Art Essay

The body has been used as a sign or symbol in art for centuries. The body was used to symbolize perfection in ancient Greece, and in Egypt, to give a precise image for the God of the After-life. Not to mention their colossal monuments which promote power and glory, and are used to intimidate. However contemporary artists use the body as a symbol which conveys a whole range of different kinds of layered meaning, although the simple symbol of power has not been lost over the centuries.
Ancient Greek sculptures of the body are a medium between man and the gods, they are an ideal of physical perfection. The female figure of c.650-625 B.C. (fig. 123) and a nude male youth of c.600 B.C. (fig. ...

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the victor in an athletic competition.The strange lack of differentiation seems to be part of the character of these figures. They are neither gods nor men, but rather somewhere in between, a symbol of physical perfection, an ideal shared by not only humans but also immortals, the gods.
Moreover, statues of the body in Ancient Greek art were also used to capture the image of the gods themselves. Nine of Samothrace (fig. 181)has a dramatic impact on the viewer. It is the image of the goddess descending upon the prow of a ship. The beauty of the shapes that the body creates, glorifies and beautifies the goddess. It is a symbol of the power and immortality of the gods and the sole purpose of the artist is to convey this beauty and power to the people of Ancient Greece.
Ancient Egypt is also another place in which the body was used as a symbol or sign. Colossal monuments such as The Great Temple of Ramesses II at Abu Simbel was a symbol of great power and wealth, as only pharaohs were ...

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PAPER DETAILS

Added: 6/6/2008 05:21:41 AM
Category: American History
Type: Premium Paper
Words: 972
Pages: 4

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