Contrast and Comparison of Egyptian and Greek Scultures
The fundamental goal of art is to convey meaning and express important ideas, revealing what is significant to every society. Art is as varied as the life from which it springs and each artist portrays different aspects of the world they know. It may be said that artists do their work to discover truth and create order. The ancient artists made discoveries about the wonders and beauty of nature and the dignity and nobility of man. They gave these concepts an order to help us understand life in a greater depth. In understanding the history and style of any period of art, we have to understand the balance between social and political development of that particular era. Within each period development of style is affected by a response to particular philosophies, social and economic conditions, political and spiritual influence. Yet when observed closely, you can find many common threads within each period.The contributions of the Ancient Greeks as influenced by the Egyptians are perhaps the most influential in art history. I would like to compare some of the aspects of this time. The historical perspectives were different. The Egyptians was death and afterlife. The Greeks were Humanism and Idealism and later Realism.
Other differences can be seen in the eyes. The Greek statue's eyes were huge with a direct stare, yet Egyptians portrayed their statues with a faraway gaze. In comparing and contrasting the Greek statue style to the Egyptian, it can be noted that the early Greek Archaic statues appear rigid, stylized and less natural. An example would be depictions of women. Greek Example of Kore, "Berlin Goddess," Kore from Keratea: ca. 570-560 B.C. The Egyptian figures were geometric and monumental. They were large ominous and stiff. Egyptians used Fractional representation - showing all body parts. Standing Man; early Fourth Dynasty; Painted quartzite: and another Egyptian Example King Menkaure (Mycerinus) and his Queen, Kha-mere-nebty II: ca. 2548-2530 B.C. [Dynasty IV] with emotion. It is meant to be a sign of vitality. There are two general terms given to the statues of Greece during the Archaic Period. The female statues are referred to as Kore, which means maiden, and the male statues are Kouros, meaning youth. It is unknown why the females are created clothed yet the males nude. Both Greek and Egyptian statues share the same stance where one foot is in front of the other. The body is stiff and frontal, facing ahead with no twist in the body; the fists are clenched at the sides. The form was considered traditional. Both the Greeks and Egyptians were big on tradition. According to some researchers, a pair of parted human lower legs was the hieroglyph for walking. The Egyptian stance was to be understood as a symbol. However the Greeks interpreted the stance as a man standing at rest. They continued their skill in showing the hu
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, BC Kouros, Greeks Egyptians, Period Realism, IV Egyptian, BC Greek, Archaic Period, War Greeks, Greek Egyptian, Athena Laocoon, female statues, smile archaic smile, archaic period, development style, art history, realistic statues, archaic smile, egyptian statues, human form, human body, hellenistic period,
Approximate Word count = 1103
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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