Development in Greek Culture of the Standing Nude Male
The development
of the standing male nude changed over time. It is possible to look at a piece
of
sculpture, and be able give all the detail of its origin,
and the period it was created. Over time
the
proportion, the ability to depict motion, and the
conception of a figure in space were
changed. It is interesting to see the development of
the standing male nude in Greek sculpture,
and to be able to experience their culture through
their works of art. Their sculptures told the
story of what was important in their society.
Through it we begin to understand the culture which
idealized the male body. We see their attitudes
towards women also in their sculptures of the
female form which, at least in the Archaic Period
was always clothed. It wasn’t until the late
classical period that the female nude began to gain
in popularity. Each culture learned things
from the preceding culture, and added to it their
own individuality.
The
sculpture of the human figures began in Greece in the Archaic Style around c
600-480
BC. The Greeks learned from the Egyptians how to
create life size sculptures, and they took the
information and adapted it to their own culture.
Around 600 B.C. the New York Kouros was
made. It is a standing male figure that is carved
out of marble, and is commemorative. They were
usually grave markers that represented an
individual, and this one is life size.
They were found
in religious sanctuaries. The Kouros can be compared to the statue of
Menkaure. The Greeks did
put more emphasize on the human anatomy. The kouros
is cut away from the original block of
marble, and is in a frontal pose. His left leg is
forward with no bend. His arms are at his side with
Hadley2
elbows back, and clenched fists. This is similar to
the Menkaure. There is space between the
arms and body, and between the legs, and the body is
detailed. This was not found in
Egyptian sculpture. Egyptian sculptures were clothed
while Greek males were not, but they did
clothe the female sculptures. During this period
they were able to suggest the power to move by
the positioning of the statue. Archaic sculptures of
standing women were called Korai. The
female’s garments revealed the contours of her body,
and she has the archaic smile. The
Greeks
felt that the male body was perfection. The emphasis
on the anatomy increased tension while the
rectangularity of Egyptian convention did not build
tension. The Kouros is curved, and the
knees, the
lower rib cage, and hair are detailed. The stance of the Kuros is positioned
over both
legs , and with the addition of muscular definition it
gives the feel of having the ability to move.
There was
a widespread use of bronze for large scale sculptures that were cast with the
lost-
wax process. The most impressive bronze was the
Posidon/Zeus as he either hurls his
thunderbolt or trident. His pose is commanding as he
focuses, aims, and tenses his muscles to
throw. He is perfectly balanced between the ball of
his right foot and his left heel. By slightly
bending his knees the sculptor gives the impression
that he is about to spring. Greek artists
studied athletes as they practiced for the games.
This gave them the information necessary to
create amazing pieces of art. Bronze use started in
the Archaic period and went into the Classical
period.
A good
example of the Classical style is the Kritios Boy. Stylization decreased, but
they did
maintain the smooth, wavy hair with a circle of
curls around the head, and the body was an
organic structure of bone and muscle. They began to
have the head slightly turned. The right leg
is slightly forward and bends at the knee while the
left leg supports the weight. They are posed in
the contrapposto which uses the Latin word positus
which means positioned and the word contra
this means against. The contrast between rigid and
relaxed elements gives the feeling of how
the human body works. It is like the statue freezes
a moment in time for the enjoyment of future
generations. The
Olympics was a very important event, and the men who preformed did so in
the nude. It was an event for males, and females
were not permitted. The Discus Thrower was
probably one of the athletes that were frozen in
time for the appreciation of generations to come.
Polykleitos
of Argos’s work was thought of as the embodiment of High classical style. His
Spear Bearer was called the canon. It dealt with a
series of proportions that related one part of
the body to another and to the whole. Symmetry
achieved beauty. “It is the emphasis on the
intelligible appearance that gives Greek art its
ideal character.”(158) The ratio 4:9
governs
proportions. The human form was idealized. It was
usually young with no defect. They are well
proportioned and symmetrical, but lack personality.
The male figures were idealized, and
showed a full appreciation for the perfection and
beauty of the muscular proportions of the male
body. He created naturalism and balance.
Late
Classical and Pre-Hellenistic was influenced by the Praxitelean curve.
Praxiteles used a
combination of contrapposto and in the round
compositions. These were meant to be seen from
all sides. He created fluidity in the pose. He gave
the shoulders, hips and knees a sloping angle
which gave a feel of realism. An example is the
Aphrodite of Knidos. It is a nude statue
of the
goddess as she emerges from her bath. She reaches
for a towel that is near a water jar. She is
slightly fleshier with a fuller face than Classical
sculptures. The changes he made
emphasized
naturalism and movement which was a step towards the
realism of the Hellenistic period.
Lysippos
created greater realism by making the figures head smaller and elongating the
body.
This made a sculpture more realistic. He brought in
the Hellenistic period. He did a statue
of
Socrates which shows him walking slowly and thinking
deeply. He also did the Athlete with a
Stigil. There is more movement implied, because the
legs are positioned wider apart, and the
arms are outstretched. The athlete appears to swivel
which draws the viewer into the movement.
Lysippos was able to do a wide variety of subjects
always with great realism.
It is interesting
to see the development of the standing male nude in Greek sculpture, and to
be able to experience their culture through their
works of art.
Written by Kathleen Hadley 2006
