Evolution of Human Figure in Sculpture Essay

Depiction of adult male figures feel dramatically changed done time. It was in sculpture that human physical dimensions were visibly illustrated. There have been many variations of the human dead body shown from the prehistoric to the modern period. In this research, tierce sculpture namely statute of Gilgamesh, the Moschophoros and the statue of Augustus of star(predicate) Porta will be used to trace the progression of the human body. Gilgamesh was the main character in the Epic of Gilgamesh wherein he was portrayed as one-half god and half human. His personality was the representation of all the virtues of humans. In the statue, Gilgamesh was shown holding a social lion in a headlock position wherein his arm was protected by the chain-mail night-robe (Gil more(prenominal) Ancient Sumeria). Meanwhile, the new(prenominal) hand was gripping a snake. These portrayals symbolized Gilgameshs warrior and regal status. The body was irregularly depicted because of the disproportion of the upper and lower body. The torso seemed on purpose elongated making the waist line count oned low. However, since the statue is an example of a jumbo statue, they type of perspective would make a difference in the fitting of the figures proportions (Gilmore Ancient Sumeria). The Calf-bearer or the Moschoporos is the interpretation of a classic specifically a rich Attican who was about to sacrifice a calf as an offering to the goddess Athena. The figure was clothed with a thin garment that outlined the structure of the body resulting to a partially nude sculpture. The animate being was put around the figures shoulders with his hands clutched on the hooves. to a greater extent so, muscular flesh out were evident in the abdomen area. Many flesh out were present on the face of the human figure. The curls of his hair took the shape of pearls or corals that framed his forehead while a closed small utter with a curved beard and deep-set eyes accented the wholly face (Atlant is International The Acropolis Museum). The statue of Augustus of Prima Porta signified Augustus military supremacy. Historically, the statue was believed to be created as a sign of the commemoration of the triumph of the Romans against the Parthians. Unlike other Roman leaders, Augustus was depicted as a mere man and not the traditional deified god (Ramage Historical Reflection on the Statue ). The head of the statue contained details that were very recognizable such as the broad head with a Primaporta styled hair, full close mouth, keen ridged eyebrows, fluent round get up and pointed nose highlighted. The breastplate with intricate graphical details and the hand in an upright position signified his authority. Meanwhile, the presence of the robe suggested the godliness of Augustus and the cupid go a dolphin emphasized the divinity of the founder of Venus and Italy namely the Julian family to Aeneas (Ramage Description of the Statue). Among the three sculpture, the Roman portrai t of Augustus was the most specify in terms of human form. It exactly depicted the human characteristics from go across to bottom. The statue of Gilgamesh and the Calf-bearer have some distortions in the body image making it look disfigured. In the statue of Augustus, it had a sense of movement while the statue of Gilgamesh and the Calf-bearer appeared stiff. Also, the Gilgamesh lacked the three-dimensionality because of the gluey position of the legs and arms while the Calf-bearer compared to the former achieved more proportion because of the smooth construction of the muscles in the body. It is evident that from the Archaic period to the time of the Romans, human figure developed from a god-like depiction like the Gilgamesh to a more real person represented by Augustus. However, the concept of the sanctity of gods and goddesses were customary in the three sculptures. Overall, the sculptures showed the progress in depicting the human body from being disproportionate to a perfe ct formation of the shape and movement of the whole body.Works CitedGlimore, Tom. Ancient Sumeria.1999. T Byron G Publishing. 27 border 2008 .Ramage. Description of the Statue. (October 2005). The Statue of Augustus of Prima Porta .Ramage. Historical Reflection on the Statue. (October 2005). The Statue of Augustus of Prima Porta .The Acropolis Museum. (2006). Atlantis International. 27 March 2008 .