The History of Western Sculpture: A Young Person's Guide (History of Western Art) Book

One of a series which presents a complete tour of the world of art for the young reader, this volume concentrates on global sculpture. The book describes the origin of free-standing marble sculpture in Greece during the beginning of the Olympic Games in 776 B.C. which was later followed by the engravings, bas relief and friezes on temples. (The frieze of the Parthenon is the greatest piece of sculpture that survives from the Classical age.) The author reflects that although the Romans collected, copied and admired Greek art they also created sculpture to suit their own needs. They depicted emperors, dignitaries, magistrates, senators in sculptural form. These were an exact likeliness of people, they were realistic whereas the Greek portaits are idealized. It was the Romans who turned buildings such as arches and columns into commemorative art. During the centuries before Christ bronze was used for making sculptures as it survived all weathers. The Celts who survived the force of the Roman Empire created intricate and decorative patterns and gradually changed to include Christian images. By the middle of the 11th-Century romanesque sculpture had developed, so called because it looked like ancient Roman sculpture. Later architect, mason and sculptor were all closely linked in the creation of churches and abbeys. In the 13th-Century sculptures seemed to be less rigid, this relaxed style is called Gothic which incorporated the natural world in the architectural sculpture. Gothic and ancient Roman art fused to form a constantly changing style in the Renaissance with the work of Ghiberti and Donatello. In northern Europe in the 15th century wood was used for sculptural depictions. The late 15th-Century saw sculpture flourish at the hands of Michelangelo, Cellini, Bologna and Bernini. By the middle of the 18th-century it was thought that the best way forward was through science and rational thought which gave rise to Neoclassicism in sculpture. This was followed in France by Romanticism which tried to express people's inner emotions. Sculpture no longer had to be a scene from the past, the Bible or mythology. This book moves through the era of Impressionism and its influence on Rodin, Claudel, Maillol and the development of Futurism and abstraction with the work of Brancusi. Sculpture then moved away from carving to the addition of material such as clay with Picasso, Calder and Duchamp, the evolvement of constructivism and vast projects such as the Statue of Liberty. Finally the author introduces the work of Elizabeth Frink, Henry Moore, Alberto Giacometti and Carl Andre of the "Pile of Bricks" fame in the Tate Gallery.Read More