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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. [Huntington,
1985; p. 6]
Human art form in India, can be said to have achieved
perfection, much later during the Buddhist period,
particularly during the 1st to 5th 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. [Hartt, 1986; 499:500]
Human forms in Baroque Art
The European art history underwent a transition
in the 17th 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 Unknown1,
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 20th century art. [Author
Unknown2, 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.
Conclusion
In conclusion it can be said that human form and
figure has been a recurrent theme for artistic
creation across the different culture and time
periods. As art and culture has evolved historically,
so has human form, each depiction representing
the social, religious, philosophic and political
values of the time of its creation.
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