Thursday, October 29, 2009

Male form

Developments in the Form of the Nude and Dressed Male Figure

In the development of the nude figure there were competing trains of thought. The trains of thought varied between realism, idealism, and perfection. Some cultures desired to have sculpted the bodies of athletes and have their bodies shown as perfect. Other cultures wanted to stray away from the normal traditions and sculpt men as they naturally are.
Starting with the “Standing Youth (Kouroos) which was created in 600 bce this piece reflects the idealism of the culture and its artists. The stance of the figure is not natural, it is still shows resemblance to the stance of the Egyptian hieroglyphic figures where the body is standing straight with one foot stepping forward. The craftsmanship of this piece is not comparable to the future ones to come, but this piece sets the stage for the future changes that are going to be taken place.
The next piece is going to show the great shift in the thinking process of men and how they should be represented in sculpture. In the Riace Warrior sculpted by Phidias, the nude man stands with his hips slightly leaning as if he were balancing his weight on one leg. The man in the sculpture is relaxing. This pose is very different from the awkward stance of Kouroos in the above mentioned sculpture. No man really stands like that of Kouroos, but man when standing slants his hips. This shift was a shift from idealism to realism. This sculptor wanted to show how man actually is. Not only is this piece drastically different in concept, but also in style and its aesthetics. One could only imagine the magnificence of this sculpture if it still had its golden wreath and spear and shield still attached to him. This piece was created around 455 BCE.
Another example of this perfection and realistic shift is the Doryphoros (Spear Bearer) which was created by Polycleitos of Argos. This piece is showing a very great uniqueness from other sculptures in the fact that it is showing how man is and that it is showing motion. The stance of his hips indicates the weight distribution of him balancing (not the awkward Egyptian post) himself while he is walking. This is a depiction of an athlete in a competition.
The best example of true human emotion however mixed in with a realistic display of man is the “Laocoon and his Two Sons”. Even the great Michelangelo was taken aback from this work. This work was so influential that it changed his whole thinking of how the human form should be displayed. If you look closely and study the contours of this piece you can tell a striking resemblance to the depiction of the Judean-Christian God on his famous ceiling painting.

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