Showing posts with label Hellenistic Art. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hellenistic Art. Show all posts

Saturday, July 30, 2016

Alexander Sarcophagus


We just learned about the sculpture Lady in Blue.

Another famous sculpture is the Alexander Sarcophagus.

A sarcophagus is like a very fancy coffin, a place where the body of someone rich or powerful was buried after they died.
If someone was very famous, their sarcophagus would have a lot of art and sculptures on it.

This one was made of marble, and has some marks on it showing that it was painted in color long ago but has faded.

The carvings tell a story of Alexander the Great fighting the Persians, over 2,300 years ago.



(from: wikipedia - alexander sarcophagus)


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Saturday, July 23, 2016

Lady in Blue


We just learned about Athena Parthenos.

Another famous Hellenistic Greek sculpture is the Lady In Blue, also known as Dame en Bleu.

This type of sculpture is called a Tanagra figurine, because it was made in a town of Tanagra Greece, where artists made many of the same type of sculpture long ago.

The sculptures were painted with a liquid white coating, and then painted over with other colors like blue, red, pink, yellow or brown.

The tanagra figurines were sculptures of real women and men just wearing normal clothes, with hats, wreaths or fans.
They were made in layers, so there would be a sculpture for the clothing that was made over top of the sculpture of the person.


(from: wikipedia - tanagra figurine)


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Saturday, July 9, 2016

Poseidon of Melos


We just learned about the Statue of Zeus at Olympia.

Another sculpture from the Hellenistic Art time is the Poseidon of Melos.

Poseidon in Greek mythology was a god of the sea.
The statue is made of marble, and is over 8 feet tall.

The statue's right arm is lifted up to hold a trident that was lost.
He is looking into the distance with a strong powerful pose.


(from: wikipedia - poseidon of melos)


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Saturday, July 2, 2016

Statue of Zeus at Olympia - Phidias


We just learned about the Elgin Marbles.

Another famous sculpture is the Statue of Zeus at Olympia.

This statue was so famous that it was listed as one of the seven wonders of the world.
There are drawings of the sculpture, and writings about it, but it was destroyed in a fire over a thousand years ago.
Because it was so famous, some people have tried to make copies of what they thought it looked like back then.
It was also made by Phidias, the famous Greek sculptor.


(from: wikipedia - statue of zeus at olympia)


(from: wikipedia - statue of zeus at olympia)


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Saturday, June 18, 2016

Jockey of Artemision


We just learned about the sculpture the Winged Victory of Samothrace.

Another sculpture from ancient Greece is the Jockey of Artemision.

This is a big bronze statue of a young boy riding a horse, made over 2000 years ago.
There are not a lot of statues from this time and place, because so many of the statues were melted down for the bronze.

This statue was not melted down because it was on a ship that crashed and sank, and was found around 100 years ago.

It is the size of an actual horse, over 6 feet tall and over 9 feet long.
The artist made it in pieces using the lost wax process and then the pieces were welded together.
They sculpted it to look like the horse is in the middle of galloping in a race.


(from: wikipedia - jockey of artemision)


(from: wikipedia - jockey of artemision)


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Saturday, June 11, 2016

Moschophoros


We just learned about the Winged Victory of Samothrace.

Another ancient Greek statue is Moschophoros.

This is a statue of someone holding a cow carrying it to a sacrifice.


(from: wikipedia - moschophoros)


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Saturday, June 4, 2016

Winged Victory of Samothrace


We just learned about the statue of Peplos Kore.

Another famous sculpture is the Winged Victory of Samothrace.

This is a statue of the mythical goddess Nike, that was created to honor a sea battle.
The way the statue is standing, it was meant to look strong and graceful.

It is a Hellenistic sculpture which means it was made when the Greek empire was ruling.


(from: wikipedia - winged victory of samothrace)


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