Most of these statues were then painted in a layer of polychrome.Īncient Greek statues are easily characterized by their realistic stance and accurate depictions of human anatomy. No matter what material was used, the last process was always the same: the addition of a hot wax or oil layer on the outer surface to give it a more life-like appearance, after which they would be colored and then gilded. Although bronze was only used in large capacity during the years of 550 BCE and 500 BCE, around half of ancient Greek statues were made from it.
The Greek sculptors had a preference for using marble, terracotta, bronze, and wood to create their ancient Greek statues. Illustration of ancient Greek sculptures from Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary (1890-1907) painter from Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons A Greek man or Greek woman statue was often the human embodiment of a divine being and was sculpted in many various materials and sizes. Many Greek sculptors created the sculptures for use in dedication to a specific religious deity or mythological being for various temples. The next period was known as the Hellenistic period and it lasted from 323 BCE until 27 BCE.ĭuring this period, the Greek sculpture style had spread throughout the Eastern Mediterranean.Īncient Greek artifacts reveal that most Greek Sculptures were created primarily for religious reasons throughout the Archaic and Classical periods. Many famous Greek statues were sculpted in this period. From 500 BCE until 323 BCE, Greek sculpture reached its creative pinnacle in what is known as the Classical Period. This period was known as the Archaic Period. From 650 BCE until 500 BCE, Greek sculptors first began developing monumental sculptures made from marble. The development of ancient Greek statues is usually divided into three chronological periods. Koronaios, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia CommonsĪ Brief History of Ancient Greek Sculpture The goddess of beauty is represented at the moment she had withdrawn her gaze from her image on the gold-plated mirror George E. Her himation covers her lower body and legs. Figurine of Aphrodite seated on a rock, holding a folding mirror. Terracotta figurine of semi-naked Aphrodite. Techniques such as bronze-casting and stone-carving were passed down to the Greek sculptors by the Syrians and the Egyptians. These cultures can be traced further back to Indo-European tribes that had migrated from Northern regions of the Black Sea. 3.2 Why Do the Originals No Longer Exist?Īncient Greek statues are generally accepted to have resulted from the influence of a mixture of Syrian, Minoan, Egyptian, Persian, and Mycenaean cultures.
3.1 Why Were Greek Sculptures Originally Made?.2.22 The Winged Nike of Samothrace (c.2.14 The Marble Metopes of the Parthenon (c.2.2 The Sacred Gate Dipylon Kouros (c.1.1 A Brief History of Ancient Greek Sculpture.