Ever since the discipline of art was invented as a possible medium of expressing human thought and imagination, the human figure has been a recurrent theme in artistic creations across all cultures and regions. In fact, human figure can be said to be the most prevalent of all the themes for artistic creations; and human figures have found place in even the cave paintings of the Paleolithic age –the oldest period in the history of humans. However as man and his culture evolved over time, the portrayal of human figure and form in art has also changed drastically – each culture and era presenting very distinct forms and features. It is indeed interesting to study how the human figure and form in the different art forms across the different cultures have evolved over time – how the depiction of human form and figure reflect the preeminent values with reference to the social, political and philosophical context in which they were created.
The Human Form in Art Through the Ages – A Brief Introduction
The artistic creations of the prehistoric times (Paleolithic and Neolithic eras extending from about 30000 BCE – 4000 BCE), viz. the cave paintings and sculptural carvings found in France and across Europe reveal that the human figure and anatomy have fascinated man since the prehistoric times. The earliest representation of human forms include the female figurines – the Venus of Willendorf, the Venus of Laussel etc – exemplifying the female features of fecundity and plentitude and other forms that incorporate human and animal features. These and other prehistoric artistic creations reveal the remarkable sense of human form, however are considered to be associated with the livelihood of the tribal societies of the times.
The human form can be considered to have assumed a kind of perfection during the Mesopotamian era, when the human face began to be distinctly carved as compared to the vague carvings of human figure in prehistoric art. Since the Mesopotamian era, the depiction of human have undergone drastic changes, having been influenced by the culture and the socio-political and philosophical values of the time as well as from other contemporaneous and/or earlier cultures. The following passages present a discussion on the some key examples of artistic creations from the different periods and regions in an attempt towards understanding the social, political and philosophical values that have influenced the artist in his creation
Human forms in Mesopotamian Art
Mesopotamian civilization refers to the culture of the diverse people –Sumerians, Akkadians, Babylonians, Assyrians and Neo-Babylonians – who occupied the land between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers from about 3500 to 539 BC. While human forms are found in art forms across these different dynasties in Mesopotamia, it was during the Akkadian (c.2370-2230 BC) period that artistic representation of human figure and features reached the pinnacle in terms of quality and uniqueness.
The imperial influence of the Akkadian art is
evident from the shift in focus of theme from
the religious deities and proceedings to kings,
rulers and warriors and war and violence. Compared
to the abstract forms of human figures in the
Sumerian art, the Akkadian art is more naturalistic,
with the sensitively sculpted strong and finely
shaped features – a key example being the
12” Head of an Akkadian Ruler, from Nineveh
(Kuyunjik), Iraq, circa 2300 - 2200 B.C. [Tansey
and Kleiner, 1996; 2-12 ] carved in bronze
often identified with the king Naram Sin presents
the nimble artistic talent of the Akkadian era.
The human heads of Akkadian period often represented
the ruler or king, whose has an elaborately braided
crown or headdress and an elaborately curled beard.
While the head of Akkadian rulers were a common
work of art, the 6’6” high diorite
(sandstone) victory stele of King Naram Sin from
Susa (Louvre, Paris) [Tansey and Kleiner,
1996; 2-13] is the most remarkable artistic
monument of this period. The stele illustrates
the victory of Naram-Sin, fourth holy king of
the Semite dynasty of Akkad and considered the
universal monarch, over the mountain people of
western Iran . He is depicted as climbing the
mountain at the head of his troops. His figure
is larger than those of his warriors, has a long
beard and his crown bears the horns representative
of godly power. The figure of the king –
the face and stature – signifies the image
of an ideal human conqueror, proudly recording
his victory before the divine power, represented
by the stars. The stele marvelously represents
the valor and fervor of the Akkadian monarchy.
Human forms in Egyptian Art
Egypt is said to be first civilization to have
taken art earnestly, as art was an essential aspect
of their spiritual beliefs. Egyptians believed
that the pharaoh's spirit was immortal and created
artistic abodes – human figures carved in
stone – for the enduring spirit to live
after the death of the mortal body.
Egyptian artists were the first to formulate
strict guidelines for the representation of human
figure in sculptures and paintings -- figures
are always portrayed with a frontal view of the
eye and torso and profile view of head, arms,
and legs. The figures are depicted as standing
or sitting with a formal and rigid posture, are
highly idealized and are clothed. The size of
a figure indicates the position of the subject
-- pharaohs represented as huge, massive figures.
[ Skuzzy,2004]
The sculpture of Mycerinus and His Queen created
circa 2470 BC in slate , height of 56 “
is a typical example of the representation of
human figure in Egyptian art. The bodies of the
pharaoh and his queen appear rigid and formal
signifying authority, and the forward striding
left foots portrays royalty. [ Skuzzy,2004]
The faces are composed and the natural look is
idealized, to immortalize the subject. The figures
are geometrically proportionate, and suggest the
influence of Aristotlean mathematics. The figures
are attached to a solid platform, and as the spaces
between their limbs are the figures have a very
formal and enduring appearance.
Human forms in Indian
Art
While the history of Indian art and sculpture
dates back to the Indus Valley civilization that
flourished around 2700 –1500 B.C.E, only
little artworks have been discovered from this
civilization. The most significant human figure
of this era is the Male nude from Harappa
(c. 2500-1700 BC) made of stone and 3.5 inches
high, with well-formed muscular composition and
realistic form. While the figure is incomplete
depicting essentially the torso up to the legs
and its head, arms, legs and penis have been broken
off, the figure reveals unusual strength and glossy
exterior representing the texture of warm skin.
The nude figure adroitly expresses the proportions
of a human male figure, though the belly is slightly
protruded – representative of the Indian
yogic philosophy, signifying breath.
Human art form in India, can be said to have
achieved perfection, much later during the Buddhist
period, particularly during the 1 st to 5 th century
A.D. when statues Buddha, the enlightened self,
were carved representing his human figure –
face glowing with enlightenment and subtly modeled
body with the finely curved hands and half -closed
eyes revealing divinity.
Human forms in Greek Hellenistic Art
While the classical art in Greek focused on
idealism, the art of the Hellenistic era extending
323- 31 BC, moved on to naturalism, as human figures
began to be represented more realistically. The
focus of Hellenistic art shifted from religious
themes towards more realistic, at times dramatic
human expression accentuating the emotional and
spiritual zeal. Human figures were depicted in
dramatic posturing , often presented as embracing
or leaning towards its physical surroundings ,
and viewed from distinct perspectives, as compared
to the formal postures of the classical period.
[Tansey and Kleiner, 1996 ]
It was during Hellenistic period that female
nudity became popular in art as amplified by the
statues of Venus. Aphrodite of Melos (Venus
de Milo)an exemplary sculpture from Alexandros
of Antioch, son of Menides, during 130 - 120 BC
carved in marble, about 2.02 m. (Louvre Paris,
France) is considered and admired, even today,
as the personification of the beauty of human
figure. [Lahanas , 2004] The
Hellenistic sculptor adeptly represents the inner
feelings, thoughts, and attitudes through the
depiction of physical characteristics and postures
– the ideal proportions of the Venus, the
fragile curls of the hair, the high waste, the
sharp twist of the leg, and the seductive Praxitelean
“S” curve of the torso finely represent
the feminine qualities and feelings and add a
unique personality to the statue.
Human forms in Renaissance Art
Beginning around 1350, the Renaissance period
marked the rebirth of European art, culture and
science, as the artists gained inspiration from
ancient Greek art. Compared to the artistic creations
of the middle ages, Renaissance art accomplished
a much greater realism and accuracy in its depiction
of the human figure through the use of mathematically
and geometrically framed principles of proportion
and perspective.
Michelangelo's Creation of Adam (1508-
1512) from the Sistine Ceiling is one of the most
prominent examples of human art form during the
Renaissance period – the mighty and breathtaking
painting on the vault demonstrating Michelangelo's
masterly grasp of human anatomy and movement.
The painting influenced by the rise of Christianity,
is considered to have greatly influenced the art
of painting in the West. The painting juxtaposes
potential nobility of man against the sublimity
of God as Adam reclines on the barren earth –
the human figure assuming a concavity of reception
whereas the divine form is given the convexity
of deliverance. In the regulation and nobility
of the proportions, in the rhythm of the forms
and the flow of their profiles, and the depth
and force of feeling that moves through every
plane, Adam is considered to be one of the most
beautiful and technically perfect human figures
ever portrayed.
Human forms in Baroque Art
The European art history underwent a transition
in the 17 th century as the cultural movement
called Baroque emerged in Rome shifting the emphasis
from idealization of beauty typical of Renaissance
to representing life and world more realistically.
Baroque art revealed actual life, with both sensual
and unpleasant elements left intact. During this
period European painters experimented with a broader
range of subjects. Religious and mythological
themes again became active themes for artistic
creations. In Baroque sculpture, human forms presented
exuberance -- dynamic movement and energy as the
figures spiraled around an bare central vortex,
or reached outwards into the surrounding space.
One of the striking examples of representation
of human form in Baroque art is the statue of
Prometheus by Nicolas-Sébastien
Adam, created in 1737 in Marble, height 115 [Author
Unknown 1, 2004] cm. -- a classic work
of mythology with the powerful contrasts of stress
and extreme emotion as the vulture devours his
stomach, the human figure of Prometheus assuming
a flying posture typical of Baroque art, dramatized
with multiple angles and viewpoints
Human forms in Twentieth Century European
Art
During the 20th century artists began to look
for way to be more expressive, as artistic styles
such as expressionism, abstraction and cubism
emerged. The art during this time was greatly
influenced by the theories and experimentations
of science. The human form lost significant in
art as emotion became the essential focus of the
artist, and interpretation was often left to the
viewer – the human form was often lost in
the smudges or represented by the geometric figures
and perspectives often merging with the surroundings.
Pablo Picasso's portrait of art dealer Daniel-Henry
Kahnweiler created in 1910 typically represent
the human form in modern 20 th century art. [Author
Unknown 2, 2003] Picasso breaks up the
human figure and objects in his composition as
he explores the possibilities of time and space.
The style called cubism rejects the rendering
of human figure as distinctly recognizable forms,
as they are represented from different several
points of view. While Kahnweiler’s head,
suit, hands etc, and also the still life to the
left remain distinct, the elements of the figure
are broken up and rearranged across the picture
surface. The style represents the contingent nature
of viewing the human figure.
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