Roman and Greek sculptures were known for their naturalistic and elegant appeal. These ancient artists were able to convey context by subtle details within different elements. A Greco-Roman called Demosthenes, located in the Blanton Museum, is a plaster cast from a Roman marble copy originally made by Polyeuktos around 280 BCE. Without prior knowledge to who Demosthenes is, one can recognize his status by the sculpture itself. Judging by the artist's techniques, the statute represented someone of knowledge and power, meant to be place in a stretched corridor. Once in the presence of the sculpture, there are two focal points in Demosthenes that draw the viewer's eyes. The first one being the scroll in its hands and the other as the figure's
…show more content…
Instead of a blank face, Demosthenes has a judgmental grimace carved onto his features. When the viewer glances up at the figure and meets his scowl, a sense of inferiority can be felt. The figure's mouth is downwards; his eye brows are furrowed together as if he's in deep thought. Every detail on his face works perfectly for not only his context, but to distinguish him from other sculptures. His bleak expression envelopes the qualities of ruthless order and dominance. While his stance is not too exaggerated he's quite taller than an average human, around 8ft tall. The figure manages to retain its humanity from the artist's ability to convey reality even with a slightly askew height. If the artist had sculpted him unrealistically grand, it would of strayed away from the naturalistic effect. The naturalistic appeal is critical for this work because it brings back the sense of the statue watching the viewer, and to embody Demosthenes' spirit. There's a variation of line work in this sculpture from fine lines to deep crevices. Demosthenes expression and muscle features are emphasized with deeper lines to extend the shadows underneath those traits. These details cause the viewer to focus on the characteristics that portray Demosthenes authority and
Instead of a blank face, Demosthenes has a judgmental grimace carved onto his features. When the viewer glances up at the figure and meets his scowl, a sense of inferiority can be felt. The figure's mouth is downwards; his eye brows are furrowed together as if he's in deep thought. Every detail on his face works perfectly for not only his context, but to distinguish him from other sculptures. His bleak expression envelopes the qualities of ruthless order and dominance. While his stance is not too exaggerated he's quite taller than an average human, around 8ft tall. The figure manages to retain its humanity from the artist's ability to convey reality even with a slightly askew height. If the artist had sculpted him unrealistically grand, it would of strayed away from the naturalistic effect. The naturalistic appeal is critical for this work because it brings back the sense of the statue watching the viewer, and to embody Demosthenes' spirit. There's a variation of line work in this sculpture from fine lines to deep crevices. Demosthenes expression and muscle features are emphasized with deeper lines to extend the shadows underneath those traits. These details cause the viewer to focus on the characteristics that portray Demosthenes authority and