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Seated Boxer And David: Sculpture Analysis

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Sculptures of Seated Boxer and David Introduction Each artistic style can be influenced by the previous period of time or the artist’s personal preferences. There are also many similar themes of athletic sculptures that were made in the different periods. In order to understand the similarities and differences in artistic styles and the meaning behind the sculptures, it is helpful to compare works of two periods, the Greek Hellenistic period and the early Italian Renaissance. The two sculptures are Seated Boxer from the Greek Hellenistic period and David by Donatello from the early Italian Renaissance. The meaning behind each sculpture is somewhat different. One reflects Greek idealism while the other one reflects a symbol of civic pride …show more content…

The Hellenistic Period artists created many Greek sculptures for the certain purposes of impressing with the wealth of individuals or commissioned for their private enjoyment. The Seated Boxer (Figure 1) was found in Rome on the slopes of the Quirinale in 1885 where the Baths of Constantine stood (Tinti 2015). The exact date and the artist of Seated Boxer were marked as unknown. This sculpture has become an intense topic because of its theme during the time. A lot of people were guessing who was this figure? Since Greek sculptures were made as a symbol of a victory, some people believed the boxer was the athlete, Polydamas. He was an athlete of legendary strength and is represented as a heroic mythical athlete. Stylists Analysis- Seated Boxer Seated Boxer is a masterpiece of Greek ancient sculpture by an unknown artist. Seated Boxer is a life-size nude boxer in bronze. He rests on a stone and his eyes are looking further into the distance (Pollitt 1986). The height of the Seated Boxer is approximately 140 cm in a seated position. Unlike the Greek Classical style, it is simple, balanced, and expressive of a classical figure. Hellenistic sculptors began …show more content…

This nude sculpture shows a feminine aspect. For example, David stands with the left thigh exposed. The way he holds a sword and the way he leans his weight (contrapposto), all perfectly stand out the character of David. Contrappdosto is an Italian word meaning an asymmetrical arrangement of the human figure where the lines of the arms and shoulders are contrasted in order to balance the hips and legs while standing. In other words, Donatello’s David is very sensual, especially his sexual expression. This sculpture is a mixture of female and male traits; its idea is to describe the realism without mythical and big muscles as was found in the Hellenistic period. Donatello’s David shows realism more than it does an ideal condition of man as in the Greek Hellenistic period. There are a few ways to tell. First, David’s skinny body and his arrogant expression reveal a confident man and anon-mythical expression that would not have been made as artwork during the Hellenistic period. Second, David shows the physically small instead of big figure and delicate figure of humans. This is important because he has the ability to beat Goliath even though he is much bigger than David (Allen

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