Ancient Greece:

in early periods Greeks lived in many lands. They have contacts with Egyptians, Syrians and Persians.
Egyptians art inspired them; they adopt it having some of their own techniques in it. Life of Greek people
was scattered because they were divided in small villages. All of them have their own government with
same religion and language. As they grew in size, they start developing their city spaces, armies and fought
against enemies to protect their city. During the bronze age number of cultures flourished on Greek
mainland’s due to the trading across the sea. Mycenaean culture was one of them it flourishes throughout the
Greek mainland and later became the part of their culture, all the mythologies of heroes come from there.
Which also become the inspiration for art and craft. The collapse of Myceneans civilization around 1100 b.c
was a period of isolation known as Greek dark ages. But soon or later due to trading and inspiration they
start carving their stories first on pottery then sculptures and this was the start of archaic period.

archaic period was the beginning of realistic human stone sculptures.

Kouros(male) represent gods, warriors, and athletes and kore(female) and
depict clothed priestesses, goddesses, and nymphs. Lime stone statues were
created in this period, having rigid and straight body with no movement or
feeling of life. Statues were simple idealized and nude having a particular
smile on their face known as archaic smile.

Lady of Auxerre (Kore of Auxerre),

limestone, 65 cm, 650 – 625 BC,
Louvre Museum, Paris, France

Classical period is known as the golden era of Greek art. Statues were still
idealized but they were not rigid and straight they have free form more towards
life. Archaic smile is replaced by a solemn facial expressions.

Kritios, Kritios Boy, 86 cm, 480 BC,

Acropolis Museum, Athens, Greece

the Hellenistic period is above all a period of eclecticism. Artists expand

their work with dramatic poses and emotions, sweeping lines, and high
contrasts of light and shadow.in this period a new reality emerge in Greek
period. Sculptures become hyper realistic.

S Pythokritos of Lindos, The Winged

Victory of Samothrace grey Thasian
(Thasos) marble and white Parian
(Paros) Marble, 2.44 meters, 200 BC,
Louvre Museum, Paris, France
 The victorious youth:
Life size, nude, bronze male figure found in 1960 in the sea off Fano on Italy’s Adriatic coast and
acquired by the Getty museum in 1977.the origin of statue is still unknown but it is believed that it
is from Olympia or youth home town. The way in which statue’s ankle and feet is broken off looks
like that it is removed from its actual location not very carefully.it is believed that romans probably
carried the statue off from its original location during the first century b.c. or a.d., when roman
collecting of Greek art was at its height. The roman ship carrying it may have foundered,
preserving the statue for centuries in the sea and later found by a fisher man. The statue is a vivid
depiction of a young athlete from the Hellenistic period and is dated to 300–100 BCE. This naked
bronze statue depicts that he is crowning himself with the wreath probably olive. It was a prize for
a victor in Olympic games.it seems that he was a victorious Olympic athlete. That’s why named as
the victorious youth. To have some natural color contrasts statue eyes were inlaid with colored
stones or glass plates and its nipples are inlaid with copper. Sculpture type is probably same used
in “the autostephanoumenos”, used for centuries to represents victorious athletes and technique
used in this is probably lost wax casting technique. The standing position of the statue depicts that
he is showing his crown to everyone and celebrating his victory. Statue is made in Greece and
found in Europe and now it is in Getty museum California.

Anonyms, The victorious youth, bronze

with inlaid copper, 151.5 × 70 × 27.9
cm,300–100 B.C, Getty museum
California.
 Roman era:
Most successful imperial empire in history. Roman grew from the small town in Tiber river into a vast
empire in central Italy. The Etruscans were the first highly civilized people of Italy, who then become the
ruler of Rome. Rome was founded by Romulus. They were two brother Romulus and Remus who were left
alone in the Tiber river by the king of alba longa, and founded and raised by a she wolfs (a myth). Then
these two boys were found by a nearby civilian and he took them with him. And they lived to overthrow the
wicked king and founded their own city. Due to some conflict among these two brothers Romulus killed
Remus and become Rome’s first king. Rome was the small town so people of Rome have to fought with
enemies to protect themselves or as they conquered cities mostly of Greeks, Greek art and culture become
the part or roman civilization. Culturally romans extend Hellenistic era. Roman sculpture and portraits were
realistic as we can see in Hellenistic era of Greek.

And the other reason is that romans mainly use their sculptures for their private display or for political
purposes so they make it real so that one who see it looks like seeing a real person. As we can see in this
sculpture.

Head of a Roman Patrician, marble, 75-50

BCE, Palazzo Torlonia, Rome.
 Equestrian sculpture of Marcus Aurelius’:

Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius,

Bronze, 4.24 m (13.9 ft) tall, captilone
museum, Rome, Italy

Equestrian statues of emperor were common in ancient Rome to honor the emperor for their civic
achievements. Emperor is sitting on the horse and it seems like he is attending some kind of ceremony. It is
gilded bronze statue made with lost wax casting technique. Horse and rider cast in multiple pieces and then
joined together. The horse is captured in motion, raises its right foreleg at the knee while planting its left
foreleg on the ground. The horse body is casted amazingly, particular its muscles. In keeping with its body
his right foreleg at the knee while planting its left foreleg on the ground. And his face turns right, and mouth
is slightly open. It is also worth noting that Marcus Aurelius’ is riding without the use of stirrups as the
stirrup had not yet been introduced to the west. The horse is saddle with a Persian style saddled cloth. And it
is the important and more expressive part of the statue. While the emperor has a specific gesture, which is
commonly used to address their army. This statue was designed to portray the emperor as a Victorian.
Words :1104
Citations:
Ancient Greece:
1. Anonyms, khan academy, Ancient Greece, an introduction,
https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ancient-art-civilizations/greek-art/beginners-guide-
greece/a/ancient-greece-an-introduction , 10- 4-2020.
2. Anonyms, uphistory, ancient Greece, https://www.ushistory.org/civ/5.asp , 10-4-2020
3. Bond, E. Sarah, hyperallergic, Should the Getty Return Its Famed “Victorious Youth” Statue? July 5
2018.
https://hyperallergic.com/449866/should-the-getty-return-its-famed-victorious-youth-statue/ , 11- 4 2020.

4.Getty, j. Paul, getty.edu, Statue of a Victorious Youth,

http://www.getty.edu/art/collection/objects/7792/unknown-maker-statue-of-a-victorious-youth-greek-300-
100-bc, 11-4-2020.

Ancient Rome:

E.badin and Nancy Thomson, Encyclopedia Britannica, ancient Rome, 4-feb-2020,

https://www.britannica.com/place/ancient-Rome, 11-4-2020.

A.Becker, Dr.jeffery, khan academy, Equestrian Sculpture of Marcus Aurelius,

https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ancient-art-civilizations/roman/middle-empire/a/equestrian-
sculpture-of-marcus-aurelius, 11-4-2020.