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Jason Byrd
Art 102 Art History
Janetta Rebold Benton, Ph. D.
December 3, 2015
Term Paper
My first piece I have chosen to research is a Marble statue of Aphrodite that dates
back to the 2nd century B.C. in the Hellenistic Period in Greek Culture. It is made of
marble, and is classified as a Stone Sculpture with dimensions of: H. 32", W. 9 1/2",
D. 6 . On view in Gallery 164 with an Accession Number of 2006.509
The goddess of love stands in an exaggerated hipshot pose. She wears a thin
chiton girded just below the breasts, and her cloak, which must have been draped
over the missing left arm, falls in thick folds between her legs. This figure is one of
the many variants created in the Hellenistic period of a statue type known as the
Tiepolo Aphrodite. A major over-life-sized version and numerous statuettes have
been found in Athens; many examples also come from the island of Rhodes.
Aphrodite is the goddess of love, beauty, sex appeal, and fertility. She
can charm everyone, even the gods. She was called the laughter loving goddess
because she would laugh sweetly or mockingly at those her charms had conquered. Her
charms are so powerful that she can turn even wise men to talking foolishly. She is
dressed in the typical chiton of the time but it still shows off certain body features, It is
made of marble and is carved the same way marble had been carved at that time. This
sculpture was created to be over-life-sized at the time of Aphrodite.

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The Hellenistic rulers were determined for political reasons to spread traditional
Greek culture. A style as confident and powerful as that of Classical sculpture is likely to
have had its own momentum, and the Hellenistic styles can he explained as proceeding
from the Classical tradition by evolution or reaction. The best Hellenistic sculptors were
more accomplished than their Classical sculptors before them and added a great amount
to the knowledge they learned. They improved our understanding of anatomy, both in the
detailed configuration of the surface of the body and also in its response to tension and
relaxation, but this understanding was used selectively according to the subject and
character of the work. The Female Figure was dressed in a chiton and it was still popular
in late Hellenistic statuary. Hellenistic sculptors made no change in the technique of
carving marble, except for the new procedure for working from a model, which may in
the first century have been used for some original works as well as for copies. At its best,
the standard of finish was still equal to that of Classical work, though the marks of the
running drill often show more.
When comparing this piece to the typical characteristics of Hellenistic Sculpture,
it is a very typical work for the art period. With its continued depiction of Aphrodite,
especially in her classic Chiton, There were no huge innovations of how to carve the
marble. This piece depicts the true beauty of the time period. Even decapitated due to
age, you can still sense the sensuality just oozing from the piece, it is in ever fold of her
dress. Even though it is made of tough marble, it appears to be soft to the skin. As if I
were to stick my finger into her stomach it would be soft and not hard like it truly is.

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The second piece I have chosen is the Virgin and Child that dates back to
1350AD that was made in Champagne, France. This piece is considered to be a
sculpture and is made of marble with gilding. The Dimensions are : Overall: 34 5/8 x
10 3/4 x 5 7/8 in., 78lb. (87.9 x 27.3 x 14.9 cm, 35380.6g). It is on view in Gallery
008 with an Accession number of 28.76
The Virgin is shown with a crown and scepter as the Queen of Heaven. Her
scepter, depicted as a rose branch, alludes to the homily of the Virgin as the rose
without thorns or as the rose of Jericho that sprang up at the resting places of the
Holy Family during the Flight into Egypt. The dove held by the Christ Child
represents peace, purity and the Holy Spirit. This work, with its elegant proportions
and horizontal, looping drapery folds, is related in style to a large sculpture of the
Virgin and Child given to the abbey of St.-Denis in 1340 by Jeanne d'Evreux, the
widowed queen of Charles IV.
Gothic is a relative, not an absolute term. It is a flavor that can be either hardly
detectable, or, in extreme cases, overwhelming. What began to produce the flavor was
another outburst of that spirit of visual curiosity. Gothic developed in the direction of
complexity and preciousness, and combined the grotesque with the elegant. It is this
mixture that gives it its true flavor, and, for that reason it can be summed up in no single
statue or painting. In the 14th century, Gothic sculpture became more refined and elegant
and acquired but didnt lose the base of what came before it. The elegant and somewhat
artificial prettiness of this style was made it so widely popular throughout Europe in
sculpture, painting, and manuscript illumination during the 14th century and it became
known as the International Gothic style. Gothic sculpture evolved into the more

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technically advanced and classicistic Renaissance style in Italy during the 14th and early
15th centuries but persisted until somewhat later in northern Europe.
When comparing this Madonna and Child to the typical gothic sculpture at this
time, it is more atypical of that time. I would say this sculpture has more elements of
elegance than that gothic balance of grotesqueness mixed with elegance that weve grown
to love. I love this piece because it depicts such a beautiful loving relationship between
Mary and her son Jesus. The biblical symbolism in the piece is however extremely typical
of the time. Because most gothic sculpture was made for the churches, it is evident where
the inspiration for this piece came from.
When comparing Aphrodite from the Hellenistic Period of Greek Sculpture to this
Beautiful Virgin and Child from the Gothic Sculpture, it is very interesting to trace the
progression of where sculpture has been refined through the years. At first glance, you
can see that the principles, the ideas, were there at the base level. The gothic era really
just built on top of those ideas, enhancing them and refining them to evoke emotion and
such. The folding and creases of both Aphrodite and Marys Chiton is very similar. It just
appears a little more upscale in the Virgin Marys chiton. I adore that the Gothic Era
begins to depict relationships. It is evident this is a loving relationship between Mary and
Jesus. They are both standing in a Contrapposto pose, Mary is using the hip that is jetting
out to help hold Jesus, a very casual way to hold a child. The Aphrodite Sculpture gives
off a much more sensual energy to the piece. Even without a head it is obvious Aphrodite
has sex appeal. That is not the same with Mary and Jesus, it depicts Mary as Beautiful
and Graceful. I love the attention with the curls in her hair. I also admire that the child is

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sculpted as a child and not as a mini adult that had been very common before this time. It
is a very accurate depiction of what Mary would look like tending and taking care of
Jesus. I love the beautiful symbolism with the Rose Crown on her head depicting her
Virgin non-sinful life is a Rose without its thorns. It miraculously captures so much in
such a casual everyday pose, which is something I admire about it so much. The gothic
era shows Marys feet in their sculpture as where the Hellenistic period covered their feet
under their dresses. Both of these pieces were made from Marble, and were constructed
very similarly. There wasnt much of an innovation on how the sculptures were made,
just refining those talents to create such a beautiful piece. Both artists however take this
hard material and make it look beautifully plush and soft. Neither sculpture hides the
natural Curves of a woman, they are depicting woman as realistic as possible. Although it
is impossible to compare facial expressions due to the lose of Aphrodites head, but you
can tell how content and happy Mary is in the piece. I love that emotion is now being
displayed on the sculptures that are being created. I think it was such an important step to
begin giving our sculptures that much more depth, tone, and feeling to the piece. The
Gothic piece is just emphasized and more dramatic than Aphrodite and it speaks to the
culture and the society at that time. It is evident when you look at Mary and Jesus it is
from the Gothic Era because of its crisp, and specific beauty, where as the Aphrodite is a
more relaxed sensual wonder. I think with the same token, it shows how universal art is
too. These pieces were created far from each other, but they are similar. We are constantly
improving our craft but we dont just ditch old principles. These pieces have way more in
common than I imagined when I first chose them. This is the perfect example of how our
art grows and evolves just as we as humans do as well.

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