and Poseidon for dominance over Attica. According to the myth, Athena won the dispute and gave the inhabitants of this country an olive tree.
The gods of Greece gathered on the pediments of the Parthenon: the thunderer Zeus, the mighty ruler of the seas Poseidon, the wise warrior Athena, winged Nike. The sculptural decoration of the Parthenon was completed by a frieze, which depicted a solemn procession during the festival of the Great Panathenaia. This frieze is considered one of the pinnacles of classical art. Despite all its compositional unity, it amazed with its diversity. Of the more than 500 figures of young men, elders, girls, on foot and on horseback, not one repeated the other; the movements of people and animals were conveyed with amazing dynamism.
The figures of the sculptural Greek relief are not flat, they have the volume and shape of the human body. They differ from statues only in that they are not processed on all sides, but seem to merge with the background formed by the flat surface of the stone. Light colors enlivened the Parthenon marble. The red background emphasized the whiteness of the figures, the narrow vertical projections that separated one slab of the frieze from the other clearly stood out in blue, and the gilding shone brightly. Behind the columns, on a marble ribbon encircling all four facades of the building, a festive procession was depicted. There are almost no gods here, and people, forever imprinted in stone, moved along the two long sides of the building and united on the eastern facade, where a solemn ceremony took place to present the priest with a robe woven by Athenian girls for the goddess. Each figure has its own characteristic unique beauty, and all together they accurately reflect true life and customs ancient city.
Indeed, once every five years, on one of the hot days of mid-summer, a nationwide celebration took place in Athens in honor of the birth of the goddess Athena. It was called the Great Panathenaia. Not only citizens of the Athenian state, but also many guests took part in it. The celebration consisted of a solemn procession (pump), the bringing of a hecatomb (100 head of cattle) and a common meal, sports, equestrian and musical competitions. The winner received a special, so-called Panathenaic amphora filled with oil, and a wreath made from the leaves of the sacred olive tree growing on the Acropolis.
The most solemn moment of the holiday was the national procession to the Acropolis. Riders on horses were moving, statesmen, warriors in armor and young athletes were walking. Priests and nobles walked in long white robes, heralds loudly praised the goddess, musicians filled the still cool morning air with joyful sounds. Along the zigzag Panathenaic road, trampled by thousands of people, sacrificial animals climbed the high hill of the Acropolis. The boys and girls carried with them a model of the sacred Panathenaic ship with a peplos (veil) attached to its mast. A light breeze fluttered the bright fabric of the yellow-violet robe, which was carried as a gift to the goddess Athena by the noble girls of the city. For a whole year they wove and embroidered it. Other girls raised sacred vessels for sacrifices high above their heads. Gradually the procession approached the Parthenon. The entrance to the temple was made not from the Propylaea, but from the other, as if so that everyone would first walk around, examine and appreciate the beauty of all parts of the beautiful building. Unlike Christian churches, ancient Greek ones were not intended for worship inside them; the people remained outside the temple during religious activities. In the depths of the temple, surrounded on three sides by two-tiered colonnades, the famous statue of the Virgin Athena, created by the famous Phidias, stood proudly. Her clothes, helmet and shield were made of pure sparkling gold, and her face and hands shone with the whiteness of ivory.
Many book volumes have been written about the Parthenon, among them there are monographs about each of its sculptures and about each step of gradual decline from the time when, after the decree of Theodosius I, it became a Christian temple. In the 15th century, the Turks turned it into a mosque, and in the 17th century, into a gunpowder warehouse. It was turned into final ruins by the Turkish-Venetian war of 1687, when an artillery shell hit it and in one moment did what all-consuming time could not do in 2000 years.
Ancient Greek sculpture occupies a special place among the variety of masterpieces cultural heritage belonging to this country. It is sung and embodied with the help visual arts the beauty of the human body, its ideal. However, not only smooth lines and grace - character traits, which mark ancient Greek sculpture. So great was the skill of its creators that they were able to convey a range of emotions even in cold stone, to give a deep, special meaning to the figures, as if breathing life into them. Each ancient Greek sculpture is endowed with a mystery that still attracts today. The creations of great masters do not leave anyone indifferent.
Like other cultures, it experienced different periods in its development. Each of them was marked by changes in all kinds visual arts, including sculpture. Therefore, it is possible to trace the main stages of the formation of this type of art by briefly describing the features of ancient Greek sculpture in different periods historical development of this country.
Archaic period
Time from 8th to 6th century BC. Ancient Greek sculpture at this time had a certain primitiveness as a characteristic feature. It was observed because the images embodied in the works were not diverse; they were too generalized, called kors, young men - kouros).
Apollo of Tenei
The statue of Apollo Tenaeus is the most famous of all the extant figures of this era. In total, several dozen of them are now known. It is made of marble. Apollo is depicted as a young man with his hands down, his fingers clenched into fists. His eyes are wide open, and his face reflects an archaic smile, typical of sculptures dating from this period.
Female figures
The images of women and girls were distinguished by wavy hair and long clothes, but what attracted them most was their elegance and smooth lines, the embodiment of grace and femininity.
Archaic ancient Greek sculptures were somewhat disproportional and sketchy. Each work, on the other hand, is attractive with its restrained emotionality and simplicity. For this era, the depiction of human figures is characterized, as we have already noted, by a half-smile, which gives them depth and mystery.
Today in the Berlin State Museum, the "Goddess with Pomegranate" is one of the best preserved figures among other archaic sculptures. With the “wrong” proportions and external roughness of the image, the hands, brilliantly executed by the author, attract the attention of the audience. An expressive gesture makes the sculpture especially expressive and dynamic.
"Kouros from Piraeus"
Located in the Athens Museum, "Kouros from Piraeus" is a later, therefore more perfect creation, made by an ancient sculptor. A young powerful warrior appears before us. and a slight tilt of the head indicate the conversation he is having. The disturbed proportions are no longer so striking. Archaic ancient Greek sculptures, as we have already mentioned, have generalized facial features. However, in this figure this is not as noticeable as in creations dating back to the early archaic period.
Classical period
The Classical period is the time from the 5th to the 4th century BC. The works of ancient Greek sculpture at this time underwent some changes, which we will tell you about now. Among the sculptors of this period, one of the most famous figures is Pythagoras of Rhegium.
Features of Pythagoras sculptures
His creations are characterized by realism and liveliness, which were innovative at the time. Some works by this author are even considered too bold for this era (for example, a statue of a boy taking out a splinter). The liveliness of his mind and extraordinary talent allowed this sculptor to study the meaning of harmony with the help of mathematical methods calculation. He conducted them on the basis of the philosophical and mathematical school, which he founded. Pythagoras, using these methods, explored harmony of various natures: musical, architectural structures, the human body. There was a Pythagorean school based on the principle of number. It was this that was considered the basis of the world.
Other sculptors of the classical period
The classical period, in addition to the name of Pythagoras, gave world culture such famous masters, like Phidias, Polykleitos and Myron. The works of ancient Greek sculpture by these authors are united as follows: general principle- display of harmony perfect body and the beautiful soul contained in it. This principle is the main one that guided various masters of that time when creating their creations. Ancient Greek sculpture is the ideal of harmony and beauty.
Miron
Great influence on the art of Athens in the 5th century BC. e. were rendered by the works of Myron (just remember the famous Discus thrower, made of bronze). This master, unlike Polykleitos, whom we will talk about later, loved to depict figures in motion. For example, in the above statue of the Discobolus, dating back to the 5th century BC. e., he depicted a handsome young man at the moment when he swung his hand to throw the disc. His body is tense and curved, caught in the movement, like a spring ready to unfold. Trained muscles bulged under the elastic skin of the arm pulled back. Forming a reliable support, we pressed deep into the sand. This is the ancient Greek sculpture (Discobolus). The statue was cast from bronze. However, only a marble copy made by the Romans from the original has reached us. The image below shows a statue of the Minotaur by this sculptor.
Polykleitos
The ancient Greek sculpture of Polykleitos has the following characteristic feature- the figure of a person standing with his arm raised up on one leg is inherent in balance. An example of its masterful embodiment is the statue of Doryphoros the spear-bearer. In his works, Polykleitos sought to combine ideal physical characteristics with spirituality and beauty. This desire inspired him to publish his treatise called “The Canon,” which, unfortunately, has not survived to this day.
The statues of Polykleitos are full of intense life. He loved to depict athletes at rest. For example, the “Spearman” is a man of powerful build who is full of self-esteem. He stands motionless in front of the viewer. However, this peace is not static, characteristic of ancient Egyptian statues. Like a person who easily and skillfully controls his own body, the spearman bent his leg a little, moving it to the other weight of the body. It seems that it won't be long before he turns his head and steps forward. Before us appears a handsome, strong man, free from fear, restrained, proud - the embodiment of the ideals of the Greeks.
Phidias
Phidias can rightfully be considered a great creator, creator of sculpture dating back to the 5th century BC. e. It was he who was able to master the art of bronze casting to perfection. Phidias cast 13 sculptural figures, which became worthy decorations of the Delphic Temple of Apollo. The statue of Virgin Athena in the Parthenon, whose height is 12 meters, is also among the works of this master. It is made of ivory and pure gold. This technique of making statues was called chryso-elephantine.
The sculptures of this master especially reflect the fact that in Greece the gods are images of an ideal person. Of the works of Phidias, the best preserved is the 160-meter marble relief frieze ribbon, which depicts the procession of the goddess Athena heading to the Parthenon temple.
Athena statue
The sculpture of this temple was badly damaged. Even in ancient times, this figure died inside the temple. It was created by Phidias. The ancient Greek sculpture of Athena had the following features: her head with a rounded chin and a smooth, low forehead, as well as her arms and neck were made of ivory, and her helmet, shield, clothes and hair were made of sheets of gold.
There are many stories associated with this figure. So famous and great was this masterpiece that Phidias immediately had many envious people who tried in every possible way to annoy the sculptor, for which they looked for reasons to accuse him of anything. This master, for example, was accused of allegedly concealing part of the gold intended for the sculpture of Athena. To prove his innocence, Phidias removed all the gold objects from the statue and weighed them. This weight coincided exactly with the amount of gold provided to him. Then the sculptor was accused of godlessness. Athena's shield caused this. It depicted a battle scene with the Amazons of the Greeks. Phidias depicted himself among the Greeks, as well as Pericles. The Greek public, despite all the merits of this master, still opposed him. The life of this sculptor ended with a brutal execution.
Phidias' achievements were not limited to sculptures made in the Parthenon. Thus, he created a bronze figure of Athena Promachos, which was erected around 460 BC. e. in the Acropolis.
Zeus statue
Phidias came to true fame after this master created a statue of Zeus for the temple located in Olympia. The height of the figure was 13 meters. Many originals, unfortunately, have not survived; only their descriptions and copies have survived to this day. This was largely due to the fanatical destruction by Christians. The statue of Zeus did not survive either. It can be described as follows: a 13-meter figure sat on a golden throne. The god's head was decorated with a wreath of olive branches, which was a symbol of his love of peace. The chest, arms, shoulders, and face were made of ivory. Zeus' cloak is draped over his left shoulder. The beard and crown are made of sparkling gold. This is this ancient Greek sculpture, briefly described. It seems that God, if he stood up and straightened his shoulders, would not fit in this vast hall - the ceiling would be low for him.
Hellenistic period
The stages of development of ancient Greek sculpture are completed by the Hellenistic. This period is a time in the history of Ancient Greece from the 4th to the 1st century BC. Sculpture at this time still had the main purpose of decorating various architectural structures. But it also reflected the changes taking place in government.
In sculpture, which was one of the main forms of art at that time, many trends and schools arose. They existed in Rhodes, Pergamon, and Alexandria. Best works, represented by these schools, reflect the problems that worried the minds of people of this era at that time. These images, in contrast to the classical calm sense of purpose, carry passionate pathos, emotional tension, and dynamics.
Late Greek antiquity is characterized by a strong influence of the East on all art in general. New features of ancient Greek sculpture appear: numerous details, exquisite draperies, complex angles. The temperament and emotionality of the East penetrates into the grandeur and tranquility of the classics.
The Baths of Aphrodite of Cyrene, located in the Roman Museum, is full of sensuality and some coquetry.
"Laocoon and his sons"
Most famous sculptural composition, belonging to this era, is “Laocoon and his sons”, made by Agesander of Rhodes. This masterpiece is today kept in the Vatican Museum. The composition is full of drama, and the plot suggests emotionality. The hero and his sons, desperately resisting the snakes sent by Athena, seem to understand their terrible fate. This sculpture was made with extraordinary precision. The figures are realistic and plastic. The faces of the characters make a strong impression.
Three great sculptors
In the works of sculptors dating back to the 4th century BC. e., the humanistic ideal is preserved, but the unity of the civil collective disappears. Ancient Greek sculptures and their authors are losing the feeling of fullness of life and the integrity of their worldview. Great masters who lived in the 4th century BC. e., create art that reveals new facets of the spiritual world. These searches were expressed most clearly by three authors - Lysippos, Praxiteles and Scopas.
Skopas
Skopas became the most prominent figure among the other sculptors working at that time. His art breathes deep doubt, struggle, anxiety, impulse and passion. This native of the island of Paros worked in many cities in Hellas. The skill of this author was embodied in a statue called "Nike of Samothrace". This name was received in memory of the victory in 306 BC. e. Rhodesian fleet. This figure is installed on a pedestal, reminiscent in design of a ship’s bow.
Skopas's "Dancing Maenad" is presented in a dynamic, complex perspective.
Praxiteles
Other creativity had This author sang the sensual beauty of the body and the joy of life. Praxiteles enjoyed great fame and was rich. The statue of Aphrodite that he made for the island of Cnidus brought this sculptor the greatest fame. She was the first depiction of a nude goddess in Greek art. The beautiful Phryne, the famous hetaera, beloved of Praxiteles, served as a model for the statue of Aphrodite. This girl was accused of blasphemy, and then acquitted by judges admiring her beauty. Praxiteles is a singer of female beauty, which was revered by the Greeks. Unfortunately, Aphrodite of Cnidus is known to us only from copies.
Leohar
Leochares is an Athenian master, the greatest of Praxiteles' contemporaries. This sculptor, working in various Hellenic cities, created mythological scenes and images of gods. He made several portrait statues in the chryso-elephantine technique, depicting members of the king's family. After this, he became the court master of Alexander the Great, his son. At this time, Leochares created a statue of Apollo, very popular in antiquity. It was preserved in a marble copy made by the Romans, and received world fame under the name of Apollo Belvedere. Leohar demonstrates virtuoso technique in all his creations.
After the reign of Alexander the Great, the Hellenistic era became a period of rapid flowering of portrait art. Statues of various speakers, poets, philosophers, generals, and statesmen were erected in city squares. The masters wanted to achieve external resemblance and at the same time emphasize the features in the appearance that turn a portrait into a typical image.
Other sculptors and their creations
Classical sculptures became examples of various creations of masters who worked in the Hellenistic era. Gigantomania is clearly visible in the works of that time, that is, the desire to embody the desired image in a huge statue. It manifests itself especially often when ancient Greek sculptures of gods are created. The statue of the god Helios is bright that example. It is made of gilded bronze and stood at the entrance of the Rhodes harbor. The height of the sculpture is 32 meters. Hares, a student of Lysippos, worked on it tirelessly for 12 years. This work of art has rightfully taken an honorable place in the list of wonders of the world.
After the capture of Ancient Greece by the Roman conquerors, many statues were taken outside the country. Not only sculptures, but also masterpieces of painting, collections of imperial libraries and other cultural objects suffered this fate. Many people working in the fields of education and science were captured. Into culture Ancient Rome Thus, various elements of Greek were intertwined, having a significant influence on its development.
Conclusion
Of course, the different periods of development that Ancient Greece experienced made their own adjustments to the process of sculpture formation, but one thing united masters belonging to different eras - the desire to comprehend spatiality in art, the love of expressing the plasticity of the human body using various techniques. The ancient Greek sculpture, the photo of which is presented above, unfortunately, has only partially survived to this day. Marble was often used as a material for figures, despite its fragility. This was the only way to convey the beauty and elegance of the human body. Bronze, although a more reliable and noble material, was used much less frequently.
Ancient Greek sculpture and painting are unique and interesting. Various examples of art give an idea of the spiritual life of this country.