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This welcome volume examines the use and meaning of equestrian statues in Archaic Greece, relying not only on a full catalog of the sculptures but also on the rich comparative material in the literary and archaeological remains. Previous works have either crowded this important material into a large study of all equestrian statues everywhere or else have examined only those few that belong to the Athenian Acropolis. It has therefore been difficult to characterize the style and distribution of this sculpture, let alone examine them within their cultural milieu. Mary Ann Eaverly carries out precisely these important tasks. The first half of the volume identifies the unique characteristics of equestrian statues as a type apart from other Archaic sculpture. The author places the sculptures within their historical and cultural context and considers critical factors such as cultic activity, aristocratic symbolism, and the influence of Peisistratos. The second half of the volume is a catalog that discusses all the extant pieces individually. Archaic Greek Equestrian Sculpture will be of interest to students and scholars of Greek sculpture, the Greek artistic heritage, and the complex history of Archaic Greece.
Horses were revered in ancient Greece as symbols of wealth, power, and status. On stunning black- and red-figure vases, in sculpture, and in other media, Greek artists depicted the daily care of horses, chariot and horseback races, scenes of combat, and mythological horse-hybrids such as satyrs and the winged Pegasus. This richly illustrated and handsomely designed volume includes over 80 objects showing scenes of ancient equestrian life. Essays by notable scholars of ancient Greek art and archaeology explore the indelible presence and significance horses occupied in numerous facets of ancient Greek culture, including myth, war, sport, and competition, shedding new light on horsemanship from the 8th through the 4th century BCE.
In 1928, and again in 1937, parts of a large-scale bronze horse and nearly complete jockey were recovered from the sea off Cape Artemision in Greece, where they had gone down in a shipwreck. These original Hellenistic sculptures, known together as the "Horse and Jockey Group from Artemision," are among the very few surviving bronze sculptures from antiquity. Seán Hemingway has been allowed by the National Museum in Athens to investigate the horse and jockey statuary group as no one ever has before, and in this book, combining archaeological and art historical methods of investigation, he provides the first in-depth study of this rare and beautiful monument. New technical analyses of the statues by Helen Andreopoulou-Mangou form an appendix to the volume. Hemingway begins with an introduction to Hellenistic bronze statuary and what we know about this extraordinary class of ancient sculpture. He then recounts with riveting detail the discovery and painstaking restoration of the statue group, describing the technique of its creation and carefully reviewing scholarly knowledge and speculation about it. He also provides a valuable compendium of what is known about ancient Greek horse racing, the most prestigious and splendid of all Greek sports. After a full consideration of all the available evidence, he speculates further about the work’s original meaning and function. His study provides a glimpse of the excellence achieved by Hellenistic bronze sculptors, and it will become the definitive resource on this unique sculpture from ancient Greece.
The sculptural tradition developed by the ancient Greeks is justifiably considered one of the most remarkable achievements of Western art. This richly illustrated volume introduces eight centuries of Greek sculpture, from the early rectilinear designs of the Geometric period (ca. 900–700 B.C.) through the groundbreaking creativity of the Archaic and Classical periods to the dramatic monumental achievements of the Hellenistic Age (323–31 B.C.). A generous selection of objects and materials—ranging from the sacred to the everyday, from bronze and marble to gold, ivory, and terracotta—allows for an especially appealing picture not only of Greek art but also of life in ancient Greece. Sculptures of deities such as Zeus, Athena, and Eros and architectural elements from temples are included, as are depictions of athletes and animals (both domesticated and wild), statuettes of dancers and actors, funerary reliefs, perfume vases, and jewelry. The informative text provides a comprehensive introduction and insightful discussions of forty objects selected from the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Full-page photographs of the featured works are supplemented by many illuminating details and comparative illustrations. The latest in The Met’s widely acclaimed How to Read series, this publication reveals how, more than two millennia ago, Greek artists brilliantly captured the fundamental aspects of the human condition.
Through the ages the portrayal of man on horseback has provided the sculptor with the challñge to solve one of the most baffling compositional problems in Art. The problem involves the balancing of a vertical mass on a large horizontal one, which in its turn rests on slender supports. To add to the complexity, the natural gait of the horse is unsuitable for artistic reproduction and must be skilfully modified so as to look natural and be aesthetically acceptable. Further, horse and rider must form a unity, which reflects the character of the rider. In spite of the formidable technical, compositional and aesthetic problems associated with this type of sculpture, the monumental equestrian statue has always been a popular form for honouring heroes and sovereigns. The representation of man controlling the powerful majestic horse and at the same time looking down on his fellow men from his elevated position on the back of the horse, appealed to the depostic ruler as well as to the man on the street. The monumental equestrian statue had its origin in the sixth century B.C. in ancient Greece. Since then it has flourished in times of autocracy. The ancient Greeks solved most of the technical, compositional and aesthetic problems of the equestrian statue. The Romans inherited the tradition of erecting equestrian statues from the Greeks and made it the sole privilege of sovereigns. Solutions to technical and compositional problems were taken over directly from the Greeks. The Romans, however, preferred bronze as a medium instead of marble. In spite of the compositional freedom which the use of bronze gave the sculptors, the Romans preferred a rest fur figure showing a rider as triumphator. During the Middle Ages most of the Roman equestrian statues were destroyed, with the exception of a few. The Marcus Aurelius in Rome was mistaken for a statue of Emperor Constantine, the first Christian emperor, and it was spared. Since it showed a barbarian beneath the forelegs of the horse, the statue became symbolic of Christianity overcoming paganism. In this sense the equestrian statue acquired symbolic funerary implications. Stone was the favourite medium and the sculptors of the Middle Ages solved numerous problems associated with the creation of an equestrian statue in this medium. Bronze equestrian figures were neglected because the technical know-how of the Greeks and Romans had been lost. The Renaissance once more focussed the attention on the individual, thereby reviving the truly secular commemorative equestrian statue of Classic Antiquity. Technical, compositional and aesthetic secrets of Antiquity were gleaned from surviving equestrian statues and antique sources. Donatello revived the Roman tradition of monumental bronze equestrian statues with his Gattamelata, while Verrocchio created the first secular equestrian monument since Antiquity with his Colleoni equestrian monument. Although Leonardo's Sforza and Trivulzio equestrian statues have not survived, the solutions which he found to technical, compositional and aesthetic problems while working on them, were to have a profound influence on all later equestrian statutes. A complete revisal of the commentaries on his notes connected with these monuments have proved that he not only renewed the entire technical approach to this sculptural form, but he also found new compositional and aesthetic solutioDuring the period from the Baroque to the end of the nineteenth century, Leonardo's innovations were implemented. The Giambologna studio in Italy established the proto-types for all Baroque equestrian statues. The French inherited this tradition. A complete history of all the French equestrian statues before the French Revolution is given. During the nineteenth century technical improvements resulted in the mass production of equestrian statues throughout the world. A complete history of all the equestrian monuments in South Africa is given and it is indicated how this form was adapted to South African conditions. Modern technical and compositional methods are discussed and evaluated.ns which completely revolutionised the creation of equestrian statues.
Heavily illustrated with small b/w photos of ancient Greek sculpture, including works by, & extensive information about, Myron, Pheidias, Polykleitos, Skopas, Lysippos & Praxiteles. Includes explanation of the Parthenon frieze.
Greek Sculpture is probably the most well known aspect of Greek art, for a contemporary it expresses the most beautiful ideal and plastic perfection. It is the first of the Ancient Arts that looked to free itself from the imitative constraints, of the faithful representation of nature. Only a small part of the production of Greek Sculpture is known to us. Many of the masterpieces described by Antique literature are henceforth lost or badly damaged, and a large part, we know are copies, more or less skillful and faithful to the Roman era. Many have been restored by Western Sculptors, from the Renaissance to nowadays, and often in a meaning very different from the original work: a discobolous is thus turned into a dying gladiator, this god received the attributes of another, the legs of this statue are transplanted to the torso of this other one. “The soul of Greek Sculpture contains in it all sculpture. Its essential simplicity, defies all definition. We can feel it, but we can not express it. ‘Open your eyes, study the statues, look, reflect and look again,’ is the perpetual perception of anyone who wants to learn or know about Greek Sculpture.”
For the general public and specialists alike, the Hellenistic period (323–31 BC) and its diverse artistic legacy remain underexplored and not well understood. Yet it was a time when artists throughout the Mediterranean developed new forms, dynamic compositions, and graphic realism to meet new expressive goals, particularly in the realm of portraiture. Rare survivors from antiquity, large bronze statues are today often displayed in isolation, decontextualized as masterpieces of ancient art. Power and Pathos gathers together significant examples of bronze sculpture in order to highlight their varying styles, techniques, contexts, functions, and histories. As the first comprehensive volume on large-scale Hellenistic bronze statuary, this book includes groundbreaking archaeological, art-historical, and scientific essays offering new approaches to understanding ancient production and correctly identifying these remarkable pieces. Designed to become the standard reference for decades to come, the book emphasizes the unique role of bronze both as a medium of prestige and artistic innovation and as a material exceptionally suited for reproduction. Power and Pathos is published on the occasion of an exhibition on view at Palazzo Strozzi in Florence from March 14 to June 21, 2015; at the J. Paul Getty Museum from July 20 through November 1, 2015; and at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, from December 6, 2015, through March 20, 2016.