Art and architecture are often used to convey power and authority of the historical time periods they represent. The Ancient Egyptians were a great example; their complex pyramids and monumental statues evidenced a desire to use art as propaganda to affirm the ruler’s power and status. The depiction of power through art continued in the Classical period of the Greeks. Greek sculptors and other artists were fixated on creating images and statues that focused on the ideal aspects of the human body. By studying human beings and selecting human attributes that were considered the most desirable, sculptors were able to combine them into a single ideal and powerful illustration of physical perfection. The death of Alexander the Great marked the end of the Classical period and the beginning of a new period- the Hellenistic period. The Hellenistic Age transformed Greek society from secluded city-states to an exuberant culture that permeated throughout Greece and across the Mediterranean. The lively culture of the period transformed the art and architecture of the era. Sculptors moved beyond Classical norms and instead of previous idealized depictions of traditional subjects, they shifted their focus onto realistic ones..
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Depictions of man, gods, and heroes revolved around themes of daily life and emotional states. Despite the humble themes and lifelike portrayals of human beings, Hellenistic artworks were still able to display power and authority through the strong emotions they evoked. The bronze statue of the Seated Boxer and the Portrait Statue of Aule Meteli (Arringatore) both display a great sense of power by capturing a sense of realism and evoking emotions upon the viewer.
The Seated Boxer and the Portrait Statue of Aule Meteli both made use of the medium of bronze, allowing way for realistic expressions of the human figure and engagement of the viewers’ attention and emotions. Bronze, a cast from alloys of copper, tin, lead, and other elements, has a lower melting point than pure copper. It’s liquidity allows artists more time to implement fine details while setting in a mold, yet bronze still has the ability to produce a casting with superior tensile strength. The Seated Boxer, a bronze and copper statue, depicts a naked man seated, clothed in nothing but boxing gloves, and resting from a particularly hard match. The statue portrays a brutal sense of realism; it is evident the man has received many violent blows from a recent fight. The details on his face, from his well-groomed beard to the realistic scars and bruises, is designed to arouse empathy in the viewers. The artist’s use of the techniques, such as lost wax casting and inlays of copper, produces a very realistic figurine, a sporting hero that viewers can relate to in the modern day, one glorified both for his endurance and courage. Copper inlays define and line the cuts of his skin, functioning as a red contrast against the bronze as if he is bleeding. The boxer’s broken nose, scarred lips, swollen right eye and ears cause the viewers to feel his exhaustion and fatigue (Getty Center, label for Seated Boxer, Power and Pathos Exhibit, Los Angeles, October 18, 2015). In contrast, the pathos conveyed by the lifelike Portrait Statue of Aule Meteli (Arringatore) is not one of sympathy, rather one of awe and wonderment. The statue first captures
Depictions of man, gods, and heroes revolved around themes of daily life and emotional states. Despite the humble themes and lifelike portrayals of human beings, Hellenistic artworks were still able to display power and authority through the strong emotions they evoked. The bronze statue of the Seated Boxer and the Portrait Statue of Aule Meteli (Arringatore) both display a great sense of power by capturing a sense of realism and evoking emotions upon the viewer.
The Seated Boxer and the Portrait Statue of Aule Meteli both made use of the medium of bronze, allowing way for realistic expressions of the human figure and engagement of the viewers’ attention and emotions. Bronze, a cast from alloys of copper, tin, lead, and other elements, has a lower melting point than pure copper. It’s liquidity allows artists more time to implement fine details while setting in a mold, yet bronze still has the ability to produce a casting with superior tensile strength. The Seated Boxer, a bronze and copper statue, depicts a naked man seated, clothed in nothing but boxing gloves, and resting from a particularly hard match. The statue portrays a brutal sense of realism; it is evident the man has received many violent blows from a recent fight. The details on his face, from his well-groomed beard to the realistic scars and bruises, is designed to arouse empathy in the viewers. The artist’s use of the techniques, such as lost wax casting and inlays of copper, produces a very realistic figurine, a sporting hero that viewers can relate to in the modern day, one glorified both for his endurance and courage. Copper inlays define and line the cuts of his skin, functioning as a red contrast against the bronze as if he is bleeding. The boxer’s broken nose, scarred lips, swollen right eye and ears cause the viewers to feel his exhaustion and fatigue (Getty Center, label for Seated Boxer, Power and Pathos Exhibit, Los Angeles, October 18, 2015). In contrast, the pathos conveyed by the lifelike Portrait Statue of Aule Meteli (Arringatore) is not one of sympathy, rather one of awe and wonderment. The statue first captures