Ancient Art of Sculpting: A Glimpse Into the Past - Essay Sample

Introduction

In the earliest time, before man was able to record history, sculpting was considered as the most efficient mode of Art. It involves modeling solid objects from marble, stone, and bones to represent an idea or a person. This form of Art was perceived to be much far better than painting and literature since the modeled objects could be felt as well as touched. For instance, the sculpture of a man and his son at the pond in Rome is one of the reckoned pieces of Art in the world. The modeling was done by an Italian, Bernini. In this sculpture, the man is standing astride over the son who is in a crouching position. Another reckoned sculpture is the one done by a French sculptor, Desjardins, of a woman and a man at the reception of Academie. The woman holds a bowel over the head of the man making it the most attractive Art of those times. However, of the two sets, Bernini's sculpture is more appealing to its magnificent Art of work. This essay will thus comprehensibly discuss what made sculpting a preferred mode of Art.

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Bernini effectively employs the use of texture in his Art of sculpting to give a powerful physical impression as well as emotional involvement (Clark, 300). His sculpture, widely known as the Neptune and Triton, has an appearance that leaves an intensified visual and as a result, making it real in the eyes of the views. Neptune, who is the man, has been portrayed as a mature man due to his heavy locks and beards with a lot of muscle. This image is a symbol of male authority, thus approving the mythical character Neptune who is perceived as the ruler of the earth. On the other hand, the son, Triton, appears to be a teenage, probably a young man since he is also muscular bodied. He holds a conch shell which he blows, signifying the ruler of the sea is approaching. Such body textures give us the impression that the two magnificently rule over the space around them, which is water (Clark, 298).

Desjardins' sculpture, widely known as Hercules Crowned by Glory, is also one of the magnificent works of Art during ancient times. This sculpture is commonly referred to as Musee du Louvre according to the Dutch (Strong, 105). The woman holding a crown over the man's head and the half-naked figures creates a welcoming atmosphere to the customers of Academie restaurant. The sculpture also acts as a source of excitement since its attractive and depicts a sense of honor.

Bernini's sculpture, Neptune and Triton, adopts the relief technique in creating an impression on the viewers. Neptune and Triton are mounted on a huge, slightly curved half shell, which acts as a support to them and depicting the ocean where the two have the rule over. This kind of relief is high since the two figures are more than half out of the shell background. However, this technique acts as a throwback to the viewers. Unlike in the round where the sculpture can be viewed from both directions, the Neptune and Triton encounter visual limitations (Clark, 305). It is because, in the round, the deeply curved edges and the aggressive vitality of the sculpture will pose an enormous shadow to the viewers, thus giving it a large field of view.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Neptune and Triton, as well as Hercules crown by glory sculptures, reveals to us why sculptures were considered as a preferred Art to painting and other forms of arts. As seen in the above discussion, this is because sculptures have more ability to create intensified visuals and memorable pictures, thus making the Art of sculpture live in the minds of the viewers compared to other arts. The visual Art has been achieved due to the various sculpting techniques such as relief.

Works Cited

Clark, Ruby. "Designing Europe 1600-1815." Luxury 4.2-3 (2017): 297-312.

Strong, Eugenie. Roman sculpture. Cambridge University Press, 2015.