History of sculpture

The history of sculpture is varied and is illustrative of how sculpture has changed extensively over time.

Sculpture in Ancient times

Sculpture as an art form in fact goes all the way back to Prehistoric times. Most Stone Age statuettes were made of ivory or soft stone, however some clay human and animal figures have been found. Small female statues known as "Venus" statues have been found mainly in central Europe. The Venus of Willendorf (30,000 - 25,000 BC), from the area of Willendorf, Austria, is a well known example.

Later, in the Near East, (the area between the Tigris River and the Euphrates River), the Sumerian, Akkadian and Babylonian kingdoms flourished. Materials used for sculpture during this time included basalt, diorite (a type of dark, coarse-grained stone), sandstone and alabaster. Copper, gold, silver, shells and a variety of precious stones were used for high quality sculpture and inlays. Clay was used for pottery and terra cotta sculpture. Stone was generally rare and had to be imported from other locations.

Sculptures from the Sumerian and Akkadian period generally had large, staring eyes, and long beards on the men. Votive stone sculptures of this type from 2700 BC were discovered at Tell Asmar. Many masterpieces have also been found at the Royal Cemetery at Ur (2650 BC). Among them are a wooden harp with gold and mosaic inlay with a black bearded golden bull's head.

Sculpure in Babylonian times

The history of the Babylonian period is considered to begin with the reign of Hammurabi, in 1750 BC. Hammurabi was famous for his code of law. A bearded head, made of diorite, is believed to represent Hammurabi. The head has the wide open eyes, typical of the time period.

Also well known is the lamassu, a human headed winged lion from 883 - 859 BC. A unique feature of this piece is that it is carved with five legs, so that it can have four legs visible if viewed from the side. The piece was excavated at Nimrud (in northern Mesopotamia), and was donated to the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art by John D. Rockefeller, Jr. in 1932.

Sculpture in Ancient Egypt

One of the earliest examples of Egyptian sculpture is the Palette of King Narmer, from 3100 BC. The palette, which was used for mixing eye make-up, was carved in relief, and portrayed the victory of Upper Egypt over Lower Egypt.

The Sphinxes are another form of Egyptian sculpture. The Sphinxes were statues of dieties with the body of a lion and the head of an animal or a man, often made to look like the Pharoah. The most famous is the Great Sphinx of Giza, located near the pyramids. It is about 60 feet high and 240 feet long, and was built in 2500 BC.

Another example of Egyptian sculpture are the statues of the Pharoah Akhenaton and his Queen, Nefertiti (1350 BC). The statues are carved from limestone and are painted. There is also a very famous statue of Nefertiti from the same time period.

These are only a few of the many sculptures produced in Ancient Egypt. Many sculptures can now be seen at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.

Sculpture in the Renaissance

Michaelangelo did a number of statues, David being the most famous. Raphael also sculpted a statue called David. Most sculptures during the Renaissance were on religious themes.

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