I went to Dr. Ramos after class on Friday and told him that we were studying the Parthenon, and he reminded me of the particular word used to describe what Athena's statue was made out of. We know it is constructed of gold and ivory, but more specifically, it is a "chryselephantine" sculpture. Chryselephantine is a Greek word that literally means "gold" (
chrysos) and "ivory" (
elephantinos). This expensive material displayed the wealth, achievements, and architectural skills of those who assembled these grand works of art.
Over spring break last year, I went to Nashville to visit colleges, and I was surprised to see a full-scale replica of the original Parthenon in Athens. I was taken aback by how massive the structure was, especially Athena's statue. Included are some pictures from the trip. You can make out the structures and characteristics of the Doric order from pg. 33 of Arts & Ideas.
 |
| doric columns |
 |
| west pediment: depicts Athena's triumph over Poseidon |
 |
| east pediment: recounts the story of Athena's birth |
2 comments:
I love learning about Greco-Roman art and sculptures. The buildings in themselves are works of art! The various statues found inside their walls and (especially) on their outer facade are so impressive. The time that goes into just the actual building of the structures such as the parthenon, for example, is crazy! Then on top of building it, the sculptures that need to be attached on the outside, and the various shrine-like sculptures on the inside. The centerpiece sculptures, if you will, are perhaps the most impressive. These huge, ornate works of art still shock me in how they were created without the luxuries of modern-day technology.
I really like how much architecture is involved in the idea of actual Greek art. We definitely think of architecture as an elaborate design process today but during these artistic periods that we are learning about, actual art pieces such as sculpture are built into the architecture. For example, the friezes along each building are such intricate works of art in themselves. The scenes that are portrayed in these are extremely detailed. This intimate combination of architecture and art personally intrigues me. It lead me to look up more modern day combinations which I have linked below.
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/207236020329385182/
http://www.hunkdesign.com/archbook1/portfoliobook.php
http://the-finest-emirates.com/saadiyat-cultural-district-abu-dhabi-culture-architecture-new-dimension/
Post a Comment