sculpture in the round

Examples of sculpture in the round in the following topics:

• Italian Sculpture in the Baroque Period

  • Baroque sculpture dominated Italy in the 1600s and was characterized by sculpture in the round.
  • Baroque sculpture is the sculpture associated with the Baroque cultural movement in 17th century Europe.
  • Baroque sculpture often had multiple ideal viewing angles and reflected a general continuation of the Renaissance's move away from relief to sculpture created in the round.
  • Artists saw themselves as working in the classical tradition and admired Hellenistic and later Roman sculpture.
  • Bernini was also given the commission for the Tomb of Pope Urban VIII in St Peters.

• Artifacts of Assyria

  • While reliefs comprise the majority of what archaeologists have found, existing sculptures in the round shed light on Assyrian numerical systems and politics.
  • Admired as sculptures in the round today, the weights represent one of only two systems of weights and measures in the region at the time.
  • This magnesite (magnesium carbonate) sculpture of Ashurnasirpal II (9th century BCE) serves as a rare example of sculpture in the round produced during the Assyrian Empire.
  • In Assyrian sculpture, lamassu figures bear similar beards and hairstyles to those of Ashurnasirpal II in the sculpture discussed above.
  • These monumental sculptures usually appeared in relief form in pairs at major entrances to cities, palaces, or fortresses.

• Sculpture in Southeast Asia

  • These influences played a considerable role in shaping the art and sculpture of Southeast Asia.
  • Most of the Southeast Asian sculpture of the period 300 - 600 CE was heavily influenced by the style of the Gupta Empire in India, which patronized Buddhist art in the Greco-Buddhist style.
  • In later periods, Chinese influence predominated in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, and more wooden sculpture survives from across the region.
  • This civilization left an impressive artistic legacy consisting primarily of sandstone sculptures, both in the round and in relief.
  • The Cham created freestanding sandstone sculptures in the round, as well as high and bas-relief carvings of sandstone.

• Sculpture in Mesopotamia

  • Sculptural forms include humans, animals, and cylinder seals with cuneiform writing and imagery in the round or as reliefs.
  • Like most sculptures produced during the time, the sculpture was originally painted in an attempt to make it look lifelike.
  • Among the best known are the Tell Asmar Hoard, a group of 12 sculptures in the round depicting worshipers, priests, and gods.
  • Babylonian culture somewhat preferred sculpture in the round to reliefs.
  • The Assyrians produced very little sculpture in the round with the exception of colossal guardian figures, usually lions and winged beasts, that flanked fortified royal gateways.

• Abstract Expressionist Sculpture

  • The sculptures of David Smith, for example, sought to express two-dimensional subjects that had never before been shown in three dimensions.
  • His work  blurred the distinctions between sculpture and painting, generally making use of delicate tracery rather than solid form, with a two-dimensional appearance that contradicted the traditional idea of sculpture in the round.
  • The lack of the mark of the artist's hand in these cases speak to the notion of exposing the true form of the sculptural object, a significant tenet of the Minimalist movement.
  • There were numerous artists working in sculpture who were associated with the Pop Art movement.
  • Common practices seen in Pop-Art sculptural work include the display of found art objects, representation of consumer goods, the placing of typical non-art objects within a gallery setting and the abstraction of familiar objects.

• Sculpture in the High Renaissance

  • Sculpture in the High Renaissance demonstrates the influence of classical antiquity and ideal naturalism.
  • The work is made of marble, it is life sized, and it is carved in the round.
  • While the Pieta is not based on classical antiquity in subject matter, the forms display the restrained beauty and ideal naturalism which was influenced by classical sculpture.
  • The work is nude, in emulation of Greek and Roman sculptures, and the David stands in a contrapposto pose.
  • The work was ultimately placed in the Palazzo Vecchio and remains the prime example of High Renaissance sculpture.

• Renaissance Sculpture in Florence

  • Renaissance sculpture originated in Florence in the 15th century and was deeply influenced by classical sculpture.
  • Departing from the International Gothic style that had previously dominated in Italy, and drawing from the styles of classical antiquity, Renaissance sculpture originated in Florence and was self-consciously influenced by ancient sculpture.
  • Conceived entirely in the round and independent of any architectural surroundings, it was the first known free-standing nude statue produced since antiquity and represented an allegory of civic virtues overcoming brutality and ignorance.
  • This sculpture represented a particularly important development in Renaissance sculpture; namely the production of sculpture independent of architecture unlike the preceding International Gothic style where sculpture rarely existed independent of architecture .
  • Public sculpture became a crucial element in the appearance of historic city centers, and portrait sculpture, particularly busts, became hugely popular in Florence following Donatello's innovations.

• Sculpture in the Greek Archaic Period

  • Carved in the round, often from marble, kouroi are thought to be associated with Apollo; many were found at his shrines and some even depict him.
  • His cheeks are round and his chin bulbous; however, his smile seems out of place.
  • These figures are scaled down in order to fit into the shrinking space provided in the pediment.
  • His hair remains stylized with round, geometric curls and textured patterns.
  • Compare and contrast the kouroi and korai sculptures of the Archaic period, and recognize the increasing naturalism seen in both free-standing and pedimental sculptures of the Archaic period.

• Etruscan Sculpture

  • Instead, many surviving examples of Etruscan sculpture are in terra cotta, or earthenware clay that has been fired in a kiln.
  • While the Etruscan artist applied an Archaic smile to Apulu, the figure's lips are full and his head is more egg-shaped than round -- both characteristics of Etruscan art and sculpture.
  • Besides this sculpture, Vulca is credited by Roman historians with the creation of the cult statue for the Temple of Jupiter Optiumus Maximus, the most important temple in Rome.
  • The use of gesture is seen throughout Etruscan art, both in sculpture and painting.
  • First, their faces are the same and in fact were most likely created from the same mold, a technique common in Etruscan terra cotta sculpture.

• Aegina

  • The temple of Aphaia on the island of Aegina is an example of Archaic Greek temple design as well as of the shift in sculptural style between the Archaic and Classical periods.
  • In the case of both pediments, all figures are full-sized and carved completely in the round rather than in relief.
  • The dying warrior on the west pediment was created in 490 BCE and is a prime example of Archaic sculpture .
  • His hair is stylized with round, geometric curls and textured patterns.
  • Compare and contrast the west and east pediments of the temple of Aphaia, representing the key differences between Archaic and Classical sculpture in Aegina.