Early Civilizations and the Human Figure The art and architecture of earth’s earliest civilizations give modern historians detailed insight into the rituals and practices of their everyday lives. In particular, painted and sculptural depictions of the human figure can provide in-depth explanations to the religious beliefs, political structures, and cultural values of these early peoples. The civilizations located in the Middle East, Egypt, and Greece each created distinct representations of the human form, with similar themes and styles connecting the cultures. Throughout these early societies, representations of the human form all include idealistic depictions of powerful figures. However, while the Greeks grew to focus on the ideal human
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Especially frequent in Old Kingdom and Classical art, statuary and paintings depicted humans in their “ideal” form. Egyptian statues, such as Mycerinus and Queen Khamerernebty illustrate the stylistic preferences of the time, as leaders preferred to be depicted as “eternal, tranquil, immovable, and god-like” (Morse, 8/29/16). The Greeks were similarly obsessed with the “perfect human figure.” Their early statuary – such has the Kouroi – have clear Egyptian influences when it comes to posture and rigidity, and shows a similar interest in the depiction of the ideal human form. Even as Greek statuary and paintings began to include more naturalistic themes (as depicted by the statue Kritos Boy,) there is still a clear emphasis on what these early civilizations perceived as the “ideal body” (Greek Sculpture).
Though the early civilizations in the Middle East, Egypt, and Greek all share similar characteristics in their representations of the human form in paintings and sculptures, there are several key differences. While in the early cultures of Mesopotamia and Egypt humanlike figurines and paintings were mainly influenced by their religious calling, in Greece, representations of humans were more focused on depicting the ideal male …show more content…
Even when paintings and sculptures depicted divinity, it is the attention to anatomic detail that define Grecian artwork. The Greeks, unlike other early societies, created representations of the human form to do just that – represent the perfect (usually male) physique (Ancient Greek Representations of the Human
Especially frequent in Old Kingdom and Classical art, statuary and paintings depicted humans in their “ideal” form. Egyptian statues, such as Mycerinus and Queen Khamerernebty illustrate the stylistic preferences of the time, as leaders preferred to be depicted as “eternal, tranquil, immovable, and god-like” (Morse, 8/29/16). The Greeks were similarly obsessed with the “perfect human figure.” Their early statuary – such has the Kouroi – have clear Egyptian influences when it comes to posture and rigidity, and shows a similar interest in the depiction of the ideal human form. Even as Greek statuary and paintings began to include more naturalistic themes (as depicted by the statue Kritos Boy,) there is still a clear emphasis on what these early civilizations perceived as the “ideal body” (Greek Sculpture).
Though the early civilizations in the Middle East, Egypt, and Greek all share similar characteristics in their representations of the human form in paintings and sculptures, there are several key differences. While in the early cultures of Mesopotamia and Egypt humanlike figurines and paintings were mainly influenced by their religious calling, in Greece, representations of humans were more focused on depicting the ideal male …show more content…
Even when paintings and sculptures depicted divinity, it is the attention to anatomic detail that define Grecian artwork. The Greeks, unlike other early societies, created representations of the human form to do just that – represent the perfect (usually male) physique (Ancient Greek Representations of the Human