Tag: Humanism in Greek and Roman Art

MD: Humanism

Humanism emphasizes an importance to human culture, our values, problems and needs rather than supernatural entities.  This was a philosophical breakthrough, because humans were the now center of attention, rather than God and Goddesses.  These supernatural beings were actually brought down to human actions, emotions and ideals, which is seen through the variety of Greek artwork.  Gods were able to have human like attributes. Additionally, Humanism focuses around the idea of thinking critically in terms of empiricism, the idea that human knowledge and thought derive from sensory experience.  The environment and interactions with sensory stimuli dictates what you think.

The Kouros figure was made to emulate a human. It stands on its own two feet, a human attainable action.  Even the other sculptures resembling body-builder highly muscular body types, resemble humanistic qualities.   The sculpture may have emulated this male physique because of their participation in the military, and  their love of sports  as well.  The artist  chose to show that they are physically fit, and “God like”, yet have human values and passions.  Additionally, nudity was a major factor in Greek humanism. They embraced nudity, which was a sign of Greek culture, showing that they are all equal, and allowing the focus to be on the individual rather than their status in society, unlike in Egyptian art.  In Egyptian art, the figures were boxed in creating a sense of separation and distance between humans and gods.  Additionally, they were clothed indicating their hierarchy, as nude figures were looked down upon in society.

Humanism

Humanism is the focus on the individual person, or concept of humanity, instead of the spiritual, divine and supernatural.  Humanism is very focused on material reality and dismisses concepts that separate themselves too much from human praise.  This praise of the human identity is expressed through the realism in humanist art.

The Seated Boxer for example is an extremely detailed work of art.  Time was taken to work on the posture, muscularity and hair.  Instead of simply showing a man sitting upright, he is shown with the top of his spine bringing his upper torso forward and his right legs are asymmetrical in placement.  This seems like a snapshot in time because of the way his head is placed.  It seems as if something has caught his attention to his right.  One can read this from the statue not only because of the way his head has been moved but also because of his facial expression.  All of these details serve to worship the beauty in the realism of humanity.

In the King Menkaure (Mycerinus) and Queen statue, the focus is not on the realism of the art.  The two figures are depicted with less detail and certainly less movement.  A stand and a forward stride are all that is needed because instead of vulnerability and humanity being displayed, the art is meant to display power, grace, and control.  Despite the stride, the figures don’t look like they are actually in motion when compared to the Seated Boxer.

Humanism in Greek and Roman Art

Humanism is a system or a way of thinking that emphasizes the value, interests and dignity of human beings. Humanism is illustrated through Greek and Roman Art because the art of Greece and Rome are statues and figures of young nude warrior men and how their physique and body is idealized and supposed to look like. However, Mesopotamian and Egyptian Art is different from the Greek and Roman Art because Mesopotamian and Egyptian Art are not statues and figures of muscular nude young men instead they have paintings and statues of pharaohs, their hierarchy system, and gods. The Greeks originally created their statues and works of art out of bronze using the lost wax technique so it could later on be melted down if necessary for weapons, tools, and etc. The Romans copied the Greeks works of art but instead of bronze the Romans made their statues out of marble which weighed much more. Disparate from the Roman statues made of marble and bronze and representing figures of young fit male warriors the Mesopotamian s and Egyptians also made statues but they were made out of stone and it was not as human as the Greeks and Romans, instead the statues were of Gods including human figures mixed with animal parts or pharaohs in loin cloth and fake beards. Greek and Roman Art and Mesopotamian and Egyptian Art have several similarities and differences when portraying humanism. Some examples of Greek and Roman Art is Kouros which represents the ideal physically fit male warrior of the time and later on changes into a more tone, smooth and better looking figure with a difference in hair and stance otherwise known as Doryphoros. Unlike the Greek And Romans, Mesopotamian and Egyptian art portrays figures like Anubis and the Sphinx which are part human and part animal figures, Anubis has the head of a jackal and the body of a man and is the god of the dead. The Sphinx has the head of a human and a body of a lion. Mesopotamian and Egyptian Art also show the hierarchy and the social status with the pharaoh shown to be the biggest and on the top while accompanied by his followers who are of similar or smaller size and the slaves which are the smallest and the lowest.

Blog 8 – Humanism in Greek & Roman Art

Humanism is an overall shift to the idea of what humans are capable of and can produce, rather than relying and basing argument on divine or supernatural factors. This was a shift in mindset, practices, and certainly artwork. A major factor in developing the humanistic ideology was the Greek gods and goddesses. Greeks identified that their gods had flaws and faced issues that mortal beings faced. As a result, it allowed the individuals to resonate more with the gods, but also rely less on gods and more on their own capabilities. Greek and Roman artwork greatly illustrates humanism when compared with ancient Egyptian and Mesopotamian artwork. To begin with, Greek and Roman artwork are much more detailed than Egyptian and Mesopotamian. Greek and Roman sculptures had a more realistic appearance and looked like an actual person one could recognize. There was more emphasis on the face with distinct facial features and expressions, but also details in places one wouldn’t pay attention to right away such as fingers, feet, muscles, and posture.

To illustrate the difference, an example of Egyptian art is Anubis and mummification. Anubis was the jackal-headed god of embalming that watched over the dead. This is a good example in comparison to Greek and Roman artwork because it’s 2 dimensional, so there is less room for detail as opposed to a sculpture. However, what the art represents is also a representation of Egyptian culture. The Egyptians were very focused on gods and religion and they would base their thinking on divine or supernatural power. By presenting art with a half-human half-jackal being who helps individual be closer their god, the art is employing divine features rather than humanistic.

An example of Greek art is Kroisos from Anavysos which was simply a human statue of a man. However, the detail included in the sculpture employs the elements of humanism. There was less focus on any divine or religious connection, and more emphasis on human features. Body parts such as fingers, toes, and muscles, as well as posture and expression all showed that this was an actual person who was most likely modeling for the artist. Nonetheless, humanism in this sculpture shows the differing ideals that the Greeks and Roman’s had compared to the Egyptians and Mesopotamians.

Blog Post: Humanism

Thus far the Ancient Worlds that we have learned about in class tended to create works of art that were more naturalistic instead of humanistic. Examples of Ancient Worlds that focused on naturalistic art were Mesopotamia and Egypt, where there was more of a focus on the Gods and that everything else was surrounded by the Gods. In contrast, Greek and Roman art focused on humanism. Humanism focused and emphasized humans as the “main object” of the world and that instead of Gods, humans were, in  a way, at the center of the universe. Humanism focuses on human values, beliefs, and individuality; and that humans have  the capability to be good. In terms of Greco-Roman art, humanism meant putting an emphasis on the human potential, as well as the human body.

For example, in the Ancient Egyptian sculpture, Seated statue of Pharaoh Seti (*picture would not upload), humanism is not portrayed. In this sculpture, the human body is not emphasized and instead his rank his emphasized. For this piece of artwork, the eyes are instantly drawn to the Pharaoh’s headpiece, the object in hand, and his feet that are on top of an object in order for them to not touch the ground. All of these observances can instantly make the viewer come to the conclusion that this person was in fact a Pharaoh and therefore of very high rank. In addition to that, the Pharaoh’s body is not emphasized, and instead the viewer can see the outlining of the garments that the Pharaoh wears, once again demonstrating social class and power.

In contrast, in this Greek sculpture, Discobolus, humanism is very evident. Most noticeable is that the naked human body is on display, clearly showing human emphasis. The Greeks saw the display of the human body as something natural and something “show off” and take pride in. Their bodies showed their strength and exuded their power. The Greeks did many things in the nude, as it was considered the norm, even the Olympics were done in the nude. This sculpture does not put an emphasis on rank or social class, it is ambiguous and is left for the viewer to assume.

Humanism in Greek and Roman Art

 

Humanism is the belief in human beings. Essentially that human emotions and actions are outside the spectrum of nature. Even God or gods were brought down to the standards of human emotions. Humanism can be described using art by looking at the different pieces of art that the Greeks and later the Romans have done.

    

These are images of Gods. The first sculpture is Ares and Aphrodite. The second sculpture is of Hermes. One important thing you can get from these two sculptures are the almost humanest features that Gods share with Humans. Humanism is captured in the images by how Gods are portrayed as little as human beings. Of Course Gods are stronger than the average human, but like people Gods had emotions and feelings. Having emotions are considered a trait of a human. In the first image, the Gods are showed to show love for one another. This brings Gods closer to humans, showing a human centered world.

Compared to Roman and Greek art, Egyptian art illustrate humans as weak and nothing like the Gods. The God seen in the image is off Anubis. As you can see, the only thing that resembles a human would be the humanoid body, but the head shows how different gods are from humans. Anubis has a dogs head and is Gigantic compared to regular people. This is used by the Egyptians to differentiate and show the power of their gods. The Gods weren’t brought down to be or have any trait that would connect them to humans.

 

     

Putting them side by side shows the overall difference. The first image is of Aten and the second is off Zeus. They are said to be the strongest of each civilization. Humanism is illustrated through the fact that even the most powerful god still looked more  human, unlike the Sun disk of a god that the Egyptians showed.

Humanism in Greek & Roman Art

Humanism is used in Greek & Roman art and it glorifies man by emphasizing the body of a human. Humanism in different art sculptures tends to evolve as it puts more detailing on the body structures and face. Egyptian & Mesopotamian art focused more on deities & gods to honor them & put them at the center. On the other hand, Greek & Roman art focuses on humans and how they’re the the center of events. They put more of a focus on humans rather than gods and goddesses. In Greek & Roman art, they emphasize the body of man by making them have certain poses and different face expressions. In one of the best known Greek sculptures known as Doryphoros by Polykleitos (image on the right), the focus is shifted from gods to humans. This art piece depicts a built, muscular man standing in a confident pose in nudity. He is standing while being nude to depict equality & to represent that the physical structure of humans were the same regardless of their social hierarchy. The artwork below (image on the left) is a depiction of Anubis, who was the Egyptian god. In Mesopotamian & Egyptian art, gods were the focus in the art pieces showing superiority over human beings.  This is seen in the artwork below because Anubis is not portrayed as a human being. His head is instead, the figure has the body of a human but the head of an animal, a jackal. This shows that the gods were special because they were portrayed in a different kind of appearance compared to humans and were the focus in Mesopotamian & Egyptian art.  

                                                         

Humanism in Greek and Roman Art

During Ancient Greece art work defines humanism as man being the center of the deities. Although worshiping gods was still an important aspect of human beliefs, the belief that man was at the center of everything that happened around them became more practiced. In contrast, during Mesopotamian art they believe that gods where the reason for everything that happened around them, therefore men would worship gods the majority if the time and they would respect their divine presence. In Ancient Greece gods would be respected only for limited people. Men thought that gods were the same as them because they were able to have sexual intercourse with them. In both periods of time it is illustrated how art differs from each other, one worshipping gods and the other focusing on the beauty of men.

In the image below we can see the “Standing Man Worshipper” sculpture where it represents the idea that man could not possibly be worshipping gods all the time. Therefore they decide to create sculptures like the one below so that it represents an everlasting prayer. This is an example of Mesopotamian art,

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In the image below we can see a muscular man, the  “The Discobolus of Myron” about to throw a disc across a big field, we could imagine. This is an example of Greek art where the work of art is more detail and naturalism is more present compared to the sculpture mentioned before. The life-like features such as toned muscles, long strong legs, and toned abdomen demonstrates that art focused on the beauty of men. The beauty of strong men who in this case play sports and the art work has captured a specific moment before he throws the disc. This specific work of art demonstrates that gods were no longer the center of their lives but man on their own had to be worshipped as well.

Blog Post 8: Humanism in Greek and Roman Art

Humanism is the aspect of giving value and importance to humanity over the divine beings (gods). Humanism gives humans value where no other system had before. Greek art illustrates humanism through its sculptures. Greek sculptures are very life-like as can be seen in the “Hermes and the Infant Dionysus” work. The body has shows that there was a lot of attention brought to the muscles and facial features by the artist. The stance that Hermes takes is very human, despite his status as a god. He stands in a pose so humanly that it almost looks as though he were right there in the room with you. In contrast, the “King Menkaure (Mycerinus) and queen” sculpture does not have a humanly stance. They are very rigid and do not look like they could be in the room with you. They look like statues, so they are evidently not life-like. Their facial expressions are not those of a person who you would ever interact with, as opposed to Hermes’ expression that looks like that of a real person. These aspects in the art show humanism by showing that the realism of the human body is of more importance than the actual aestheticism of the sculpture. In fact, even by making Hermes, a god, look like an ordinary human being is very different from most depictions of gods, because gods were not normally even remotely equated to humans.

Humanism in Greek and Roman Art

Humanism seems to be interested in paying tribute to the form of man. From what I’ve studied it was an ideal/ optimistic philosophy that saw man as rational and capable of making his own decisions without any aid from god(s) or deities. The art tended to focus on the human body and specifically the athleticism or muscles a human could have. After the initial breakthrough of humanistic art in Greek and Roman cultures, humanism would resurface again later during the European Renaissance, becoming a key component of the rebirth.

Compared to Egyptian and Mesopotamian art, Greek and Roman art tends to be more interested in the humanistic approach. Egypt and Mesopotamia seems to be focused heavily on paying tribute to gods or deities trying to ensure a peaceful after life, as much of Egyptian culture was based off of preparing for the afterlife. So it would make sense that most of Egyptian art included homage to some god or deity or king who was believed to be a divine ruler. Conversely, Greek and Roman art tended to move away from such tributes or homages and instead wanted to focus on man, and what man can accomplish alone.

For example, lets use the two pictures below:

                                                   

 

On the left we see a Roman humanist statue. It is titled “man with helmet.” We see a very realistic sculpture of an ordinary man with a helmet. The man’s chest is toned and defined, his arms are muscular as well are his thighs and legs. Even for contemporary standards, this statue is depicting a near perfect human form. On the right we wee an ancient Egyptian statue of Anubis, the god of the dead.  The Egyptians focused their art less on a mimetic depiction of an ideal man, instead paying tribute to a god who they believed would help them achieve a peaceful afterlife. The arms and legs are not particularly muscular or defined and the head is that of a dog. In typical Egyptian fashion Anubis, a god, is not standing directly on the ground, instead he is in an elevated position.

Greco-Roman vs. Egyptian Art

From what I have learned thus far in my college career and also, my experiences outside of school, I believe humanism to be an idea centered on human beings rather than immortal or supernatural things. In psychology, a humanistic perspective focuses on the client and supporting him or her with a positive input rather than pointing out wrongs. It is an idealistic view that humans are innately good and whatever they do wrong has to be the consequence of situational influences. The most apparent way that humanism is reflected in Greco and Roman art is through the real like human like portrayal of the art. As we discussed in class, the minute details in the movement of the body and face becomes emphasized. For example, hair deviates aways from a standard rigid structure to a more real like with fluidity. They especially emphasizes the athleticism which represents strength, beauty, and an advantage. Even in the portrayal of supernatural divine beings, the Greeks and Romans glorify the physical beauty of the human body. This is drastically different from the Egyptians as they did not fully capture the realistic human body in their portrayal of subjects. They are usually very formalized, static, and less naturalistic. It is clear that they didn’t have a humanistic approach to art in their depictions of deity, who have animal heads and human body.

For example, in a sculpture from the Greco-Roman period titled “Dionysos and Maenad”, the viewers see a portrayal of two women, draped with some cloth. In the sculpture, the artist show realistic movements in the body as well as a real life like connection between the two subjects. Even the clothing are portrayed so naturally. Though the women remain still, they are positioned in a real human like way. In contrast,  the papyrus rolls that depict the weighing of the heart, the observers see stoic, rigid, pillar like beings that are represented as either human beings or deities. They are all created in a standardized method, not giving the subjects any of their individualistic features. Though humanism is apparently present in Greco-Roman art, I think both artwork has correctly captured a time in history that we haven’t seen or heard of. The art speaks of the type of people that lived at the time, and a little bit about their perspectives about the human being.