Saturday, August 31, 2019
Evolution of Human Figure in Sculpture Essay
Depiction of human figures have dramatically changed through time. It was in sculpture that human physical dimensions were visibly illustrated. There have been many variations of the human body shown from the prehistoric to the modern period. In this research, three sculpture namely: statute of Gilgamesh, the Moschophoros and the statue of Augustus of Prima Porta will be used to trace the progression of the human body.            Gilgamesh was the main character in the Epic of Gilgamesh wherein he was portrayed as half god and half human. His personality was the representation of all the virtues of humans. In the statue, Gilgamesh was shown holding a lion in a headlock position wherein his arm was protected by the â€Å"chain-mail robe†(Gilmore â€Å"Ancient Sumeria). Meanwhile, the other hand was gripping a snake. These portrayals symbolized Gilgamesh’s warrior and royal status. The body was irregularly depicted because of the disproportion of the upper and lower body. The torso seemed intentionally elongated making the waist line looked low. However, since the statue is an example of a Gargantuan statue, they type of perspective would make a difference in the alteration of the figure’s proportions (Gilmore â€Å"Ancient Sumeria).            The Calf-bearer or the Moschoporos is the interpretation of a Greek specifically a rich Attican who was about to sacrifice a calf as an offering to the goddess Athena. The figure was clothed with a thin cloak that outlined the structure of the body resulting to a partially nude sculpture. The animal was put around the figure’s shoulders with his hands clutched on the hooves. More so, muscular details were evident in the abdomen area. Many details were present on the face of the human figure. The curls of his hair took the shape of pearls or corals that framed his forehead while a closed small mouth with a curved beard and â€Å"deep-set eyes†accented the whole face (Atlantis International â€Å"The Acropolis Museum†).            The statue of Augustus of Prima Porta signified Augustus’ military supremacy. Historically, the statue was believed to be created as a sign of the commemoration of the triumph of the Romans against the Parthians. Unlike other Roman leaders, Augustus was depicted as a mere man and not the traditional deified god (Ramage â€Å"Historical Reflection on the Statue †). The head of the statue contained details that were very recognizable such as the broad head with a Primaporta styled hair, full close mouth, keen ridged eyebrows, smooth round chin and pointed nose highlighted. The breastplate with intricate graphical details and the hand in an upright position signified his authority. Meanwhile, the presence of the robe suggested the godliness of Augustus and the cupid riding a dolphin emphasized the divinity of the â€Å"founder of Venus and Italy namely the Julian family to Aeneas†(Ramage â€Å"Description of the Statue†).            Among the three sculpture, the Roman portrait of Augustus was the most defined in terms of human form. It exactly depicted the human characteristics from top to bottom. The statue of Gilgamesh and the Calf-bearer have some distortions in the body image making it look disfigured. In the statue of Augustus, it had a sense of movement while the statue of Gilgamesh and the Calf-bearer appeared stiff. Also, the Gilgamesh lacked the three-dimensionality because of the awkward position of the legs and arms while the Calf-bearer compared to the former achieved more proportion because of the smooth construction of the muscles in the body. It is evident that from the Archaic period to the time of the Romans, human figure developed from a god-like depiction like the Gilgamesh to a more real person represented by Augustus. However, the concept of the sanctity of gods and goddesses were prevalent in the three sculptures. Overall, the sculptures showed the progress in depicting the human body from being disproportionate to a perfect formation of the shape and movement of the whole body. Works Cited Glimore, Tom. â€Å"Ancient Sumeria.†1999. T Byron G Publishing. 27 March 2008            . Ramage. â€Å"Description of the Statue.†(October 2005). The Statue of Augustus of           Prima Porta            . Ramage. â€Å"Historical Reflection on the Statue.†(October 2005). The Statue of Augustus of       Prima Porta . â€Å"The Acropolis Museum.†(2006). Atlantis International. 27 March 2008            .
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