Sculptures in Ancient Civilizations

Sculptures in Ancient Civilizations

• Ancient sculptures were significant developments in global perspective.

Egyptian Sculpture (c. 3000-500 BCE)

• It was primarily religious and focused on the afterlife.
• The sculptures were designed to house the souls of the dead
• Examples include the Sphinx, Ramses II, and the Death Mask of Tutankhamun.
• Sculptures used monumental scale, rigidity, and idealized forms.

Greek & Roman Sculpture (c. 800 BCE-500 CE)

• Classical Greece emphasized human beauty and proportions through naturalism.
• Notable sculptors include Phidias, Myron, and Polykleitos.
• They created lifelike statues of gods, athletes, and philosophers.
• An example is the Discobolus (Discus Thrower).
• Romans adopted Greek styles, focusing more on realism, especially in portraiture and public monuments.
• Examples include Augustus of Prima Porta and Trajan’s Column.

Indian Sculpture (2000 BCE-500 CE)

• In Hindu, Buddhism, and Jain traditions, sculptures portrayed gods, goddesses, and religious stories.
• Example: Great Stupa at Sanchi, Stone Sculptures of Buddha.
• Deeply spiritual and narrative-based, influencing Asian art.

European Medieval Sculpture (c. 5th-15th Century)

• Religious themes were dominant.
• Gothic Cathedrals had intricate sculptures depicting Biblical scenes, saints, and gargoyles.
• Sculptures were symbolic and less concerned with naturalism.
• Example: The Superb Cathedral of Cologne.

Byzantine Sculpture

• Had Stylized, flat aesthetics with religious icons.
• Involved ivory and mosaic work.
• Example: Ivory Pyxis.

Islamic Sculpture

• Had Limited figural representation.
• Sculpture took the form of geometric and floral motifs in architectural decorations.
• Commonly found in palaces and mosques.
• Example: Alhambra in Spain.

Renaissance Sculpture (14th-16th Century)

• A revival of Classical ideas occurred, especially in Italy.
• Notable sculptors include Michelangelo (David, Pieta) and Donatello (St. George, David).
• Realism, anatomical precision, and humanist themes were reintroduced.
• There was a shift toward the individual as a central figure in art.

Baroque Sculpture (17th Century)

• There was integration of dynamism, movement, and drama, reflecting the grandeur of the Counter-Reformation.
• Gian Lorenzo Bernini (Ecstasy of St. Teresa, Apollo and Daphne) infused emotion and complexity into works.

Neoclassical Sculpture (19th Century)

• Revival of Greco-Roman ideals.
• Antonio Canova (Psyche Revived by Cupid’s Kiss) created calm, balanced, and idealized works inspired by ancient sculpture.

Realism (19th Century)

• Realist Movement (mid-19th Century) sought to depict life truthfully.
• Focus was more on ordinary people rather than mythological or heroic figures.
• Auguste Rodin (The Thinker, The Kiss) embraced a more rugged, emotional realism.

Cubism (20th Century)

• Influenced by Pablo Picasso & Georges Braque.
• Deconstructed objects into geometric forms.

Surrealism

• Sought to explore the unconscious mind, creating abstract or dream-like forms.
• Seen in Giacometti’s elongated, ghostly figures.
• Example: Alberto Giacometti’s Toward the Ultimate.

Abstract Expressionism

• David Smith & Alexander Calder contributed work to this style.
• Boundaries were pushed with abstract, non-representational works.
• Calder is known for mobile sculptures, which introduced movement into sculptures.
• Example: David Smith’s Field Work.

Minimalism (Late 20th Century-Present)

• Donald Judd & Carl Andre contributed work to this style.
• Sculpture was reduced to its most basic forms and materials, stripping away emotion and narrative.
• Example: Donald Judd’s Laumeier Sculpture Park.

Pop Art

• Claes Oldenburg created playful, oversized sculptures of everyday objects, blending high and low culture.
• Example: Claes Oldenburg’s The Everyday Made Extraordinary.

Environmental and Sculpture and Land Art

• Richard Serra & Robert Smithson contributed work to this style.
• Monumental works were set within natural environments.
• Example: Smithson’s Spiral Jetty (1970) used Earth’s rocks to sculpt the landscape itself.

Installation Art

• Anish Kapoor, Louis Bourgeois, & Ai Weiwei contributed work to this style.
• Immersive, large-scale works interact with the environment and audience.

Contemporary Sculpture

• Has become more fluid, reflecting diverse cultural narratives.
• Yinka Shonibare explores post-colonial identity through the use of Dutch wax fabrics in his figures
  • Example: Suspended States - Serpentine Galleries
• El Anatsui from Ghana uses recycled materials, such as bottle caps, to create monumental sculptures, blurring the line between art and craft.
• Indian contemporary artists like Subodh Gupta utilize everyday objects, such as steel kitchen utensils, in monumental installations reflecting modern Indian life.

Technology in Sculpture

• Artists now use 3D printing, virtual reality, and interactive media to push the boundaries of the medium.

Development of Sculpture in the Philippines

• It is a rich and diverse journey shaped by indigenous traditions, colonial influences, and modernist movements.
• It reflects the complex socio-cultural history of the Philippines, from its pre-colonial roots to contemporary times.

Pre-colonial Period (Before 16th Century)

• Primarily for religious and practical purposes.
• Artworks were often animistic in nature and served as ritual objects or household items.
• Key materials used included wood, stone, and metals.
• Bulul: Wooden carved deities, believed to guard rice harvests
  • In the Northern Cordillera Region, it was made by the Ifugao people.
• Manunggul Jar: A burial jar found in Palawan with a carved boat on its lid, representing the soul's journey to the afterlife.
• Okir
  • In the southern Philippines, particularly among the Maranao and Tausug.
  • Floral and Geometric designs.
  • Used in wood and metal carvings for house posts, boats, and weapon handles.

Spanish Colonial Period (16th-19th Century)

• Heavily influenced by Christian Iconography.
• Spanish friars commissioned local artisans to create religious statues for churches and homes.
• Blend of Native craftsmanship and European style.
• Santos (Religious Icons).
  • The most prominent sculptures during this period.
  • Wooden images of saints, the Virgin Mary, and Jesus Christ.
  • Often elaborately carved and painted, sometimes decorated with gold leaf.
• Ivory Carvings
  • Influenced by both Spanish Catholicism and Chinese ivory artistry due to the Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade.

American Colonial Period (Early 20th Century)

• A shift in focus toward secular and public art occurred.

Nationalism in Sculpture

• Expressed nationalism.
• Filipino artists started adopting Western academic styles.
• Guillermo Tolentino, one of the foremost Filipino sculptors, emerged during this time.
  • Bonifacio Monument (1933): A tribute to the revolutionary leader Andres Bonifacio.
  • Oblation (1935): A symbol of academic freedom for the University of the Philippines.
• Marked the rise of Filipino identity in sculpture, blending realism and romanticism with themes of independence, history, and national pride.

Post-War & Modern Period (1940s-1970s)

• Rose of modernist movements.
• Artists began experimenting with abstract forms and a variety of new materials.
• Influenced by global trends while expressing local themes.
• Napoleon Abueva: The father of modern Philippine sculpture.
  • Pushed the boundaries of traditional sculpture by using new materials such as metal, hardwood, marble, and brass.
  • Works combined traditional Filipino subjects with modernist aesthetics.

Public and Monumental Sculptures (Contemporary Period)

• Created with large-scale public sculptures, including monuments and memorials.
• Often reflecting the country’s struggles and aspirations for independence and nation-building.
• Allegorical Harpoon.
• Nine Muses.
• The contemporary period is characterized by a diversity of styles and materials, ranging from traditional to conceptual art.

Contemporary Themes in Sculpture

• Sculptors often address contemporary social issues, such as poverty, political corruption, and environmental degradation, while continuing to explore personal, historical, and cultural themes.

Mixed Media in Sculpture

• Many contemporary sculptors experiment with a variety of media—including found objects, mixed materials, and even multimedia.
• Artists such as Imelda Cajipe-Endaya and BenCab (Benedicto Cabrera) contributed to the blending of sculpture with social commentary and installation art.

Public Art and Installations

• Reflect both historical events (like Eduardo Castrillo's People Power Monument) and contemporary issues.
• Contemporary artists such as Leeroy New have gained attention for creating highly imaginative and avant-garde installations that fuse sculpture with architecture, fashion, and design.

Architecture

• Architecture reflects a country's lifestyle, cultures, traditions, motives, and beliefs.

Mesopotamian Architecture

• Was characterized by ziggurats, large stepped pyramids that served as temples.
• Sumerians, Akkadians, Babylonians, and Assyrians built these structures, demonstrating the power of their gods.
• Ziggurats were built at successive levels with one hump leading from one platform to the next.
• Hanging Garden of Babylon.

Egyptian Architecture

• Dependence was on religion.
• Egyptians belived that "Ka"/"vital forces" live in every human being.
• To preserve the vital forces in the body, they built pyramids together with temples
• Designed to reflect the divine power of pharaohs and were heavily influenced by religious beliefs.
• Pyramids of Giza.
• Pyramids of Khufu.

Greek Architecture (600-100 B.C.)

• Was Famous for its development of the (3) architectural orders: Doric, Ionic and Corinthian
• A lot of Temples, theaters, and stoas are typical Greek architectural elements.
• Used relatively small rectangular plans of marble with a entablature and made the building from an architrave, cornice, and frieze,.
• Parthenon Temple.
• Arte