Premium Essay

Greek Sculpture and Ancient India

In: English and Literature

Submitted By bblove84
Words 422
Pages 2
In Greek sculpture, we see a celebration of the perfect physique, from the male athletic body to statues molded in the likeness of Greek gods. In comparison, Indian sculpture captures the ancient Indian ideology of the release from the physical and the emphasis on the spiritual, and sculptures were not only dedicated to the gods, but were worshipped. Ancient Greek and
Indian sculptures were such an important part of communicating cultural views of the time that it continues to this day to inspire modern day art.

Ancient Indian sculptures can trace its beginnings to the Harappan civilization of the Indus River region (ca.2600-ca.1500) and it is thought they learned to make bronze and metal figures from
Mesopotamians. India’s National Museum in New Delhi houses one of the oldest known artifacts, a copper image of a young woman whose features included a wide nose and thick lips, which was the physical traits typical of the Harappans. Her relaxed pose leads us to believe she is a dancing girl and this style would be seen in future Indian sculpture.
After the fall of the Harappan culture, Indian art was influenced by the remaining
Harappan populous and the Greeks. The Greeks influence Indian art when in 326 B.C.E,
Alexander the Great conquered much of northwestern India and the Greek style became popular in India. The Greek style, in turn, was influenced by both the Mycenaean’s and the Egyptians.
The most important periods of Ancient Greek sculpture were Archaic, Classical, and Hellenistic.
The Archaic sculpture was rigid in their depiction of humanity. The classical period showed a more realistic representation of the human figure. The Hellenistic period worked to capture the ideas of strength and courage which were high ideals in Greek states.

Ancient Greeks poleis had their own representative deity from among the

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Assignment 2: Comparing Sculptures of Ancient India and Greece

...Assignment 2: Comparing Sculptures of Ancient India and Greece Assignment 2: Comparing Sculptures of Ancient India and Greece Andelle Gregoire World Cultures I Abstract Overall, Greek and Indian art had many similarities and differences. Even though they lived far away and had different beliefs, their depicted the same topics: Gods and goddesses, animals, royalty, myths, everyday life, and sports. Jewelry wise, they both used a lot of gold, although Indians used more beads and gems. In sculpture, Greeks mostly used stone, and Indians used a variety of materials. Their paintings were also very similar. Architecture was quite different. Greek architecture used the golden ratio, and their buildings were usually made of marble. They used Doric and ionic columns to hold the roof of the building up. Indian buildings had elaborate designs carved in them, like people dancing, or gods and goddess. Comparing Sculptures of Ancient India and Greece Indians and Greeks alike loved showing myths and gods on their sculptures and pottery, but they styles were different, as the Greek used the red-figure pottery style, with black backgrounds and red figures that only were shown after they were fired in the kiln. Indians used simple but beautiful painted, unglazed pottery. Indians, too, did not put as much emphasis on sports in sculpture than the Greeks. Ancient Greeks has sculptures depicting gods and goddesses, royalty, animals, and sports, like Olympic events. Greek pottery depicted stories...

Words: 1472 - Pages: 6

Free Essay

Novel

...Art and CultureArt in ancient GreeceThe Charioteer of Delphi, Delphi Archaeological Museum. One of the greatest surviving works of Greek sculpture, dating from about 470 B.C. Source:WikipediaThe art of ancient Greece has exercised an enormous influence on the culture of many countries from ancient times until the present, particularly in the areas of sculpture and architecture. In the West, the art of the Roman Empire was largely derived from Greek models. In the East, Alexander the Great's conquests initiated several centuries of exchange between Greek, Central Asian and Indian cultures, resulting in Greco-Buddhist art, with ramifications as far as Japan. Following the Renaissance in Europe, the humanist aesthetic and the high technical standards of Greek art inspired generations of European artists. Well into the 19th century, the classical tradition derived from Greece dominated the art of the western world.PeriodsThe art of Ancient Greece is usually divided stylistically into four periods: the Geometric, the Archaic, the Classical and the Hellenistic.As noted above, the Geometric age is usually dated from about 1000 BC, although in reality little is known about art in Greece during the preceding 200 years (traditionally known as the Dark Ages), the period of the 7th century BC witnessed the slow development of the Archaic style as exemplified by the black-figure style of vase painting. The onset of the Persian Wars (480 BC to 448 BC) is usually taken as the dividing line...

Words: 4069 - Pages: 17

Premium Essay

Similarities Between Alexander The Great And The Hellenistic Age

...Alexander the Great and his armies conquered much of the known world between 334 and 323 B.C. to create a great empire that stretched from Greece to Asia, Egypt, and the Persian empire in the Near East to India. And with the death of the great conqueror, Alexander, came the birth of the era that would be known as the Hellenistic Age. This era was a time of power, conflict, and great cultural influences that paved the way for change and development. This era brought change and artistic influences to the world as it was known until it would change again, marking the end of the Hellenistic Era with the battle of Actium, which was the pivotal moment that would later be defined as the end of Ancient Greece. Yet, while the Hellenistic Age strived,...

Words: 1550 - Pages: 7

Free Essay

Lowes Museum Review- Miami

...Pamela Ramasami ARH 2050 Prof Kaufman Lowes Museum Paper 1. Greek and/or Roman art: How is the body depicted in the art you select? Greek Chosen Art Work: Calyx Krater, Unknown Artist, 4th century BCE, Ancient Greek Next to Art Work: Bacchanal, by Anthony Triano, 1966, United States The Calyx Krater has an abstracted style. The bodies are proportional to the scale, however the main god, Dionysian is the standout character throughout the piece. The bodies’ of the subjects have an idealized style. For example, Dionysian’s body is detailed to show muscles that convey strength. His body is covered with a simple toga, which loosely hugs him, to show off his natural male body. Like the male subject, the female has on a long strappy dress, which loosely covers her body, to hide any identifying curves. Although, all the figures are all minimally clothed, none of them has gender related details. For example, even though the satyr is completely naked, no pubic detail is present. Nor are any lines to symbolize the breasts on the female subject. The facial details of all the subjects are barely discernible, as if to draw the viewer’s attention towards their bodies. Roman Chosen Art Work: Vertummus, Unknown Artist, 200-250 Ancient, Rome Next to Art Work: Eros, Artist Unknown, 1st century, Ancient, Rome The depiction of Verummus represents an idealized style. The body is depicted with a sense of strength and presence. The artist portrayed this great warrior’s strength...

Words: 2583 - Pages: 11

Free Essay

Sofiyivka Park

...marvelous landscapes, exotic trees, silent lakes, old waterfalls, fairytale little stone garden, medieval bridges, mirror-like ponds, fantastic antique sculptures, and mysterious caves, is one of the most beautiful parks in the world. Thanks to the talents of architects and landscapers invited from the Europe to Uman, today everybody can discoer thousands of exotic plants in landscapes, which were brought from all over the world. Sofiyivka is often called ‘a stone poem’, because according to the architect’s plan, each composition and sculpture refers to myths and legends of Ancient Greece. The park itself is a living illustration of Homer’s epic poems "The Odyssey" and "The Iliad". Created in romantic style using Greek mythology, Sofiyivka is not only one of the most charming places of Ukraine, but also one of its most romantic nooks. After all, this tremendous place was created in the name of love, and love has been its symbol for over 200 years. As a part of National Academy of Science in Ukraine, park engages in the research of tree and shrub cultivators and organizes conferences on dendrological and conservation topics. HISTORY The park was planned in 1796 by Uman’s governor at the time, the Polish Count Stanisław Potocki, who decided to present this unique gift to his adoring wife. The count met the beautiful Greek woman Sofia during one of his travels and fell madly in love. But there was a problem, as both of them were married. Finally, Potocki was able to buy...

Words: 523 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Dragon

...Latin draconem (nominative draco) meaning "huge serpent, dragon", from the Greek word δράκων, drakon (genitive drakontos, δράκοντος) "serpent, giant seafish". The Greek and Latin term referred to any great serpent, not necessarily mythological, and this usage was also current in English up to the 18th century. Morphology A dragon is a mythological representation of a reptile. In antiquity, dragons were mostly envisaged as serpents, but since the Middle Ages, it has become common to depict them with legs, resembling a lizard. Dragons are usually shown in modern times with a body like a huge lizard, or a snake with two pairs of lizard-type legs, and able to emit fire from their mouths. The European dragon has bat-like wings growing from its back. A dragon-like creature with wings but only a single pair of legs is known as a wyvern. Comparative mythology Further information: Chaoskampf, Sea serpent, Proto-Indo-European religion § Dragon or Serpent and Serpent (Bible) The association of the serpent with a monstrous opponent overcome by a heroic deity has its roots in the mythology of the Ancient Near East, including Canaanite (Hebrew, Ugaritic), Hittite and Mesopotamian. Humbaba, the fire-breathing dragon-fanged beast first described in the Epic of Gilgamesh is sometimes described as a dragon with Gilgamesh playing the part of dragon-slayer. The legless serpent (Chaoskampf) motif entered Greek mythology and ultimately Christian mythology, although the serpent motif may...

Words: 3544 - Pages: 15

Free Essay

Ancient Greece

...What are five of the most important ideas or people to come from Ancient Greece? I believe the most important contribution from Ancient Greece is, from the information uncovered so far, that their education was less compartmentalized than what is found today. This meant that individuals had influence in more than one area, and their search for a set of rules that could use to apply to their areas of interest (page 108). In modern society, Socrates is mostly remembered for and credited with founding Western philosophy, but we have accounts of his influence in other fields. His original profession was as a stonemason (page 98), but his influence can be found in law and ethics with his influence on his pupil Plato (page 100), in art by describing the idealization process to the painter Parrhasius (page 111), and his cross examination and inductive reasoning techniques are the basis for the Scientific Method (page 98). Socrates influence can also be found indirectly in Greek drama, as he was the subject of the comedy The Clouds written by Aristophanes. Another person whose influence stretched over more than one field of study was Pythagoras. He is known as the father of pure mathematics and his major contribution is known to us as the Pythagorean Theorem (page 96). But his influence can also be felt is music because his study of ratios led him to understand that music is controlled by mathematical ratios (pages 96, 123). His views on proportion and symmetry not only influenced...

Words: 595 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Entertainment in India

...course of the arts of India, and consequently, the rest of Asia. Arts refer to paintings, architecture, literature, music, dance, languages and cinema. In early India, most of the arts were derived Vedic influences. After the birth of contemporary Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, and Sikhism arts flourished under the patronage of kings and emperors. The coming of Islam spawned a whole new era of Indian architecture and art. Finally the British brought their own Gothic and Roman influences and fused it with the Indian style. They have a culture infusion in their art. Contents [hide] 1 Architecture 2 Literature 3 Music 4 Dance 5 Sculpture 6 Painting 7 Cinema 8 Radio 9 Television 9.1 Major events 9.2 Professional events 9.3 Amateur events 10 References 11 External links Architecture[edit] Main article: Architecture of India This article contains wording that promotes the subject in a subjective manner without imparting real information. Please remove or replace such wording and instead of making proclamations about a subject's importance, use facts and attribution to demonstrate that importance. (October 2009) Indian architecture is that vast tapestry of production of the Indian subcontinent that encompasses a multitude of expressions over space and time, transformed by the forces of history considered unique to the sub-continent, sometimes destroying, but most of the time absorbing. The result is an evolving range of architectural production that nonetheless...

Words: 2841 - Pages: 12

Free Essay

Kjhjkh

...Ancient India and G HUM 111 World C May 2, 2014 Comparing Sculptures of Ancient India and Greece were Ancient Greeks had sculptures depicting gods and goddesses, royalty, animals, and sports, like Olympic events. Greek pottery depicted stories, myths, everyday life, and sports as well. III Classical Notes on India [10] The name of India, so far as is known, first appears in Greek literature in the 5th century B.C. in the works of Hekataios and Herodotos. The word is derived from the Indus river (Sanskrit sindhumeans "river"), and in the Greek as well as the Persian language 'India" originally meant only the Indus region, which then belonged to the Persian Empire. Herodotos, however, already used the term in a wider sense to denote the whole country; and classical Greek usage followed his example. Prior to the time of Alexander, Greek knowledge of India was acquired on the whole by wav of Persia. King Cyrus, founder of the Persian empire and of the Achaemenid dynasty (reigned 559-530 B.C.), added to his territories the region called Gandhara, directly south of the Hindu Kush mountains. About 518-515 B.C. Dareios I extended this conquest southward as far as the Indus river. Thereby the Indus became the easternmost boundary of the vast Persian colossus, which sprawled across all of western Asia to include, after 546 B.C., most of the Greek cities on the coast of Asia Minor. Communications between the extremities of this huge polity were now unimpeded by political frontiers...

Words: 4836 - Pages: 20

Free Essay

Fishing

...Fishing is the activity of catching fish. It is an ancient practice dating back at least 40,000 years. Since the 16th century fishing vessels have been able to cross oceans in pursuit of fish and since the 19th century it has been possible to use larger vessels and in some cases process the fish on board. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping. The term fishing may be applied to catching other aquatic animals such as shellfish, cephalopods, crustaceans, and echinoderms. The term is not usually applied to catching aquatic mammals, such as whales, where the term whaling is more appropriate, or to farmed fish. In addition to providing food, modern fishing is also a recreational sport. According to FAO statistics, the total number of fishermen and fish farmers is estimated to be 38 million. Fisheries and aquaculture provide direct and indirect employment to over 500 million people.[1] In 2005, the worldwide per capita consumption of fish captured from wild fisheries was 14.4 kilograms, with an additional 7.4 kilograms harvested from fish farms.[2] Contents 1 Prehistory 2 Ancient history 3 Commercial fishing 3.1 Fish netting 3.2 Herring fisheries 3.3 Trawling 3.4 Cod trade 3.5 Trepanging 3.6 Chinese Americans 4 Artisan fishing 5 Recreational fishing 5.1 The fishing reel 5.2 Fly fishing ...

Words: 1399 - Pages: 6

Free Essay

Art Appreciation Week 2 Ip Aiu

...with the central plaque 19 cm(7in) high by 12.5 cm(5) wide b 2.5 cm deep. It shares many features of their decorative schemes. The emperor is accompanied in the main panel by a conquerd barbarian in trousers to the left, representing territory conquered, who holds his foot in thanks, and an angel or victory, crowning the emperor. Above, Christ with a fashionable curl-hair style, flanked by angels. While the emperor represent him on earth. It was acquired by the Lourve in 1899. It was made from elephant ivory, sculpted and mounted with precious stones. Ivory is a type of dentine - a hard, dense bony tissue which forms most of the teeth and tusks of animals - which has been used for millennia as a material for carving sculpture (mostly small-scale relief sculpture or various types of small statue) and other items of decorative art (such as carved ivory covers for illuminated...

Words: 1069 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Fraternity

...000 – Computer science, information, and general works • 000 Generalities • 001 Knowledge • 002 The book • 003 Systems • 004 Data processing and Computer science • 005 Computer programming, programs, data • 006 Special computer methods • 007 Not assigned or no longer used • 008 Not assigned or no longer used • 009 Not assigned or no longer used • 010 Bibliography • 011 Bibliographies • 012 Bibliographies of individuals • 013 Bibliographies of works by specific classes of authors • 014 Bibliographies of anonymous and pseudonymous works • 015 Bibliographies of works from specific places • 016 Bibliographies of works from specific subjects • 017 General subject catalogs • 018 Catalogs arranged by author & date • 019 Dictionary catalogs • 020 Library & information sciences • 021 Library relationships • 022 Administration of the physical plant • 023 Personnel administration • 024 Not assigned or no longer used • 025 Library operations • 026 Libraries for specific subjects • 027 General libraries • 028 Reading, use of other information media • 029 Not assigned or no longer used • 030 General encyclopedic works • 031 General encyclopedic works -- American • 032 General encyclopedic works in English • 033 General encyclopedic works in other Germanic languages • 034 General encyclopedic works in French, Provencal...

Words: 6903 - Pages: 28

Premium Essay

Great Ethiopians

...Hogarth Blake Presents: Wonderful Ethiopians Of The Ancient Cushite Empire By Drusilla Dunjee Houston First published in 1926 This e-book was edited by Hogarth Blake Ltd Download this book and many more for FREE at: hh-bb.com hogarthblake@gmail.com ‘Wonderful Ethiopians Of The Ancient Cushite Empire’ by Drusilla Dunjee Houston Reproduction & duplication of this work for FREE is permitted. Refer to the terms & conditions page for more details. Terms & Conditions Scanned at sacred-texts.com, October, 2004. John Bruno Hare, redactor. This text is in the public domain in the United States because it was not renewed at the US Copyright Office in a timely fashion as required by law at the time. These files may be used for any non-commercial purpose, provided this notice of attribution is left intact in all copies and subject to the sacred texts Terms of Service at http://www.sacred-texts.com/tos.htm Hogarth Blake presents this e-book FREE of charge; it may be used for whatever purpose you see fit. The only limitations are that you may not decompile, disassemble, reverse engineer, modify, create derivative works based upon, sell, publish, license or sub-license the work or any part of it without the express written consent of Hogarth Blake Ltd. The work is provided as is. Hogarth Blake Ltd. makes no guarantees or warranties as to the accuracy, adequacy or completeness of or results to be obtained from using the work via hyperlink or otherwise, and expressly...

Words: 74797 - Pages: 300

Free Essay

We Are Secular

...Europe, historical art as a discipline has grown considerably with numerous methodological inputs, whereas in India it is still in the process of development in its investigating mechanisms. As the study of art history has grown out of extensive documentations and excavations, one finds description of art objects as the prominent method of study. There are a few significant studies in the early twentieth century, where the concerns are addressed beyond mere description. Subsequently several generations of outstanding western and Indian scholars of Indian art history have studied the subject in great depth and the findings are a revelation of how glorious has been the Indian civilizational achievement through its art creations in the medium of architectural monuments, sculptures and paintings. We can claim a distinct Indian approach to the art of building edifices, sculpture making and the language of painting when compared with European art or the Far Eastern art. Therefore, Indian historical art studies have emerged as a prestigious academic discipline in the university level education. ART - ANCIENT &MEDIEVALTIMES Arts of the Indus Valley The arts of the Indus Valley Civilization emerged during the second half of the third millennium BCE in the Indian sub continent. The forms of art found from various sites of the civilisation include sculptures, seals, pottery, gold jewellery, terracotta figures, etc. The artists of that time surely had fine artistic sensibilities...

Words: 4416 - Pages: 18

Premium Essay

Wonderful Ethiopia

...Hogarth Blake Presents: Wonderful Ethiopians Of The Ancient Cushite Empire By Drusilla Dunjee Houston First published in 1926 This e-book was edited by Hogarth Blake Ltd Download this book and many more for FREE at: hh-bb.com hogarthblake@gmail.com ‘Wonderful Ethiopians Of The Ancient Cushite Empire’ by Drusilla Dunjee Houston Reproduction & duplication of this work for FREE is permitted. Refer to the terms & conditions page for more details. Terms & Conditions Scanned at sacred-texts.com, October, 2004. John Bruno Hare, redactor. This text is in the public domain in the United States because it was not renewed at the US Copyright Office in a timely fashion as required by law at the time. These files may be used for any non-commercial purpose, provided this notice of attribution is left intact in all copies and subject to the sacred texts Terms of Service at http://www.sacred-texts.com/tos.htm Hogarth Blake presents this e-book FREE of charge; it may be used for whatever purpose you see fit. The only limitations are that you may not decompile, disassemble, reverse engineer, modify, create derivative works based upon, sell, publish, license or sub-license the work or any part of it without the express written consent of Hogarth Blake Ltd. The work is provided as is. Hogarth Blake Ltd. makes no guarantees or warranties as to the accuracy, adequacy or completeness of or results to be obtained from using the work via hyperlink or otherwise, and expressly...

Words: 74797 - Pages: 300