One of the most timeless and greatest forms of fine arts is sculpting. The sculpture is one of the ancient art forms that have survived through the years retaining their original condition, particularly the stone sculptures.
Previously sculpting consisted of carving (removal of material) and modeling (addition of material, as clay). The materials used were stone, metal, ceramics and wood. This art form has evolved ever since the Modernism hit the sculpting world. Modernism has given the sculptors freedom to use whatever material they chose.
Ancient Greece is the birthplace of Western sculpture and was widely seen as producing magnificent masterpieces in the classical period. From Prehistory, through Classical Antiquity, to Gothic Era, the Renaissance all the way to the 21st century, sculpting has had a rich history filled with extraordinary artists and their incredible works of art.
We don’t know the exact date of when sculpting really began but there is a high probability that it was introduced somewhere in the Stone Age. The two iconic stone effigies are the Venus of Berekhat Ram (230,000 BC or even earlier of the Acheulian Period discovered in Golan Heights) and the Venus of Tan-Tan (200,000 BC or earlier of the same period).
The Egyptian sculptures were known to be made primarily to honor and preserve the lives of their ruler or pharaoh. The pharaohs were buried in the great pyramids with statues of the king, the nobles and the gods were sculpted into these pyramids where the rulers’ spirits were thought to visit.
After developing one of the most advanced civilizations in the world of 600BC the Greeks found that the greatest way of self-expression was through sculpture. The Greeks would mostly concentrate on developing sculptures of humans, and would often dedicate their creations to their gods. The Gothic sculpture, of the 12th century, was much more lifelike. Human figures shown in the natural state were carved up high in church columns. The 20th century was an age of experimentation with new ideas, new styles, and new materials. Studies of the human figure gave way to subjects of various types, dreams ideas, and emotions and studies of form and space.
The sculpture is one of the most beautiful forms of art which is enjoyed by the young and the old alike. Sculptures could also be our most probable messengers who would give our distant future generations a glimpse of how we, their “ancient ancestors” had lived in the 21st century.
While not terribly artistic herself, Amita Vadlamudi takes an interest in learning about various art forms and write about them. Amita Vadlamudi particularly enjoys seeing the sculptures and admires the life-like qualities some very talented sculptors are able to create.
