Classical Style vs. the Renaissance

unsullied Style vs.. The Renaissance One of the almost influential artistic styles in western culture is the Graeco-Roman Style. This term describes the art and computer architecture produced in Ancient Greece among the late sixth and early fourth centuries B. C. E. The harmonious golf-club that governs almost all the aspects of Ancient Greek Civilization, including politics and philosophy, was the nucleotide of this rich artistic period which has always had a strong influence on Western culture. Nevertheless, there have been some periods in history where the serious music influences were more prevalent.This influence could not be more evident than in the Renaissance, which refers to the rebirth of the Classical Style. The Renaissance which spread through Europe started in Italy close to 1300 C. E. And lasted though the seventeenth century. In this period, the artisans did not tho copy the Greeks but also revived their principles of harmony, order, proportion, and realism. I n this paper, Im going to exam maven sculpture and one building from each of these deuce periods to identify the similarities and differences between them.Hermes with the young Dionysus by Parallaxes vs.. David by Michelangelo Hermes with the nuns Dionysus was made by Parallaxes around 340 B. C. E. This marble statue represents Hermes, which was the messenger of the Greek Gods, dimension the young Dionysus (Cambric). This freestanding Greek statue was made during the Golden Age of the Classical Style, and it features the key characteristics of this period (realism, harmony, and proportion). Hermes appears nude leaning against a tree trunk disguised with material which is wrapped around his arm.He is leaning in a relaxed pose with most of his body positioned on the left side of the artwork. Parallaxes balances the overall composition by putting the young Dionysus on Hermes arm which connects the figure to the supporting tree trunk on the right side. Like other sculptures from this period, Hermes with the young Dionysus is precise realistic. harmonize to Gloria Firer, author of the book The Humanistic Tradition the male nude of the High Classical Age seems to fulfill Aristotle idea of excellences as the exercise of human will dominated by reason.Hermes idealized body is perfectly regular, and it absolutely fits into the Greek canon (set of rules for determining physical proportion). In addition, the almost tactile cereal of the smooth marble exposes Hermes well developed muscles and bones which seem to be alive and moving under his soft smooth skin. His facial features argon symmetrical and proportionate, and his expression is relaxed while smiling as he looks upon the baby Dionysus. In this statue, Parallaxes reflects the Greek ideal of beauty.The realism and god of the Greek statues of the Classical period were the inhalant for sculpture of the Italian Renaissance. Michelangelo created David between 1501 and 1504. The work is a representation of the y oung shepherd who slays the giant Goliath with his meager sling and who eater goes on to reverse the king of Israel (Firer). Like Hermes with the young Dionysus, David is a freestanding, statue of a nude male, created at the peak of its period, the Renaissance. Michelangelo created this sculpture in the early sixteen century, which is consider the high Renaissance.Similarly to Parallaxes statue, David is very realistic, and the smooth marble shows the perfectly developed muscular structure beneath the skin. However, unlike Hermes, Davits posture is not relaxed but rigid with his muscles tense and veins protruding from the surface. He appears leer and focused on his opponent, awaiting some action that is about to happen. In addition, while Hermes scale and proportion are realistic, Davits is oversized standing 14 Ft. 5 in. High, and his head hands, and feet are oversized and not proportionate to the rest of his body. Michelangelo deliberately violated classical proportions by making the head and hands of his figure to wide for his trunk. The body of the fearless adolescent is tense and brooding, powerful rather than graceful says Firer. Although both sculptures share common characteristics, David is different room Hermes in that Parallaxes creation is Just a celebration of beauty and perfection while Michelangelo creates beauty and also enhances human accomplishment. Parthenon vs.. Saint Pewters Basilica The Parthenon (448-432 B. C. E. ) is a Classical Greek temple that was knowing by architects Stations and Calibrates.It is located in Athens, Greece, and it crowns the high plateau called the Acropolis. The temple is dedicated to the citys main Goddesses, Athena, and it is surrounded by other smaller temples (Firer). Like most of the buildings from this period, the architects used the post-and-lintel system, and hey did not use mortar. The Parthenon floor plan is rectangular and very simple. It only has two rooms surrounded by a colonnaded walkway. The order used for the columns is Doric, which has no base, and its capital is a simple cushion.The Greek principles of perfection such as order, harmony, and symmetry govern the whole construction. The ideal and concern with perfection of order and balance caused the architects to use wider columns on the corners of the structure to offset the visual reduction of their size due to the bright light of the sky behind them jibe to Firer. In addition, the Parathions pediment was decorated symmetrically and balanced with relief carvings of the Greek Gods featuring the king of the gods, Zeus, directly in the center.Similar to the revival of the classical style in Renaissance sculpture, the principles of the Classical Greek architecture were the inspiration for building during the Renaissance. Saint Pewters Basilica (1506-1612 C. E. ) is a catholic church constructed during the high Renaissance. Ten architects worked on its construction including Donate Aberrant, who started the project, and Mich elangelo, who knowing of the dome (The World Book Encyclopedia). Similarly to the Parthenon, it is intended for worshiping and is located in the middle of a religious area, Vatican City.It is dedicated to Saint Peter who is considered the fist pontiff of the Christian Church and whose remains lay beneath the building. Saint Pewters Basilica has also some decorative features that resemble the Greek temple. The columns in the fade are inspired by the Classical Style although they are a different order, Corinthian, and above the columns there is a pediment. Crowning the fade are thirteen statues upon the balustrade, which although are not exactly the same, they mimic the ones in the Parthenon.The figure in the center is Jesus, king of heaven, and the rest are Saint John the Baptist and eleven apostles. The major differences between the two temples are the construction methods. Saint Pewters Basilica uses mortar, and it has stone arches inside supporting the ceiling, which are constru ction techniques developed by the Romans. The floor plan is a Latin cross that is inspired by the medieval cathedrals. In addition, the building is crowned with a huge dome, which is an architectural feature and innovation from the Renaissance.Although the Renaissance architecture is more complex than the Classical, the architects included key classically styled features in their designs and the Classical ideal of proportion and order in their construction. After examining the sculpture and architecture from these two periods, it is clear that they have a direct relationship to each other. The renaissance borrowed the Classical principles of order, harmony, and proportion from the Greeks. This is clear in the comparison of the two statues. In the lawsuit of the architecture, the Renaissance took the Classical elements, but they utilized more advanced techniques.Although the Renaissance was a brilliant period in which innovation and creativity was rich, the use of the Classical exam ples and the honoring of them clearly confirm their timeless and lasting influence. Works Cited Firer, Gloria. The Humanistic Tradition Volume l. 5th edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ Pearson-Prentice Hall, 2005. Print. Cambric, E. H. The Story of Art. fifteenth edition. All Saints Street, London Phaeton Press Limited, 1999. Print The World Book Encyclopedia. Merchandise Mart Plaza, Chicago Field Enterprises Educational Corporation. 1962. Print.