Contrapposto

“His brow is furrowed; the tendons in his neck are taut, as are the muscles in his nose and lips; and his eyes are focused on something in the distance. Despite this mental concentration, he stands in a relaxed contrapposto position, with his sling casually thrown over his left shoulder. This combination of intense expression and calm pose is intended to capture the short period between the decision to fight and the fight itself” (Collins 1). Michelangelo represents…

however, portrayed a non-traditional David and created a sculpture that depicts David before the battle. David is tense: Michelangelo catches him at the apex of his concentration. He stands relaxed, but alert, resting on a classical pose known as contrapposto. The figure stands with one leg holding its full weight and the other leg forward, causing the figure’s hips and shoulders to rest at opposing angles, giving a slight s-curve to the…

In both Jael and Sisera and Judith Beheading Holofernes, the women appear in dominant positions over the men. However, the two women are presented very differently in the works. Both illustrate very similar Old Testament stories which involve some moral ambiguity surrounding the actions of the heroines. They offer commentary on the dubious nature of the murders in differing manners through their representations of the women, violence, bloodshed, and their settings. The engraving of Judith…

Greek sculpture. David is usually depicted as just having defeated the giant Goliath, but Michelangelo shows a more pensive portrayal as David looks on at the battle, with no heroic aspects, just the typical appreciation for the young male in the contrapposto pose, a largely classical trait. One of the influences Michelangelo displayed was form Donatello’s {1386-1466} bronze statue of David {1440-1443} {Fig,10}, It would have been part of his studies when he lived with the Medici family. The…

The Lansdowne private collection consists of over 100 classical art pieces and was accumulated in the late eighteenth century. The two freestanding Greco-Roman sculptures I chose to compare and contrast from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art are the Bateman Mercury from 4th century BCE Rome and the Lansdowne Artemis from 1st Century BCE Rome. As soon as I walked into the exhibition hall, these two artworks stood out to me out of the four selections because of the proportion, anatomy, pose,…

Throughout the history of art, the human body has intrigued artist to create pieces that captivate audiences from all over the world. The human body is still till this day used as a muse to create art, especially the body of a women though controversial. In today’s society it is rarely viewed to use the naked body as a piece of art, some know how to create art but others seek only attention. During the beginning of the sixteenth century was when Michelangelo created art in a format that was…

In 2004, the Cleveland Museum of Art purchased Apollo the Python-Slayer (figure one) which they believe to be the only surviving piece from the Greek sculptor Praxiteles. After the purchase, questions arose regarding the authenticity of the museum’s claims as well as the murky history of how this piece was procured and how it was found in Germany in the 1980’s. Scholars agree that Apollo is ancient, but are irresolute of the label the sculpture should don. Two arguments sprung from the display…

Megan Garey Art-105 Dr. Exline 25, November 2014 Michelangelo: His Life and Major Works Michelangelo Buonarotti, better known by simply his first name, was a sculptor, painter, architect and poet of the High Renaissance. He was born in Caprese, Italy in 1475, and from a very young age Michelangelo was gifted in the arts. Michelangelo grew up in Florence, Italy, where his father worked for the government. Florence is considered the heart of the Italian Renaissance and it was here that…