Module 6 blogpost 1

 


The ancient Greeks viewed the nude form very differently than we do today. Male nudes were the ideal form. Women were depicted as clothed in the ancient times. Female nudes were rare at this time in comparison to the countless male nudes. 

Most classical artists' goal was to create a convincing illusion for their viewers. Artists who sculpted the images of gods and goddesses tried to make their statues appear like a real life figure. An example of this is the sculpture Aphrodite of Knidos by Praxiteles, who was one of the most renown sculptors of the 4th century BC. He was also the first to sculpt a nude female form in a life size statue. This sculpture was so lifelike that legends were spread about the statue coming to life and speaking to people. 

The "Aphrodite of Knidos" was one of Praxiteles' most famous works, and quite possibly one of the most famous sculptures of Classical Greece. His work inspired artists for centuries to come. 

This sculpture was sculpted in the 4th century. The original sculpture does not still exist in the modern day, but many copies of it do. It's hard to know exactly what the original looks like because many artist may have added their own flare. 

Although the sculpture was considered erotic to some, the depiction itself is really not explicitly sensual. The sculpture depicts a moment in time when the goddess had just taken her clothes and draped them over a kylix, which is an ancient Greek cup that has a shallow bowl and a tall stem. She is modestly shielding her pelvis area and is about to step into a bath. 




Comments

  1. Audrey DeStefanoDecember 13, 2020 at 6:59 PM

    This was a very informative post, and was very detailed and well-written. It leaves me wondering about the lack of female nudity compared to the abundance of male nudity in this time period. Was this because of a purity culture that is still, in some places, pushed heavily today?

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