Lansdowne Bust Of Athena Essay
“Lansdowne Bust of Athena of Velletri, 2nd century A.D. Roman copy after a Greek original” Successful sculptural forms are created through careful attention to common artistic elements and techniques. In order to discover an artist’s intentions while looking at a sculptural piece, it is vital to note the artist’s visual cues. Such visual cues may include form, shape, texture, material, lighting, space, and dynamism. In addition, classical sculpture is commonly comprised of well-balanced idealized forms, with a sense of naturalistic beauty and elegance in mind. Great sculpture also must convey a strong sense of gracefulness and stability. The Lansdowne Bust of Athena of Velletri very successfully exhibits artistic qualities and sculptural
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Each cavity, crease, wrinkle, curve, bump and ridge promotes strong lighting. Features such as the chiseled-out areas created for the eyes, lips and wrinkles in the clothing all capture great opportunities for shade and shadow. The arrangement of each portion, when held next to a strong light source, behaves in a very dynamic gradation system. Because the piece is indeed an off-white hue, the use of material is even more appropriate because the marble’s smoothness makes for a very gradual transition of lighting over rounded areas such as the neck or helmet. The whiteness of the marble, when interacting with a light source, suddenly becomes a medium for dynamic and expressive shapes. Deep cavities and chiseled areas as well as other areas give the piece a certain degree of intensity and dramatic tone.
Additionally, the manner in which the piece is arranged gives way to a strong sense of dynamism and liveliness. Athena is portrayed as standing upright with her neck slightly upward and angled to her left. This gesture, though subtle, dramatically strengthens the piece for it attributes a life-like quality about Athena and fools the viewer to believe that she is a living entity. Perhaps the strongest component to the composition is Athena’s helmet. As it rests atop Athena’s head, it acts as a center piece and further strengthens the depth of the piece, both emotionally and
Each cavity, crease, wrinkle, curve, bump and ridge promotes strong lighting. Features such as the chiseled-out areas created for the eyes, lips and wrinkles in the clothing all capture great opportunities for shade and shadow. The arrangement of each portion, when held next to a strong light source, behaves in a very dynamic gradation system. Because the piece is indeed an off-white hue, the use of material is even more appropriate because the marble’s smoothness makes for a very gradual transition of lighting over rounded areas such as the neck or helmet. The whiteness of the marble, when interacting with a light source, suddenly becomes a medium for dynamic and expressive shapes. Deep cavities and chiseled areas as well as other areas give the piece a certain degree of intensity and dramatic tone.
Additionally, the manner in which the piece is arranged gives way to a strong sense of dynamism and liveliness. Athena is portrayed as standing upright with her neck slightly upward and angled to her left. This gesture, though subtle, dramatically strengthens the piece for it attributes a life-like quality about Athena and fools the viewer to believe that she is a living entity. Perhaps the strongest component to the composition is Athena’s helmet. As it rests atop Athena’s head, it acts as a center piece and further strengthens the depth of the piece, both emotionally and