Figure 1.-- Perhaps the nost famous sculpture of a child is Boy with Thorn ( Fedele / Fedelino or Spinario). The original is a Greco-Roman Hellenistic bronze sculpture of a boy withdrawing a thorn from the sole of his foot. Here is a Roman marble copy of the same subject found on the Esquiline in Rome and acquired by the Medici. They don't tell us much about clothing, but they are historically important and do depict hair styles which are different in the Greek and Roman versions. The Greeco-Roman origina shows the boy with long hair. The Roman copy depicts the same boy, but with short hair as was the roman style.
With the rise of civilization, more realistic sculptures appeared, in part because of developing technology and refinement of skill. Here economics was involved. Individuals could devote their entire lives to artisanry and perfecting skills, including artisanry. The greater the wealth of the society, the higher the quality of the work that could be achived. The first master works in sculpture came from the River Valley civilizations. Egypt and Mesopotamia produced a great number and variety of sculptures. Some especially in Egypt were monumental works. These were works created for both political statements and religious ritual. And curiously only in Egypt so we find sculptures of children, beginning in the Old Kingdom. We note them done in both in clay and ivory. Egyptian sculptures are not as highly regarded as subsequnt classical sculpture because they are not as realistic. It should not be thought that Egyptian sculptors were not as capable. It is just that the Egyptians developed a style of sculpture and art and there was no impetus to change. Early Greek sculpture shows many of the charactristics of Egyptian sculpture, but unlike the Egyptians, the Greks did not endlessly repeat the same same style, there devloped a drive for realism never achived by any other ancient society. The Greeks developed sculpture to a new level, moving away from the rigidity of archaic forms. Greek scuplture during the the classical and Hellenistic eras focused on the idealization of its primary subject--the human form. This tells us little about fashion, but of course a great deal about intelectual development. The Greek work were such magnificent works that they served as the ideal for nearly two millenia of European sculptures and still leave us in awe today. Sculpture was also important in Rome and was an even richer society. The Romans produced vast numbers of sculptures to decorate both private and public spaces. There was, howevr, no further refinement of Greek forms which even the Romans regarded as the peak of perfection.
Economics
With the rise of civilization, more realistic sculptures appeared, in part because of developing technology and refinement of skill. Here economics was involved. Individuals could devote their entire lives to artisanry and perfecting skills, including artisanry. The greater the wealth of the society, the higher the quality of the work that could be achived.
The first master works in sculpture came from the River Valley civilizations, primarily Mesopotamia and Egypt. Egypt and Mesopotamia produced a great number and variety of sculptures. Some especially in Egypt were monumental works. These were works created primarily political statements and religious ritual. Common materials included clay, metal, and stone fashioned into both reliefs and sculptures in the round. With the Uruk period tere was a marked a development of narrative imagery and increasing realistic depiction of human figures. Hieratic scale became stanbdard to convey the significance of gods and royalty. After the Uruk period we see increasing focus on warfare and violence with the intentiuon of intemidating. This reflected the creality of Mesopotamian life. While civilization began in Sumer (Mesopotamia) we soon see the samne development in the Nile River Vally and the rise of Egyptian civiization. As in Mesopotamisa we see sculpture and much more paunting, also created for political statements and religious ritual. We see monumental sculpture, amny well known, but in addition we see refined sometimes delicate small works in much larger numbers tan is the case of Mesompotamia. The distinctive pose of standing statues facing forward with one foot in front of the other was in part a practical matter of balance and strength. Seated statues were common as well. Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of Egyptian art including sculpture was the degree to which it depicted ordinary people and not just leaders and gods. And curiously only in Egypt so we find sculptures of children, beginning in the Old Kingdom. We note them done in both in clay and ivory. Egyptian sculptures are not as highly regarded as subsequnt classical sculpture because they are not as realistic. It should not be thought that Egyptian sculptors were not as capable. It is just that the Egyptians developed a style of sculpture and art and there was no impetus to change.
Greece
Early Greek sculpture shows many of the charactristics of Egyptian sculpture, but unlike the Egyptians, the Greeks did not endlessly repeat the same same style, there devloped a drive for realism never achived by any other ancient society and unmatched today. The Greeks developed sculpture to a new level, moving away from the rigidity of archaic forms. Greek scuplture during the classical and Hellenistic eras focused on the idealization of its primary subject--the human form. This tells us little about fashion, but of course a great deal about intelectual development. The Greek work were such magnificent works that they served as the ideal for nearly two millenia of European sculptures and still leave us in awe today.
Rome
Sculpture was also important in Rome and was an even richer society able to afford more sculpture. The Romans produced vast numbers of sculptures to decorate both private and public spaces. Roman society, however, was very different than Greece. Sculpture was produced by diverse artisans from a huge empire multi ehnic and cultural empire. Popular tastes changed over the. Roman sculpture was notabke for its variety and eclectic variety. Roman art blended the idealised perfection of classical Greek sculpture. There was on one hand an appreciation for realism, But the Romans were also intreagued with artistic styles from the East. They created works in stone and bronze which art historians rank among the finest works from antiquity. A factor here as far more Roman sculpture has survived than Greek sculpture. It is thnks Roman sculptors we know of many Greek masterpieces, preserved for posterity by copying them. There was, howevr, no further refinement of Greek forms which even the Romans regarded as the peak of perfection.
