The emergence of sculpture is attributed to the primitive era. The first with the labor activity of man and his beliefs.

The first great sculptors, whose surviving in the history of art, were the sculptors of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome - Myron, Phidias, Skopas, Poliklet, Lysippus, Praxiteles. They are addressed to free citizens and in many ways are the plastic embodiment of ancient myths. The images of heroes, warriors, athletes of the Olympic Games and gods embodied the ideals of a harmoniously developed personality. The work of these sculptors most fully revealed the humanistic essence of Greek sculpture: the beauty of the human body and the assertion of the significance of the human personality.

The real flowering of this art form came in the Middle Ages. Donatello and A. Verrocchio made a very important step forward in the creation of free-standing statues, at this time the technique of bronze casting and chasing was improved, the technique was used.

Among the sculptors of the Renaissance, J. Pilon and J. Goujon in France, A. Kraft and F. Stoss in Germany, M. Pacher in Austria also stand out.

One of the peaks of the Renaissance are the sculptures of Michelangelo, full of titanic power and intense drama. His creations "Moses", "The Resurrected Slave" and "The Dying Slave", "Pieta" are full of tragedy, plastic power and internal tension.

At the end of the 19th century, the star of the great French sculptor Auguste Rodin rose, creating works that were bright in terms of emotional impact: Citizens of Calle, The Thinker, The Kiss.

Famous Russian sculptors

There were also many well-known sculptors in Russia who left a noticeable mark on world art.

Since the beginning of the 18th century, interest in large sculpture has awakened in Russian culture. At this time, classicism was established, the symbol of which was Peter I in St. Petersburg by the sculptor Etienne Falcone, as well as the work of Carlo Rastrelli. Until 1716 he worked mainly in France. In Russia, Rastrelli participated in the creation of many decorative and sculptural complexes, including the decoration of the Peterhof Grand Cascade. The sculptor also worked a lot on the image of Peter I. Even during the life of the tsar, in 1719, he removed the mask from Peter and then created his wax bust.

For many years, Rastrelli worked on a monument to Peter I. In 1800, an equestrian statue was erected in front of the Mikhailovsky Castle.

In the 19th century, an academic school of Russian sculpture was formed, which was represented by a galaxy of outstanding masters: M.I. Kozlovsky, F.I. Shubin, F. F. Shchedrin, V. I. Demut-Malinovsky, I.P. Martos, F.P. Tolstoy.

In the middle of the 19th century, the famous animal sculptor Pyotr Karlovich Klodt, the author of 4 sculptural groups "Horse Tamers" for the Annenkov Bridge in St. Petersburg, worked.

The Soviet pavilion at the Paris exhibition was designed by Iofin. The building ended with a gigantic pylon, raised by 33 meters, which was crowned with a sculpture by Mukhina.

The leading master of Soviet sculpture was Vera Ignatievna Mukhina. Her work is characterized by a powerful architectonics of sculptural composition. One of the most famous works of the sculptor is "Worker and Collective Farm Girl", created for the international exhibition "The Art of Technology and Modern Life", arranged in Paris in 1937.

The first creations of human hands, which can be called sculpture, appeared in prehistoric times and were idols worshiped by our ancestors. Over the past hundreds of thousands of years, the art of sculpture has reached unprecedented heights, and today in museums and on the streets of many cities around the world you can see real masterpieces that invariably arouse admiration among visitors and passers-by. So which of the famous Russian and foreign masters of different eras can claim to have his name included in the category of “famous sculptors”, and which of their works are included in the golden fund of world art?

Famous sculptors of the ancient world

As already mentioned, the art of sculpture originated many millennia ago, as evidenced by numerous stone and clay three-dimensional images of people, animals and mythical creatures found during archaeological excavations. Of course, no one knows who their authors were, but history has preserved the names of some of the great sculptors who worked in the period from the 14th century BC to the present. e. and up to the 1st century AD. e.

For example, when asked who the most famous sculptors of the ancient world are, the great ancient Egyptian sculptor Thutmose the Younger is necessarily mentioned among others. He worked at the court of Pharaoh Akhenaten and created one of the most famous works of art of the Amarna period - the bust of Queen Nefertiti. There is much more information about who the most famous sculptors of Greece and Rome of the ancient period are. In particular, the masters Critias and Nesiot created in the 5th century BC. e. a magnificent composition of Harmodius and Aristogeiton, which subsequently inspired the sculptors of a later time more than once. Even greater heights in the skill of sculpture were achieved by the great Phidias, who is the author of gold and ivory, recognized as one of the wonders of the ancient world. It is impossible not to note the huge contribution to the development of ancient art, which was made by such famous sculptors as Skopas, Praxiteles and Lysippus, who created the so-called quadriga of St. Mark. As for the Roman sculptors, most of their creations, such as the famous Apollo Belvedere, are copies from Greek originals.

Famous sculptors of the world: the era of the Middle Ages

As you know, the beginning of the historical period that came after the fall of the Western Roman Empire was not the best time for the development of art. That is why no particularly significant works of sculptural art dating back to the 5th-12th centuries are known today. Fortunately, over time, the dictates of the church began to weaken, and sculptures of saints and rulers appeared, the authors of which allowed themselves to move away from the strict canons of religious art and make their creations more realistic. As an example, one can cite such masters as the father and son Pisano, who worked at the end of the 13th and beginning of the 14th century. And, of course, when it comes to who the most famous sculptors of the Gothic period are, one cannot fail to name Adam Kraft, who created the luxurious altar of the Tetzel Chapel.

The Art of Renaissance Sculpture

Perhaps there is hardly a person who does not know who the most famous sculptors and their works of the Renaissance period are. Indeed, such masterpieces as the statue of David and copies of which adorn Catholic churches around the world, as well as the monument to Gattamelata Donatello and “Perseus” by Benvenuto Cellini belong to this era. Of the French masters, it is worth noting Jean Goujon and Germain Pilon, who worked under the influence of their Italian colleagues.

Notable 18th century sculpture masters

A magnificent example of the art of modern sculpture is the famous Trevi Fountain at the Palazzo Poli in Rome, which is considered one of the symbols of the Italian capital. Its authors are Nicolo Salvi and Pietro Bracci, who made the figure of Neptune and tritons. In the 18th century, Edmond Bouchardon and Jean-Baptiste Pigalle, who became famous for his tombstones of the Roman popes, also worked. As for the English masters, one can single out a peculiar trio among them, consisting of John Flaxman, Joseph Nollekens and Thomas Banks.

European sculpture of the 19th century

The beginning of the century before last was marked by the appearance of a bright star of world sculpture - Bertel Thorvaldsen, who in 1803 presented his "Jason" to the public. After a high-profile world debut, he became an extremely sought-after master among eminent customers from different countries, and during his rather long creative life he sculpted many excellent compositions and portraits of famous people. In particular, it is worth mentioning the huge frieze depicting the exploits of Alexander the Great, created by him in 1812 to decorate the Quirinal Palace.

When considering who the most famous sculptors and their work of the 19th century were, one of the first names that comes to mind is Auguste Rodin. And this is not at all surprising, since his creations "The Thinker" and "The Kiss" are recognized as the greatest masterpieces of world art. As for the masters of sculpture in Germany, L. Schwanthaler deserves special mention, who created many wonderful works decorating palaces and other significant buildings in Munich.

Sculptors of the 20th-21st centuries

In the last century, the traditions of the great Italian masters were continued by Giacomo Manza, who became famous for his creation of the Gate of Death, made for him in Rome. In addition, it is worth mentioning such masters as Jacques Lipchitz and Ossip Zadkine, who worked in a surrealist style. The category “The most famous sculptors of the world” also includes the work “Walking Man” created in 1961, which was estimated at Sotheby’s at 104.3 million US dollars. Among the sculptors of the late 20th century, it is also worth mentioning Lynn Chadwick and Barry Flanagan.

Famous sculptors of Russia from the 18th-19th centuries

There is no need to talk about the art of sculpture in Russia in the pre-Petrine era, since it simply did not exist. The founding of St. Petersburg made us think about decorating its palaces and squares with sculptural compositions, as was customary in European countries, so foreign masters began to be invited to the court. Thus, the first known "Russian" sculptors were foreigners. For example, several three-dimensional portraits have come down to us, cast by the father of the future great architect, K. B. Rastrelli.

After the foundation of the Second Academy of Arts by Catherine II, Russians began to study there. In particular, during the years of her reign, such pioneers of the domestic art of sculpture as F. Shubin, M. Kozlovsky and F. Gordeev, who created the famous Samson, distinguished themselves. Especially many gifted craftsmen appeared in the 19th century. In particular, it was during this period that such well-known sculptors of Russia as M. M. Antokolsky, the author of the monument to Peter the Great in Peterhof, A. M. Opekushin, P. Velionsky, and I. N. Schroeder worked.

One of the most recognizable works of sculpture of the first half of the 20th century, of course, is the famous monument of Vera Mukhina “Worker and Collective Farm Woman” - a recognized masterpiece of socialist realism. No less interesting are the works of E. Vutechich, who created the “Warrior-Liberator” for the Berlin Treptow Park and the world-famous statue “Motherland”, and M. Anikushin, the author of the monuments to A.P. Chekhov and A. Pushkin, which was installed in Leningrad in 1957.

As for who the most famous Russian sculptors of the post-Soviet period are, perhaps Ernst Neizvestny, who, having begun his work back in the days of the USSR, was forced to emigrate to the United States, and his most significant work, “Mask of Sorrow”, should also be attributed to them. for the Magadan memorial to the victims of Stalinist repressions - created in 1996. Another sculptor who has received wide recognition in recent decades is M. Shemyakin, among whose works the multi-figure composition “Children - Victims of Adult Vices” deserves special mention.

There are many varieties of sculpture in form, purpose, material.

The shape of the sculpture can be round and relief.

Round the sculpture can be viewed from different sides, it is surrounded by free space.

Its main types: bust, statue, sculptural group.

E. Falcone "Winter" (1771). Marble. Hermitage (Petersburg)

Relief

In the relief, the figure(s) are partly immersed in a flat background and protrude from it.

High relief on the pediment of the Admiralty. Sculptor Ivan Ivanovich Terebenev
There are three types of relief:
bas-relief (a convex figure protrudes less than half);
high relief (a convex figure protrudes halfway);
counter-relief (the figure is not convex, but concave)

bas-relief

Bas-relief is a common type of decoration of architectural structures and decorative items of all times, known since the Paleolithic era: the first bas-reliefs are rock carvings. Bas-reliefs are also often placed on the pedestals of monuments, on steles, memorial plaques, coins, medals.

Sculptor S.E. Cherepanov. Memorial plaque on the house where science fiction writer G. Altov (Altshuller) lived the last years of his life from 1990 to 1998. Installed October 15, 2003 Petrozavodsk

High relief

High relief - a kind of sculptural relief, when the image protrudes above the background plane by more than half the volume of the depicted parts. A common type of decoration of architectural structures; allows you to display multi-figure scenes and landscapes.

counter-relief

Counter-relief - a deep relief obtained from a mechanical impression of a regular relief in a soft material (clay, wax) or when removing a plaster mold from the relief. Could be used as a seal to obtain a convex print.

Ancient Egyptian counter-relief

Types of sculpture by purpose

monumental sculpture

Monumental sculpture is associated with architecture. These are monuments and monuments that are created to perpetuate the memory of famous people or significant events. Monumental sculpture is distinguished by its large size and ideological content. Monumental art got its name from the Latin monumentum, from moneo - I remind you), it should always be sublime and even majestic. Works of monumental art should be created in harmony with architecture and landscape.

Henry Moore. Sculpture in the harbor of Risbach (Zurich-Seefeld)
Monumental art acquires special significance in periods of global socio-political transformations, in times of social upsurge, intellectual and cultural flourishing, when creativity is called upon to express the most relevant ideas.

Sculptor I. Kozlovsky, architect P. Butenko "The squad of Alexander Nevsky" (1993). Pskov
The monument is a very significant monument in size. There are whole memorial complexes - territories with monumental architectural structures located on it: mausoleums, pantheons, sculptural groups, obelisks of glory and monuments dedicated to outstanding events in the history of the country and the people inhabiting it.
The Khatyn memorial complex is a village in Belarus, destroyed on March 22, 1943.

punitive detachment as revenge for the murder of several German soldiers. 149 residents of Khatyn were burned alive or shot. In 1969, a memorial complex was opened on the site where the village was located.

Of the adult residents of the village, only the 56-year-old village blacksmith Iosif Iosifovich Kaminsky (1887-1973) survived. Burnt and wounded, he regained consciousness only late at night, when the punitive detachments left the village. Among the corpses of fellow villagers, he found his son Adam. The boy was mortally wounded in the stomach and received severe burns. He died in his father's arms. Joseph Kaminsky with his son Adam served as the prototypes for the famous monument in the memorial complex.

S. Selikhanov. The main monument in Khatyn
No less famous are the memorial complexes Brest Fortress (Brest), Mamaev Kurgan (Volgograd), Victory Park (Moscow), etc.

Monumental and decorative sculpture

It includes all types of decoration of architectural structures and complexes (atlantes, caryatids, friezes, pediment, fountain, garden and park sculpture, etc.).

Atlanta

Atlas is a sculpture of a man supporting the ceilings of a building, a balcony, a cornice, etc. The name of this architectural element goes back to Ancient Greece: Atlas or Atlant in ancient Greek mythology was the name of a mighty titan holding the firmament on his shoulders. Atlas is a symbol of endurance and patience.

Atlanta (Hermitage)

Caryatids

A caryatid is a statue of a dressed woman that replaces a column or pilaster in a structure. These figures were used in the architecture of ancient Greece.

Caryatids. Athens, Greece)

Caryatids as a pilaster

Frieze

Frieze (fr. frise) - a decorative composition in the form of a horizontal strip or ribbon framing part of an architectural structure.

Sculptural frieze on one of the Empire churches near Moscow

Gable

Fronton (fr. fronton, from lat. frons, frontis - forehead, front of the wall) - the completion (usually triangular) of the facade of the building, limited by two roof slopes on the sides and a cornice at the base.

Pediment of the building of the Greek National Assembly in Athens

Fountains

Fountains (usually these are hydraulic structures that perform a decorative function) are often decorated with sculptures.

Fountain "Samson" in Peterhof
Manneken Pis is one of the most famous landmarks in Brussels. This is a miniature bronze statue-fountain in the form of a naked boy urinating into a pool.

Sculptor - Jerome Duquesnoy (1619)
This statue has been repeatedly stolen and dressed up in costumes.

"Manneken Pis" in the form of the US Air Force

Garden sculpture

The landscape gardening sculpture is intended for decoration of gardens and parks. It can have a decorative, propaganda, educational and memorial character.

Sculpture "Cupid and Psyche". Workshop of Lorenzo Bernini XVII century. Summer Garden (Petersburg)

There are also short-lived types of sculptures: ice, sand, more durable clay, wood, as well as modeling, carving, artistic casting, forging, chasing, etc.

First, a person came up with an image - the first rock paintings were created back when ancient people lived in caves. Then sculpture appeared, and many sculptors were so talented that their works became the property of mankind.

Statue of the goddess of love Aphrodite- a very famous and very ancient statue. The work is also known as "Venus de Milo". The statue was probably created in the 2nd century BC. This majestic statue of white marble is more than 2 meters high. Today, the Venus de Milo is stored in the Louvre, in a gallery specially designated for her.

"Venus de Milo"

Statue of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil known throughout the world. The 30-meter statue is installed on the Corcovado hill, at an altitude of more than 700 meters above sea level. The opening of the statue took place in 1931. The sculpture is so popular that in other cities of the world they tried to replicate it.

Statue of Christ the Redeemer, Rio de Janeiro

Moai statues called the mysterious stone inhabitants of Easter Island, which belongs to Chile. Presumably giants appeared in the first millennium of our era. Probably, the statues were created by the inhabitants of ancient Polynesia. These are huge monolithic figures, up to 6 meters high and weighing more than 20 tons. The material from which the moai are made is also unique - these are compressed volcanic rocks.

Moai statues, Chile

A statue "Little Mermaid" is in Copenhagen. This is a monument to the young heroine of the fairy tale G.Kh. Andersen, created by sculptor Edward Eriksen.

A touching bronze figurine sits on a stone next to the harbour. The statue was erected in 1913.

Little Mermaid Statue, Copenhagen

Buddha statue in Leshan- This is a gigantic statue carved into the rock. According to historians, the creation of the statue began in 713 and lasted for 90 years. The monument is located in China, in the province of Sichuan.

Buddha statue in Leshan

Nelson's Column installed on Trafalgar Square in London. The height of the statue of the admiral itself is 5.5 meters, but it is mounted on a 46-meter column and looks small. The sculptural composition was installed in 1843 in memory of the famous Admiral Horatio Nelson.

Nelson's Column, London

famous Statue of Liberty called the symbol of New York and the symbol of the United States. The height of this statue with a pedestal is 93 meters. In one hand, "Lady Liberty" holds a torch, and in the other, a tablet. The statue has indeed become a symbol for a long time, and its image often adorns everything that is somehow connected with the United States.

Statue of Liberty, USA

The symbol of the city completes the list of famous statues. Brussels in Belgium. This monument does not have any special grandeur, and it is difficult to call it a model of beauty. Nonetheless, Manneken Pis statue very famous. Many legends are associated with its origin. It is only certain that the age of the statue is not a single century.

"Manneken Pis", Belgium, Brussels

The most beautiful sculptures and statues in the world (30 photos)

Sculpture of a man

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15 famous and significant sculptures

Art cannot be complete without sculpture.

Carving and sculpting people, animals and various objects appeared in the history of mankind almost simultaneously with rock art. Sculptures are the same paintings, only bodily, and therefore expressing emotions a little differently. What statues tell us is much easier for us to perceive, because they are tangible and more like us than works of any other form of art.
In this material, we have collected 15 famous and significant sculptures created at different times from different materials for different purposes. Please share your favorite pieces of sculptural art in the comments.

David

Michelangelo

The five-meter statue of the biblical hero David, created by Michelangelo when he was only 28 years old, is perceived as a symbol of the Florentine Republic and one of the pinnacles not only of Renaissance art, but of human genius in general.
The most replicated sculptural image in the world.

Thinker

Auguste Rodin

Another extremely popular image was created by Auguste Rodin in 1882. Initially, the sculpture was to be called "The Poet" and be part of the "Gates of Hell" composition based on the "Divine Comedy". The model for the sculpture was a Frenchman named Jean Beau, a muscular boxer who mostly competed in Paris's red-light district.

Walking man

Alberto Giacometti

The most expensive sculpture in the history of mankind. In 2010, the 183 cm sculpture "Walking Man", made by a Swiss sculptor in 1961, was sold at Sotheby's for a record $104.3 million.
The sculpture is considered one of the most important in the work of this master, its image is also placed on the banknote of 100 Swiss francs.

Venus de Milo

probably Agesander of Antioch

The famous ancient Greek sculpture, created around the middle of the second century BC, was found on the island of Melos in 1820 by a French sailor who decided to search the shore for antiquities for sale. The hands were then safe and sound, but were lost at the time of the conflict between the French (who found) and the Turks (owners of the island).

Nike of Samothrace

An ancient Greek marble sculpture of the goddess Nike was found on the island of Samothrace on the territory of the sanctuary of the Kabirs in April 1863. The statue was erected by the inhabitants of the island of Rhodes in memory of the victory they won over the fleet of the Syrian king. She stood on a sheer cliff above the sea, her pedestal depicted the prow of a warship. The mighty and majestic Nika, in clothes fluttering from the wind, is presented in an unstoppable movement forward. Currently located in the Louvre.

Pieta

Michelangelo

Pieta is a common name for depictions of the scene of the Virgin Mary's mourning for her son. The best of them was made by Michelangelo at the age of 24. The impeccable composition, emotionality, humanity and deep symbolism of the sculpture made it a model of the culture of the High Renaissance.

Nefertiti

One of the most famous sculptural monuments of the culture of Ancient Egypt. Nefertiti was the wife of the pharaoh Akhenaten. The bust is entirely made of limestone and fully painted. The special preservation of the beautiful colors, giving a great contrast between Nefertiti's brown complexion and the crown jewels, make it a unique work of art. Egypt and Germany, where the bust of the queen is kept, have been arguing over her for many years, but they can’t come to an agreement.

Capitoline she-wolf

Etruscan bronze sculpture, stylistically dated to the 5th century BC, never left Rome, the city founded by those fed by she-wolf. During the time of Benito Mussolini, the Capitoline Wolf was used as a propaganda symbol, embodying the desire of the fascist regime to revive the Roman Empire.

Motherland

Vuchetich and Nikitin

One of the tallest statues in the world is located in Volgograd and is perhaps the main symbol of the struggle of the Soviet people against fascism. The 52-meter figure of a woman stepping forward calls her sons to fight the enemy.

Another place

Anthony Gormley

The landscape installation "Another Place" is an example of contemporary art that evokes philosophical reflections and induces melancholy. Exactly 100 human-height cast-iron sculptures were erected in 2006 on a three-kilometer beach line north of Liverpool. They face the sea, and during high tides, some of the sculptures are partially or completely submerged under water.

Citizens of Calais

Auguste Rodin

The sculptural group "Citizens of Calais", commissioned by the municipality of the city of Calais, was completed by Rodin in 1888. During the Hundred Years' War, the English King Edward III laid siege to the city, and some time later, hunger forced the defenders to surrender. The king promised to spare the inhabitants only if six of the most noble citizens came out to him in rags and with ropes around their necks, giving themselves up for execution. This requirement was fulfilled. The first to volunteer to give his life for the sake of saving the city was one of the main rich men, Eustache de Saint-Pierre. The English Queen Philippa was filled with pity for these emaciated people, and in the name of her unborn child she begged forgiveness for them before her husband.
Rodin revolutionary insisted on the abandonment of the pedestal, although his will was fulfilled only after the death of the sculptor, and the figures are on the same level with the audience.

Manneken Pis

The main attraction of Brussels. The exact time and circumstances of the appearance of the statue are unknown. According to some reports, the statue existed already in the 15th century. Some Brussels residents say that it was installed as a reminder of the events of the Grimbergen war, when the cradle with the son of Gottfried III of Leuven was hung on a tree in order to inspire the townspeople with the look of the future monarch, and the child from there urinated on the warriors fighting under the tree. According to another legend, the statue was originally intended to remind the townspeople of the boy who extinguished the ammunition laid out by the enemy under the city walls with a stream of urine.
Since 1695, the statue has been repeatedly stolen, the last time the statue was stolen in the 1960s, after which it was once again replaced with a copy.

Terracotta Army

At least 8099 sculptures of Chinese warriors and their horses make up this property of China. Terracotta statues, each of which is absolutely individual, were buried in battle formation along with the first emperor of the Qin dynasty - Qin Shi Huang, who united China and connected all the links of the Great Wall in the 3rd century BC.
The warriors were supposed to support the power of the emperor in the afterlife as well.

golden buddha

The world's largest solid gold statue is located in Bangkok's Wat Traimit temple - it is about three meters in size, and it weighs more than five tons.
During the war with Burma, the statue was going to be covered with plaster, and then no one could reveal the secret of this Buddha. Until 1957, the statue did not pay much attention - until it was moved to a new location. According to rumors, during the transportation, it began to rain, before which the statue, due to its weight, also fell from the crane transporting it; it was sheltered from the rain, but the water still washed away the coating from one of the areas sufficiently for one of the monks to notice a strange sheen. According to another version, the plaster cracked from falling.

planning travel to Greece, many people are interested not only in comfortable hotels, but also in the fascinating history of this ancient country, an integral part of which are art objects.

A large number of treatises by well-known art historians are devoted specifically to ancient Greek sculpture, as the fundamental branch of world culture. Unfortunately, many monuments of that time did not survive in their original form, and are known from later copies. By studying them, one can trace the history of the development of Greek fine art from the Homeric period to the Hellenistic era, and highlight the most striking and famous creations of each period.

Aphrodite de Milo

The world-famous Aphrodite from the island of Milos belongs to the Hellenistic period of Greek art. At this time, by the forces of Alexander the Great, the culture of Hellas began to spread far beyond the Balkan Peninsula, which was noticeably reflected in the visual arts - sculptures, paintings and frescoes became more realistic, the faces of the gods on them have human features - relaxed postures, an abstract look, a soft smile .

Statue of Aphrodite, or as the Romans called it, Venus, is made of snow-white marble. Its height is slightly more than human height, and is 2.03 meters. The statue was discovered by chance by an ordinary French sailor, who in 1820, together with a local peasant, dug up Aphrodite near the remains of an ancient amphitheater on the island of Milos. During its transportation and customs disputes, the statue lost its arms and pedestal, but a record has been preserved of the author of the masterpiece indicated on it: Agesander, the son of a resident of Antioch Menida.

Today, after a thorough restoration, Aphrodite is exhibited in the Louvre in Paris, attracting millions of tourists every year with its natural beauty.

Nike of Samothrace

The time of creation of the statue of the goddess of victory Nike dates back to the 2nd century BC. Studies have shown that Nika was installed above the sea coast on a sheer cliff - her marble clothes flutter as if from the wind, and the slope of the body represents a constant movement forward. The thinnest folds of clothing cover the strong body of the goddess, and powerful wings are spread in joy and triumph of victory.

The head and hands of the statue have not been preserved, although individual fragments were discovered during excavations in 1950. In particular, Karl Lehmann with a group of archaeologists found the right hand of the goddess. Nike of Samothrace is now one of the outstanding exhibits of the Louvre. Her hand was never added to the general exhibition, only the right wing, which was made of plaster, underwent restoration.

Laocoon and his sons

A sculptural composition depicting the mortal struggle of Laocoön, the priest of the god Apollo, and his sons with two snakes sent by Apollo in retaliation for the fact that Laocoön did not listen to his will and tried to prevent the Trojan horse from entering the city.

The statue was made of bronze, but its original has not survived to this day. In the 15th century, a marble copy of the sculpture was found on the territory of the "golden house" of Nero, and by order of Pope Julius II, it was installed in a separate niche of the Vatican Belvedere. In 1798, the statue of Laocoon was moved to Paris, but after the fall of Napoleon's rule, the British returned it to its original place, where it is kept to this day.

The composition, depicting Laocoön's desperate deathbed struggle with divine punishment, inspired many sculptors of the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance, and gave rise to a fashion for depicting complex, vortex-like movements of the human body in fine art.

Zeus from Cape Artemision

The statue, found by divers near Cape Artemision, is made of bronze, and is one of the few pieces of art of this type that has survived to this day in its original form. Researchers disagree on whether the sculpture belongs specifically to Zeus, believing that it can also depict the god of the seas, Poseidon.

The statue has a height of 2.09 m, and depicts the supreme Greek god, who raised his right hand in order to throw lightning in righteous anger. The lightning itself has not been preserved, but numerous smaller figurines show that it looked like a flat, strongly elongated bronze disk.

From almost two thousand years of being under water, the statue almost did not suffer. Only the eyes, which were supposedly made of ivory and encrusted with precious stones, disappeared. You can see this work of art in the National Archaeological Museum, which is located in Athens.

Statue of Diadumen

A marble copy of a bronze statue of a young man who himself crowns himself with a diadem - a symbol of sports victory, probably adorned the venue for competitions in Olympia or Delphi. The diadem at that time was a red woolen bandage, which, along with laurel wreaths, was awarded to the winners of the Olympic Games. The author of the work, Poliklet, performed it in his favorite style - the young man is in easy movement, his face displays complete calm and concentration. The athlete behaves like a well-deserved winner - he does not show fatigue, although his body needs rest after the fight. In sculpture, the author managed to very naturally convey not only small elements, but also the general position of the body, correctly distributing the mass of the figure. The full proportionality of the body is the pinnacle of the development of this period - classicism of the 5th century.

Although the bronze original has not survived to our time, copies of it can be seen in many museums around the world - the National Archaeological Museum in Athens, the Louvre, the Metropolitan, the British Museum.

Aphrodite Braschi

A marble statue of Aphrodite depicts the goddess of love, who was naked before taking her legendary, often described in myths, bath, returning her virginity. Aphrodite in her left hand holds her removed clothes, which gently fall on a nearby jug. From an engineering point of view, this decision made the fragile statue more stable, and gave the sculptor the opportunity to give it a more relaxed pose. The uniqueness of Aphrodite Brasca is that this is the first known statue of the goddess, the author of which decided to portray her naked, which at one time was considered unheard of insolence.

There are legends according to which the sculptor Praxiteles created Aphrodite in the image of his beloved, hetaera Phryne. When her former admirer, orator Euthias, found out about this, he raised a scandal, as a result of which Praxiteles was accused of unforgivable blasphemy. At the trial, the defender, seeing that his arguments did not impress the judge, pulled off Phryne's clothes to show those present that such a perfect body of the model simply cannot harbor a dark soul. The judges, being adherents of the concept of kalokagatiya, were forced to fully acquit the defendants.

The original statue was taken to Constantinople, where it died in a fire. Many copies of Aphrodite have survived to our time, but they all have their own differences, as they were restored according to verbal and written descriptions and images on coins.

marathon youth

The statue of a young man is made of bronze, and presumably depicts the Greek god Hermes, although there are no prerequisites or attributes of him in the hands or clothes of the young man. The sculpture was raised from the bottom of the Gulf of Marathon in 1925, and since then has replenished the exposition of the National Archaeological Museum in Athens. Due to the fact that the statue was under water for a long time, all its features are very well preserved.

The style in which the statue is made betrays the style of the famous sculptor Praxiteles. The young man stands in a relaxed pose, his hand rests on the wall, near which the figure was installed.

Discus thrower

The statue of the ancient Greek sculptor Myron has not been preserved in its original form, but is widely known throughout the world thanks to bronze and marble copies. The sculpture is unique in that for the first time it depicted a person in a complex, dynamic movement. Such a bold decision of the author served as a vivid example for his followers, who, with no less success, created objects of art in the style of "Figura serpentinata" - a special technique depicting a person or animal in an often unnatural, tense, but very expressive, from the observer's point of view, pose.

Delphic charioteer

The bronze sculpture of a charioteer was discovered during the 1896 excavations at the Sanctuary of Apollo at Delphi and is a classic example of ancient art. The figure depicts an ancient Greek youth driving a wagon during Pythian games.

The uniqueness of the sculpture lies in the fact that the inlay of the eyes with precious stones has been preserved. The eyelashes and lips of the young man are decorated with copper, and the headband is made of silver, and presumably also had inlay.

The time of creation of the sculpture, theoretically, is at the junction of archaic and early classics - its pose is characterized by stiffness and the absence of any hint of movement, but the head and face are made with a rather great realism. As in later sculptures.

Athena Parthenos

Majestic goddess athena statue has not survived to our time, but there are many copies of it, restored according to ancient descriptions. The sculpture was completely made of ivory and gold, without the use of stone or bronze, and stood in the main temple of Athens - the Parthenon. A distinctive feature of the goddess is a high helmet, decorated with three crests.

The history of the creation of the statue was not without fatal moments: on the shield of the goddess, the sculptor Phidias, in addition to the image of the battle with the Amazons, placed his portrait in the form of a weak old man who lifts a heavy stone with both hands. The public of that time ambiguously regarded the act of Phidias, which cost him his life - the sculptor was imprisoned, where he committed suicide with the help of poison.

Greek culture has become the founder for the development of fine arts around the world. Even today, looking at some modern paintings and statues, one can detect the influence of this ancient culture.

Ancient Hellas became the cradle in which the cult of human beauty in its physical, moral and intellectual manifestation was actively brought up. Inhabitants of Greece of that time, they not only worshiped many Olympic gods, but also tried to resemble them as much as possible. All this is displayed in bronze and marble statues - they not only convey the image of a person or a deity, but also make them close to each other.

Although many of the statues have not survived to the present, their exact copies can be seen in many museums around the world.

Things to do in winter Greece

More is known about this city of the ancient civilization of the Greeks according to the legends of Homer. He mentions this policy in his Iliad. However, archaeological excavations confirm the existence of the once powerful city-state in Greece. However, some sources refute these claims. It is officially known that Troy (Ilion) was a small settlement on the territory of Asia Minor. It is located on the coast of the Aegean Sea, on the Troad peninsula. It was within easy reach of the Dardanelles. Now it is the Turkish province of Canakkale.

Paros island. Nightlife, beaches and entertainment in Paros

The ancient city of Aptera.

Traveling around Crete, one can endlessly marvel at the abundance of monuments of different civilizations that have managed to leave a mark on the history of this picturesque island with a rich history. Driving along the Chania-Rethymnon highway, at the 15th kilometer of this road you can see the remains of the ancient city of Aptera.

History of one day.Athens