antique sculpture

HERMITAGE MUSEUM

Aphrodite


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 donated 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. 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, 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 13th 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, 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 Patriotic War In 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 got 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.

*****

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. In local local history museums handicrafts and textiles are on display, and Athens' best museums rival 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 sash 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.

Ancient Greek myths have passed through the centuries, and have come down to our days as the greatest storehouse of wisdom and deep philosophical sense. It was the cults and divine figures of ancient Greek culture that inspired the first ancient sculptors to create their magnificent masterpieces that captivated art connoisseurs around the world.

So far in different corners The planets are presented with unique sculptural statues of various Greek Gods, many of which were once worshiped and recognized as true masterpieces of world sculpture. Consider the features of the sculptural image of the Gods Ancient Greece and remember the most famous works of the great masters.

Zeus - God of the sky and thunder. The ancient Greeks considered Zeus the king of all Gods and worshiped him as the most powerful divine being. His name is often compared with that of his Roman equivalent, Jupiter.

Zeus is the youngest of the children of Kronos and Rhea. In classical mythology, it is believed that Zeus was married to the goddess Hera, and as a result of this union, Ares, Hebe and Hephaestus were born. Other sources called Dione his wife, and the Iliad claims that their union was crowned with the birth of Aphrodite.

Zeus is notorious for his erotic antics. This resulted in numerous divine and heroic offspring, including Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Hermes, Persephone, Dionysus, Perseus, Heracles, and many more.

Traditionally, even Gods who are not directly related to Zeus respectfully addressed him as a father.


A photo:

Sculptures of Zeus are always combined with his classical symbols. The symbols of Zeus are the lightning, the eagle, the bull and the oak. Sculptors have always depicted Zeus as a powerful middle-aged man with a thick beard, who holds lightning in one hand, justifying his title of thunderer.

The figure of Zeus is usually depicted as rather warlike, since it is known that it is he who is considered the organizer of the bloody Trojan War. At the same time, the face of Zeus always radiates nobility and virtue.

The most famous statue of Zeus was erected in the 5th century BC in Olympia and is considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The giant sculpture was made of gold, wood and ivory and amazed contemporaries with its incredible scale.

The statue depicted Zeus sitting majestically on a huge throne. In his left hand he held a large scepter with an eagle, while in his other hand he held a miniature sculpture of Nike, the goddess of victory. The throne was decorated with numerous bas-reliefs and frescoes depicting lions, centaurs, the exploits of Theseus and Hercules. The mighty Zeus was dressed in golden clothes and was sung by numerous contemporaries in many literary and historical testimonies.

Unfortunately, the last mention of this statue dates back to the 5th century AD. e. The third wonder of the world, according to historical data, was destroyed by fire in 425.

Poseidon in ancient Greek mythology is considered one of the supreme sea gods. Along with Zeus and Hades, Poseidon is one of the three powerful Olympian gods. According to myths, Poseidon with his wife the goddess Amphitrite and son Triton live in a luxurious palace at the bottom of the ocean, surrounded by various marine mythical creatures and deities.

The powerful and great god of the sea, Poseidon, inspired many sculptors to create great statues and bas-reliefs. One of the most famous and recognized statues of Poseidon "Poseidon from Cape Artemision" is an antique Hellenistic bronze statue.


A photo:

A statue was discovered in the Aegean Sea near Cape Artemision and raised to the surface as one of the greatest legacies of antiquity that have survived to this day. The sculpture depicts Poseidon in full height swinging to throw a weapon that was never found. Scientists suggest that this is a trident.

Also, numerous statues and sculptures of Poseidon can be found on the streets of ancient European cities - Copenhagen, Florence, Athens, etc. However, this God received the greatest artistic response when creating fountains. There are hundreds of magnificent sculptural fountains in the world, in the center artistic composition which Poseidon is present, surrounded by fish, dolphins, snakes and sea monsters.

The Great Olympian Goddess Demeter is considered the goddess of fertility, agriculture, grain, and bread. This is one of the most revered deities of the Olympic pantheon, patronizing farmers. The goddess Demeter, like many other Greek deities, has two sides - dark and light.

According to legends and myths, her daughter Persephone was kidnapped by a god. underworld and the brother of Demeter herself, Hades, making her his wife and queen of the kingdom of the dead. Angered, Demeter sent a famine to Earth, which began to take the lives of people. However, having come to her senses and having mercy, she also sent the hero Triptolemos to the people to teach them how to properly cultivate the land.


A photo:

In sculptural and artistic incarnation, Demeter is depicted as a middle-aged woman, usually crowned and holding wheat ears in one hand and a burning torch in the other. The most famous statue of the goddess Demeter is today kept and exhibited in the Vatican Museums. This marble sculpture is only a copy of a Greek statue of the Roman period 430-420. BC.

The goddess is depicted majestic and calm and dressed in traditional ancient Greek attire. The figure acquires a special monumentality due to the symmetrically distributed ends of the tunic's overlap.

Apollo is one of the most important and revered Olympian deities in classical Greek and Roman religion and mythology. Apollo was the son of Zeus and the Titanides Leto, and the twin brother of Artemis. According to legend, Apollo became the personification of the Sun and light, while his sister Artemis was associated by the ancient Greeks with the moon.

First of all, Apollo is considered the god of light, as well as the patron of musicians, artists and doctors. As the patron of Delphi, Apollo was an oracle - a prophetic deity. Despite the many virtues of the god Apollo, he was also described as a god who could bring ill health and a deadly plague.


A photo:

One of the most famous sculptures of Apollo is the Apollo Belvedere. This marble sculpture is an exact copy of the bronze prototype, which was created by the ancient Greek sculptor Leohar in 330-320 BC. BC e. The sculpture depicts God in the form of a young, slender youth who appears completely naked to the audience.

The tree trunk serves as a support for the god's right hand. The young man's face depicts determination and nobility, his eyes are fixed on the distance, and his hand stretches forward. Today, the sculpture "Apollo Belvedere" is exhibited in the Vatican Museums.

Artemis was one of the most revered ancient Greek goddesses. Her Roman equivalent is Diana. Homer mentions her under the name of Artemis Agrotera as "the patroness of wildlife and mistress of animals." The Arcadians believed that she was the daughter of Demeter and Zeus.

However, in classical Greek mythology, Artemis was usually described as the daughter of Zeus and Leto, as well as the twin sister of Apollo. She was the Hellenic goddess of the hunt and wild animals. At the same time, it was Artemis that the ancient Greeks considered the patroness of young girls, the keeper of virginity and an assistant in childbirth.


A photo:

In sculptural incarnations, Artemis was often depicted as a huntress carrying a bow and arrows. The main symbols of Artemis were the cypress and the deer. The most famous sculpture in the world dedicated to the goddess Artemis is Diana of Versailles or Diana the Huntress. This marble statue was made in the 1st or 2nd century. BC e. by an unidentified early Hellenistic sculptor. The sculpture depicts a young slender girl with her hair pulled up and dressed in a classic short Greek robe.

Aphrodite is the ancient Greek goddess of love, beauty, pleasure and procreation. She is identified with the planet Venus, which is named after the Roman goddess Venus, considered the prototype of Aphrodite in Roman mythology.

The main symbols of Aphrodite are myrtles, roses, doves, sparrows and swans. The cult of Aphrodite was largely based on the cult of the Phoenician goddess Astarte (Sumerian culture). The main cult centers of Aphrodite were Cyprus, Corinth and Athens. She was also the patron goddess of prostitutes, leading scholars to propose the concept of "sacred prostitution" for some time. This concept is currently considered to be erroneous.

The most famous sculptural statue of Aphrodite is the world-famous statue of Venus de Milo. Presumably the figure was created around 300 BC. e. by a now unknown sculptor.

In the spring of 1820, a Greek peasant from the island of Milos dug up this magnificent sculpture of a young and beautiful girl in your garden. To emphasize that Aphrodite is the goddess of love, her figure is depicted by the master as incredibly feminine and attractive. A feature of this magnificent creation was the absence of hands.

After lengthy disputes, the restorers decided that they would not restore the hands of the beauty and leave Venus unchanged. Today, this magnificent sculpture, made of snow-white marble, is exhibited in the Louvre and annually attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists from all over the world.

Hermes is one of the youngest among the Olympian gods. He is considered the son of Zeus and Pleiades Maya. Hermes is quite a controversial god. On the one hand, he is considered the god of trade, profit, dexterity and eloquence, but according to legend, he had no equal in theft and deceit. According to the famous myth, Hermes committed his first theft while still in infancy.

The myth tells that he ran away from the cradle and stole a whole herd of cows, which at that time was pastured by Apollo. So that the cows and he would not be figured out by the steps on the sand, he tied tree branches to the hooves of the animals, which removed all traces. Hermes also patronizes speakers and heralds, and is considered the god of magic and alchemy.


A photo:

Perhaps the most famous and talented work of sculptors to display the image of Hermes was the statue of Parian marble "Hermes with the baby Dionysus." The figure was discovered by Ernst Curtius in 1877 during excavations of the Temple of Hera at Olympia. The first thing that surprises the viewer when looking at the statue is its huge size. Together with the podium, the height of the statue is 370 cm.

Another magnificent sculpture dedicated to this god is Hermes Belvedere. For a long time this sculpture was confused with the statue of Antinous. The statue depicts a snow-white figure of a naked young man who bowed his head. A cape, traditional for the Greeks, casually falls from his shoulder. Until now, many scientists believe that the sculpture of Hermes Belvedere in marble is just a copy of the lost bronze original.

Dionysus - in ancient Greek mythology, this is the youngest of the Olympian gods, the god of wine and the patron of winemaking. The second name of this deity is Bacchus. Interestingly, in addition to viticulture, Dionysus also patronized the theater and was considered the god of inspiration and religious ecstasy. The rituals associated with the veneration of Dionysus were always accompanied by rivers of drunk wine, frantic dances and exciting music.

It is believed that Dionysus was born from a vicious relationship between Zeus and Semele (daughter of Cadmus and Harmony). Upon learning of Semele's pregnancy, Zeus's wife Hera became angry and moved the girl away from Olympus. However, Zeus still found a secret lover and snatched the child from her stomach. Further, this baby was sewn into the thigh of Zeus, where he successfully endured it. So in an unusual way, according to Greek myths Dionysus was born.


A photo:

The most famous statue of Dionysus was created by the greatest sculptor of world renown - Michelangelo. In an effort to emphasize the personality traits, the master depicted Dionysus naked with a bowl in his hand. His hair is adorned with grapes and vines. Next to the main character, Michelangelo placed Satyr, who inevitably pursues people suffering from various addictions, including alcoholism.

The myths and legends of Ancient Greece were of decisive importance in the creation of unique sculptural compositions around the world. All the masterpieces of world sculpture listed above should be visited and seen with your own eyes.

Topic: Outstanding Sculptors of Ancient Greece.

Target: Studying the main stages of development 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 Myron.

    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 - indispensable condition and basis perfect 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 warehouse, 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.

Policlet liked 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 at a slow pace 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 young man, in contrast to the courageous Doryphoros, the influence of the Attic school is felt. 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 repetitions of the Diadumen are the copy found on Delos and now in Athens, the statue from Vezon in France, which is kept in the British Museum, and the 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 are considered by many critics to be 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. Most famous work Myrona - Discus Thrower (Disc 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. Miron 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 Mausolus 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.

by the most famous work 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 engulfs 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 disclosure task inner world human experiences and the well-known 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 stopped considering the creation of an image of a perfect beautiful person as the main task of art. Lysippus, as an artist, felt that the new conditions public 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.

Especially great importance had 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.Output. 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. The World History Arts - M., 2000

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

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

Greece reached its highest point of economic, political and cultural development in the middle of the 5th century. BC. after the victory won by an alliance of Greek cities over mighty Persia.
In the style of the Greek classics, sensual directness and rationality are merged.
"We love beauty without whimsicality and wisdom without effeminacy" said Pericles. The Greeks valued rationality, balance and measure, but at the same time they recognized the power of passions and sensual joys.
When we now say "ancient art", we imagine museum halls lined with statues and hung on the walls with fragments of reliefs. But then everything looked different. Although the Greeks had special buildings for storing paintings (pinakotheks), the vast majority of works of art did not lead a museum lifestyle. The statues stood in the open air, illuminated by the sun, near the temples, in the squares, on the seashore; processions and festivals were held near them, sport games. As in the archaic era, the sculpture flourished. The world of art was a living bright world, but more perfect.

Greek sculpture partly survived in the wreckage and fragments. Most of the statues are known to us from Roman copies, which were performed in many, but often did not convey the beauty of the originals. The Romans translated bronze products into snow-white marble, but the marble of Greek statues itself was different - yellowish, luminous (it was rubbed with wax, which gave it a warm tone).
Battles, skirmishes, exploits of heroes... The art of the early classics is filled with these warlike plots. For example, the famous specimens of Greek sculpture in Treasury of Sifnos at Delphi. The northern frieze of which is dedicated to gigantomachy: the battle of the gods with the Giants. Hephaestus blows a horn to raise the winds against the Giants, Cybele drives a chariot drawn by lions, one of which torments the Giant. The twins Artemis and Apollo fight side by side...

Another favorite set of motives is sports competitions. The themes of hand-to-hand fights, equestrian competitions, running competitions, discus throwing taught the sculptors to depict the human body in dynamics. Now there are complex poses, bold angles, sweeping gestures. The brightest innovator was Attic sculptor Myron.Such is his famous "Discus thrower". The athlete leaned over and swung before the throw, a second - and the disk will fly, the athlete will straighten up. But for that moment, his body froze in a very difficult, but balanced position.

bronze statue "Auriga", found in Delphi, is one of the few well-preserved Greek originals. It belongs to the early period of the austere style - approximately c. 470 BC This young man stands very straight (he stood on a chariot and drove a quadriga of horses), his feet are bare, the folds of a long tunic are reminiscent of the deep flutes of Doric columns, his head is tightly covered by a silver bandage, inlaid eyes look like they are alive. He is restrained, calm and at the same time full of energy and will. Like any great sculpture, "Auriga" from different angles reveals completely different degrees of concentration and facets of conveying emotions. In this one bronze figure with its strong, cast plasticity, one can feel the full measure of human dignity, as the ancient Greeks understood it.

At this stage, their art was dominated by courageous images, but, fortunately, a beautiful relief depicting Aphrodite emerging from the sea has also been preserved - a sculptural triptych, the upper part of which has been broken off.


In the central part, the goddess of beauty and love, "foam-born", rises from the waves, supported by two nymphs, who chastely protect her with a light veil. She is visible to the waist. Her body and the bodies of the nymphs shine through transparent chitons, the folds of clothes cascade like jets of water, like music. On the side parts of the triptych are two female figures: one naked, playing the flute; the other, wrapped in a veil, lights a sacrificial candle. The first is a hetaera, the second is the wife, the keeper of the hearth, as two faces of femininity, both under the auspices of Aphrodite.

The admiration of the Greeks for the beauty and wise structure of the living body was great. The language of the body was also the language of the soul. The Greeks mastered the art of conveying "typical" psychology; they expressed a rich range of mental movements based on generalized human types. It is no coincidence that the portrait in ancient Greece was relatively poorly developed.

The great skill achieved by Greek art in the 5th century is still alive in the 4th, so that the most inspired artistic monuments of the late classics are marked by the same stamp of the highest perfection.

Scopas, Praxiteles and Lysippos- the greatest Greek sculptors of the late classics. In terms of the influence that they had on the entire subsequent development of ancient art, the work of these three geniuses can be compared with the sculptures of the Parthenon. Each of them expressed his bright individual worldview, his ideal of beauty, his understanding of perfection, which, through personal, only revealed by them, reach the eternal - universal, peaks. And again, in the work of each, this personal is consonant with the era, embodying those feelings, those desires of contemporaries that most corresponded to his own. The spiritual fortitude and cheerful energy that breathes the art of the early and mature classics gradually give way to the dramatic pathos of Skopas or the lyrical contemplation of Prakitel.
Artists of the 4th century attract for the first time the charm of childhood, the wisdom of old age, the eternal charm of femininity.

Praxiteles was famous for the special softness of modeling and the skill of processing the material, the ability to convey the warmth of a living body in cold marble. The only surviving original of Praxiteles is a marble statue "Hermes with Dionysus" found in Olympia.
There are almost as few genuine works of the Scopas chisel left, but even behind these fragments, passion and impulse, anxiety, struggle with some hostile forces, deep doubts and mournful experiences breathe. All this was obviously characteristic of his nature and at the same time vividly expressed certain moods of his time. Partially preserved reliefs of the frieze of the mausoleum in Halicarnassus (Asia Minor).

The Maenad enjoyed great fame among contemporaries. Scopas depicted a storm of Dionysian dance, straining the whole body of Maenad, arching her torso, throwing back her head. The Mysteries of Dionysus were allowed to be held only once every two years and only on Parnassus, but at that time the frantic Bacchantes threw aside all conventions and prohibitions.
These festivities were a very ancient custom, like the cult of Dionysus itself, however, in art, the elements had not previously broken through with such force and openness as in the statue of Scopas, and this, obviously, was a symptom of the time.

Lysippus created sculptures in complex movements, counting on going around the statue, processing their surfaces with equal care. The turn of the figure in space was an innovative conquest of Lysippus. He was inexhaustibly diverse in the invention of plastic motifs and very prolific. Working exclusively in bronze, Lysippus preferred male figures in terms of plot; Hercules was his favorite hero.
Not a single one survived genuine work sculptor, but there are a fairly large number of copies and repetitions that give an approximate idea of ​​​​the style of the master.
Other sculptors tried to maintain the traditions of mature classics, enriching them with great elegance and complexity.

This path was followed by Leohar, who created the statue of Apollo Belvedere. For a long time this sculpture was regarded as the pinnacle of ancient art, the "Belvedere idol" was synonymous with aesthetic perfection. As is often the case, high praise over time has caused the opposite reaction. She began to be found pompous and mannered. Meanwhile Apollo Belvedere- the work is really outstanding in its plastic merits; the figure and gait of the lord of the muses combine strength and grace, energy and lightness, walking on the ground, he at the same time soars above the ground. To achieve such an effect, the sophisticated skill of the sculptor was needed; the only trouble is that the calculation of the effect is too obvious. Apollo Leohara seems to invite you to admire its beauty, and even in the era of the late classics, virtuoso performance was very much appreciated.

Faced with Greek art, many prominent minds expressed genuine admiration. One of the most famous researchers of art, Johann Winckelmann (1717-1768) says 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, some 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 immediacy and depth, reality and fiction. In it, especially in sculpture, the ideal of man is embodied. What is the nature of the ideal? How did he fascinate people so much that the aged Goethe sobbed in the Louvre in front of the sculpture of Aphrodite?

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

The best monuments of ancient Greek sculpture were created in the 5th century. BC. But earlier works have come down to us. Statues of the 7th - 6th centuries BC. symmetrical: one half of the body is a mirror image of the other. Shackled postures, outstretched arms pressed against a muscular body. Not the slightest tilt or turn of the head, but the lips are parted in a smile. A smile, as if from within, illuminates the sculpture with an expression of the joy of life.

Later, during the period of classicism, the statues acquire a greater variety of forms. There were attempts to comprehend harmony algebraically. The first scientific study of what harmony is, was undertaken by Pythagoras. The school he founded dealt with questions of a philosophical and mathematical nature, applying mathematical calculations to all aspects of reality. Neither musical harmony nor the harmony of human body or architectural structure.

The Pythagorean school considered the number to be the basis and the beginning of the world. What does number theory have to do with Greek art? It turns out to be the most direct, since the harmony of the spheres of the Universe and the harmony of the whole world is expressed by the same ratios of numbers, the main of which are the ratios 2/1, 3/2 and 4/3 (in music, these are respectively an octave, a fifth and a fourth). In addition, harmony implies the possibility of calculating any correlation of parts of each object, including sculpture, according to the following proportion: a / b \u003d b / c, where a is any smaller part of the object, b is any large part, c is the whole.

On this basis, the great Greek sculptor Polikleitos (5th century BC) created a sculpture of a spear-bearing young man (5th century BC), which is called “Dorifor” (“Spear-bearer”) or “Canon” - by the name of the work sculptor, where he, discussing the theory of art, considers the laws of the image of a perfect person. It is believed that the artist's reasoning can be attributed to his sculpture. 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.

Unlike his contemporary Polikleitos, Myron liked to depict his statues in motion. Here, for example, is the statue "Discobolus" (5th century BC; Museum of Thermae. Rome). Its author, the great sculptor Miron, depicted a beautiful young man at the moment when he swung a heavy disk. His motion-captured body is bent and tense, like a spring about to unfold. Trained muscles bulged under the elastic skin of the arm pulled back. Toes, forming a reliable support, deeply pressed into the sand. The statues of Myron and Polykleitos were cast in bronze, but only marble copies from ancient Greek originals made by the Romans have come down to us.

The Greeks considered Phidias the greatest sculptor of his time, who decorated the Parthenon with marble sculpture. His sculptures reflected the ancient Greeks' perception of the gods as an image of an ideal person. The best-preserved marble ribbon of relief is a frieze 160 m long. It depicts a procession heading to the temple of the goddess Athena - the Parthenon. The sculpture of the Parthenon was badly damaged. And the statue of "Athena Parthenos" died in ancient times. She stood inside the temple and was unspeakably beautiful. The head of the goddess 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.

In the photo: Athena Parthenos, sculptor Phidias. Copy. Restored according to the descriptions. National Archaeological Museum, Athens.

The goddess in the form of a beautiful woman is the personification of Athens. Many stories are associated with this sculpture. The created masterpiece was so great and famous that its author immediately had a lot of envious people. They tried in every possible way to annoy the sculptor and looked for various reasons why they could accuse him of something. It is said that Phidias was accused of having allegedly concealed part of the gold given as material for the decoration of the goddess. As proof of his innocence, Phidias removed all the golden objects from the sculpture and weighed them. The weight exactly matched the weight of the gold given to the sculpture.

Then Phidias was accused of atheism. The reason for this was the shield of Athena. It depicted the plot of the battle between the Greeks and the Amazons. Among the Greeks, Phidias portrayed 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 with a cruel execution.

Phidias' achievements in the Parthenon were not the only ones in his work. The sculptor created many other works, the best of which was the colossal bronze figure of Athena Promachos, erected on the Acropolis in about 460 BC. and no less huge ivory and gold figure of Zeus for the temple at Olympia.

This is how you can describe the statue of Zeus for the temple in Olympia: A huge 14-meter god was seated on a golden throne, and it seemed that he stood up straight broad shoulders- it will become cramped for him in a vast hall and the ceiling will be low. The head of Zeus was decorated with a wreath of olive branches - a sign of the peacefulness of the formidable god. The face, shoulders, arms, chest were of ivory, and the cloak was thrown over the left shoulder. The crown, the beard of Zeus were 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, the posture was solemn, majestic and calm. The combination of bodily beauty and kindness of soul emphasized his divine ideality. The statue made such an impression that, according to the ancient author, people, dejected by grief, sought solace in contemplating the creation of Phidias. Rumor has declared the statue of Zeus one of the "seven wonders of the world."

Unfortunately, there are no more authentic works, and we cannot see with our own eyes the magnificent works of art of Ancient Greece. Only their descriptions and copies remained. In many ways, this was due to the fanatical destruction of statues by believing Christians.

The works of all three sculptors were similar in that they all depicted the harmony of a beautiful body and a kind soul contained in it. This was the main trend of the time. Of course, the norms and attitudes in Greek art have changed throughout history. The art of the archaic was more straightforward, it lacked the full of deep meaning of reticence that delights mankind in the period of the Greek classics.

In the era of Hellenism, when a person lost a 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 currents of that time. One thing united all periods of the development of Greek society and art: this is a special passion for plastic, for spatial arts.

Such predilection is understandable: huge stocks of diverse in color, noble and ideal material - marble - provided ample opportunities for its implementation. Although the majority of Greek sculptures were made in bronze, since marble was fragile, it was the texture of marble, with its color and decorative effect, that made it possible to reproduce the beauty of the human body with the greatest expressiveness.