The sculptors of Ancient Greece have given the world works that have fascinated many generations. The oldest sculptures known to us originated in the archaic era. They are somewhat primitive: their motionless posture, their hands tightly pressed to the body, their forward gaze are dictated by the shape of the stone block from which the statue was carved. She usually has one leg extended forward to maintain balance. Archaeologists have found many of these statues, depicting naked young men and girls dressed in loosely flowing outfits. Their faces are often enlivened by a mysterious "archaic" smile.
In the classical era, the main craft of Greek sculptors was the creation of statues of gods and heroes to decorate temples; to this were added secular images, for example, statues of statesmen or winners of the famous Olympic Games.
In the beliefs of the Greeks, the gods look like ordinary people. They were portrayed as people, but strong, well-developed physically and with a beautiful face. Often people were portrayed naked to show the beauty of a harmoniously developed body.
In the 5th century BC. the great sculptors Miron, Phidias and Polycletus, each in their own way, renewed the art of sculpture and brought it closer to reality. Young naked athletes of Polycletus, for example his "Dorifor", lean on only one leg, the other is left free. Thus, it was possible to unfold the figure and create a sense of movement. But the standing marble figures could not be given more expressive gestures or complex poses: the statue could lose balance, and fragile marble could break. These troubles could be avoided by casting bronze figures. The first master of complex bronze castings was Miron - the creator of the famous "Discobolus".
Many artistic achievements are associated with the name Phidias: he supervised the decoration of the Parthenon with friezes and pediment groups. Magnificent is his bronze statue of Athena on the Acropolis and a 12-meter-high statue of Athena in the Parthenon covered with gold and ivory, which later disappeared without a trace. A similar fate befell a huge statue of Zeus seated on a throne, created from the same materials, for the temple in Olympia.
No matter how we admire the sculptures created by the Greeks in the heyday, they may seem a little cold to a modern person. True, the coloring that revived them at one time is absent; but their indifferent and similar faces are even more alien to us. Indeed, the Greek sculptors of that time did not try to express any feelings or emotions on the faces of the statues. Their goal was to show perfect bodily beauty.
If in the 5th century BC. were created sublime and serious images, then in the 4th century BC. artists tended to express tenderness and gentleness. The warmth of life was given to the smooth marble surface by Praxitel in his sculptures of naked gods and goddesses. He also found an opportunity to vary the poses of the statues by creating balance with the appropriate supports. His Hermes, the messenger of the gods, rests on a tree trunk.
Until now, sculptures have been designed to be viewed from the front. Lysippos made his statues so that they could be viewed from all sides - this was another innovation.
In the era of Hellenism in sculpture, there is an increased craving for pomp and grotesque. In some works excessive passions are shown, in others an excessive closeness to nature is noticeable. At this time they began to diligently copy the statues of earlier times; thanks to copies, we today know many monuments - either irretrievably lost or not yet found. He created marble sculptures that conveyed strong feelings in the 4th century BC. e. Scopas. His greatest work known to us is his participation in the decoration of the mausoleum in Halicarnassus with sculptural reliefs. Among the most famous works of the Hellenistic era are the reliefs of the great altar in Pergamum depicting the legendary battle; the statue of the goddess Aphrodite found at the beginning of the last century on the island of Melos, as well as the sculptural group "Laocoon". It depicts a Trojan priest and his sons who were strangled by treacherous snakes; physical torment and fear are conveyed by the author with ruthless realism.