This document provides an overview of the history and evolution of figurative sculpture across different eras and cultures. It discusses key developments and influences in pre-historic, Greek, Gothic, Renaissance, modern Western, and Asian eras. Specific works are referenced that demonstrate dominant styles and concepts within each period, such as emphasis on philosophy in Greek sculpture, use of spirals in pieces like Venus de Milo, and emphasis on simplicity and posture in pieces like the Miroku Bosatsu statue from Japan. The document also contrasts Western and Eastern approaches to depicting the five natural elements. It examines the impact of African art on modern sculptors like Picasso and changing styles in the 20th century including Cubism.

1. Figurative Sculpture History
Sculpture
Manami Ishimura

2. Pre-History Era –Pregnancy and Magic

3. Greek Era – Philosophy and Principles
AlexandLourve ros of Antioch, Vénus de Milo, c. 130 and 100 BCE, Museum in France.
• In Greek era, sculptors were infuluenced by Greek
philosophy and other studies such as Astronomy,
Mathematics, Aesthetics. Golden Ratio is one of
examples how visual art at the time inspired by the
mathematical study.
• Vénus de Milo’s posture is spiral structure for
beautiful existence; the movement of the spiral
seems to elevate and show a movement in the
posture. You can see the spiral form following the
shadow from the right hip to the foot, the right
shoulder to left waist, and the right side of the head
to the neck. Thus, Greek sculpture tends to create a
spiral form.

4. Gothic Era - Christianity
• The Church’s building program stimulated
the development of new architectural
techniques. These techniques came together
during the mid-late 12th century in a style
which Renaissance architects later dubbed
“Gothic Architecture.”
• In essence, the Gothic cathedral was
intended to represent the Universe in
miniature –a unique pieces of Christian art
designed to convey a sense of God’s power
and glory and the rational ordered nature of
his worldly plan.

5. Renaissance Era - Humanity
• The Italian Renaissance was inspired by
the “rediscovery” of, and reverence for,
the arts of Classical Antiquity, especially in
the field of architecture and sculpture.
• Renaissance art was also coloured by a
strong belief in Humanism and the nobility
of Man. It began in Florence, being
inspired by individuals such as the
architect Filippo Brunelleschi (1377-1446),
the sculptor Donatello (1386-1466), the
painter Tommaso Masaccio and the
theorist Leon Battista Alberti (1404-72),
and financed by the Medici Family.
Michelangelo, Night (Tomb of Giuliano de’ Medici), Basilica of
San Lorenzo Florence, 1526-1534

6. Modern Era – 19th -20th
• In many ways, the nineteenth century
was an age of crisis for sculpture. In
simple terms, architectural
development had largely exhausted
itself, religious patronage had declined
as a result of the French Revolution, and
the general climate of “populism,”began
to cause much confusion in the minds of
institutional and private patrons as to
what constituted acceptable subjects
(and styles) for sculptural
representation. Being involved in a
more expensive art-form than painters,
and thus dependent on high-cost
commissions, sculptors often found
themselves at the mercy of public
opinion in the form of town councils
and committees.
Squatting Woman, Auguste Rodin, 1882

7. Western / Eastern
Andreas Vesalius, Engraving, 1543. 42x27.7 inches. 張景岳(chokeigaku), 類経図翼(Ruikeizuyoku), 1624, 7.25 x 5 inches.

8. Five Elements of Nature in Western
• In Greece, Plato,was influenced by the
Pythagorean theorem. This started
modern Western philosophy. He
described in Timaeus that the world
consists of four elements: earth, fire, air,
and water, and these elements have
specific geometric forms; earth is cube,
fire is tetrahedron, air is octahedron,
water is icosahe(i)dron. Also, Plato
proposed each elements’ character and
reasons; for example, fire is lightest and
smallest because it can easily invade and
destroy everything, water is a largest,
smoothest, and heaviest because it flows
smoothly into the earth. Plato described
these elements as a puzzle describing a
mechanistic system.

9. Five Elements of Nature in Eastern
• On the other hand, although Chinese
philosophy also has five specific
elements; water, wood, fire, earth,
and metal, their function is to show
the natural circulation of interactions.
These elements are just turning
points of phenomena. Also, the five
elements of Chinese philosophy are
described in relationship to other
elements; wood makes fire, fire
makes earth (like magma), earth
makes metal (like gold), metal makes
water, water makes wood. Thus,
Chinese philosophy, when talking
about the five elements, always
seeks the cycles of nature rather than
specific forms of the elements.

10. Asian
Gandhara Buddha Statue, The end of 2ACE, in Pakistan, H250cm.

11. Emphasis on Movement

12. Emphasis on Pattern

13. 弥勒菩薩半跏思惟像(Mirokubosatsuhankasiyuizo), c. 6 to 7 ACE, 広隆寺(horyuji) in Japan.
Emphasis on Simplicity
It narrowly keeps the form of a human body. This image does
not have muscular and skeletal details, but has a simplified
body structure and a sophisticated posture and atmosphere.

14. Oceanian / Native American / African Art

15. Emphasis on Static
Totem Pole Model, Haida, 1875-85

16. Emphasis on Symbol
African Bronze Statuette, 19c, Fertility Figure from Ghana

17. Emphasis on Character
Fang Mask

18. Emphasis on Totem
White Ogre Tihu (Katsina Figure), Hopi, Native American 1900

19. Ancient Karawari River Cave Figure, New Guinea

20. Male Figure, InyaiEwa, Papua New Guinea Middle Sepik, Korewori Rive

22. Modern Era- 20th
• Western sculpture really began to change at the turn of the 21st
century. For the influence of tribal cultures on the development of
20th century sculpture, “primitive art.”
• In particular, note the impact of African sculptures on modern
sculptor of the Ecole of Paris.

23. Cubism
Head of a Woman, Pablo Picasso, 1909

24. African Sculpture / Picasso
From left: Ritual Mask, Ammassalik, Greenland, Inuit culture (1930-1934); Pablo Picasso, 'Head of a Bearded
Man' (1938).

25. Cubism
La Vie Familiale (Family Life), Alexander Archipenko,
1912, height approx. 6 feet (1.8 m)

27. A Venic Lady VIII, Alberto Giacometti, 1956

28. 弥勒菩薩半跏思惟像(Mirokubosatsuhankasiyuizo), c. 6 to 7 ACE, 広隆寺(horyuji) in Japan.

29. The Kiss, Constantin Brancusi, 1907

30. Totem Pole Model, Haida, 1875-85

31. Romanian, Constantin Brancusi, 1876-1957

32. African Headdress: Male Antelope, Ci Wara

33. Two Forms, Henri Moore, 1934

34. Bird Figure, ca. 1500 B.C. – A.D. 1600, Mount Hagan region

36. Asmat bis poles from
Indonesian New Guinea

37. Resource
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