Ancient Greece represents an important period in history, in the fields of philosophy, politics, science, architecture, literature and art in general. It has influenced other cultures and epochs, such as the Roman culture or Renaissance, and its importance can be followed to the contemporary times. Nowadays we see buildings of the highest importance in a country, such as parliaments, banks, libraries, resembling the characteristics of Ancient Greek norms.
During the time the Ancient Greek civilization existed, there were several influential and innovating periods in the art in particular – Archaic, Classical and Hellenistic periods. Each of these phases defined some of the artistic expressions which later on became the norms in the art. Such as proportions and harmony of space in architecture, aesthetics and use of colors in painting, and elaborated depiction of human body and the realism of its shape, in the field of sculpture.
The sculpture Torso of Aphrodite was made in the 1st century BC under the influence of a piece of art made three centuries before. This statue represents a tribute to the old masters of the art of the Ancient Greece, that have been influencing the work and thought of younger generations for a long time. Namely, it is the Aphrodite of Cnidus by Praxiteles, who was a well-respected and famous sculptor of the Hellenistic era, which became an ideal in the representation of a female figure.
Torso of Aphrodite was carved in marble, as many of the pieces of art of Ancient Greece. Only the upper part of the body without hands and the head remained, hence the name. However, the remaining piece of the sculpture represents a delicately worked out thematic of a female body. It highlights female attributes such as the fine shape of the body, emphasizing the soft curves of hips and thighs, and general tenderness of female figure.
The example of this sculpture shows a high level of marble carving mastery that developed through Ancient Greek art. Apart from the realistic proportions of the body, it leaves an overall impression of the real human body and skin. It is a good example of how a rigid, stiff material can turn into the opposite of its properties, emphasizing the softness and smoothness. The culmination of this approach to materials such as marble was during the Renaissance, which was inspired by, and as well developed and interpreted Ancient Greek art to a new level. One of such examples is Abduction of a Sabine Woman by Giambologna, or Pietà by Michelangelo.
The posture of the body reflects a relaxed standing pose, smoothly leaning on one side. This posture was among the favorite ones in the Ancient Greek sculpture, starting from the Classical period in Greek art, representing a shift from rigid, stiff posture to a more natural and realistic depiction. Namely, the sculpture of Kritios Boy, made around 480 BC, representing a nude male figure in a relaxed pose was a first sculpture representing this kind of posture, which continued to be a model and influence for future sculptors that were depicting a standing figure. Hellenism brought even more realistic approach to expressing the naturalism in human figure, such as the sculpture of Aphrodite of Cnidus. This was the first depiction of wholly nude female body, which became the ideal of female body (Cunningham et al. 89, 90, 108).
The DIA sculpture Torso of Aphrodite is a work of an unknown master. His name and origin are not familiar, which does not diminish the importance and recognition of this person during the time he lived and created his art. However, Torso of Aphrodite does not represent a hallmark of a single author. It is rather a representation of cumulated knowledge, ideas and norms.
On one hand it represents following of certain norms and rules that were dominant during the 1st century BC. It is the naturalistic representation of the human body, with all its natural attributes and characteristics, smoothness, curves, shapes etc. The posture of a figure represents a relaxed standing figure, which was one of the norms of representing a standing figure which was established several centuries before. The material used is marble, tough, solid stone that was favorite among Ancient Greek sculptors. These all represent physical properties of this piece of art.
The other property that lies beyond the sole mastery of the sculptor and the norms his work fulfills. It lies in the ideas behind the sculpture itself. These ideas lie in the sphere of respect of the ancient times and the valorization of old masters’ crafts. Having the idea established several centuries ago in mind, the sculptor of the Torso of Aphrodite emphasizes the importance that tradition had in the times during which he lived.
The example of the Torso of Aphrodite represents the views of a society of a certain period in history. It shows that gaining and improving a new knowledge is possible if one is conscience and mindful of the past and the achievements the previous generations have accomplished. Knowing the past helps the understanding how the things in the present came to be. In art, it is reevaluating the past ideas and postulates in order to get to the new forms of expression.
Work cited:
Cunningham, Lawrence S., Reich, John j, Fichtner-Rathus, Lois, , Classical Greece and the Hellenistic period, Chapter 3, In Culture and Values: A Survey of the Humanities, Cengage Learning, 2013. http://www.tep.engr.tu.ac.th/files/Class_Material/2_2017/TU110/1. %20Classical%20Greece%20and%20the%20Hellenistic%20Period.pdf Accessed on November 12.
