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Styles in sculptures Essay Romans and Greeks have created arts of antiquity. One of the major arts that they ever crafted are sculptures. They are pieces of art that hold diverse functions such as decoration of temples, celebration of the dead or well-known public figure, commemoration of victory and offer to the gods. Those sculptures carry a specific style in accordance to the period that they are made. The sculptures entitled Nike Adjusting Her Sandals and the Discus Thrower (Diskobolos), are two renowned sculptures that demonstrate richness and exceptional styles of Greek antiquity art. Nike Adjusting Her Sandals is a low relief statue carved during the 410-407 B. C by Praxiteles. It is taken from a portion and fragment of the Temple of Athena Nike Parapet (Scott). It delineates Nike, the goddess of victory, bending and stooping to fix a strap of her sandal. The artist reveals his enthusiasm in the discovery and exploration between the drapery and the female anatomy (Hope). The aforementioned stature demonstrates a relief kind of sculpture. It means that the subject has been drawn on a flat surface and further developed in order to achieve its physical form and appearance. It presents in varying degrees a two-dimensional background however, Praxiteles has managed to create a masterpiece where the figure is treated in a relief form but gives a three-dimensional effect on its spectators. Furthermore, the sculpture itself reveals the Greek Classical style of sculpture. It illustrates lively movement, freedom of expression and autonomy of mankind because it is the period when artists started to expand and go outside the formal aesthetic boundaries. They began to articulate human figures in a naturalistic manner (â€Å"Sculpture of the Greek Classical Period†). Nike Adjusting Her Sandal has clearly portrayed that form because the figure itself depicts Nike adjusting a strap of her sandal. It exemplifies freedom in expression because Praxiteles has chosen to create a subject that is exceptionally unfamiliar. He has decided to sculpt the very moment when Nike stoops down. Moreover, it gives an impression of movement within a space. On the other hand, the Discus Thrower (Diskobolos), a Roman version of the lost original Greek bronze sculpture, is created by Myron during the peak of the Classical period amidst 460-450 B. C. In the piece of art, a discus thrower is portrayed in a manner that is about to release his throw (â€Å"Discobolus†). The Discus Thrower is a round sculpture because the subject can be seen in any direction, in any angle, even from above, from below and from behind. It is also free-standing and is fully developed from all perspectives. It also characterizes a Classical style of sculpture primarily because of its subject and the manner that it is rendered. It represents a perfect athletic manifestation. Moreover, it reveals the contrapusto form of sculpture. The mentioned sculpture belongs in the Classical realm because the figure is carved in a realistic manner, portraying the action prior to the throw. Myron’s approach in his piece also illustrates freedom of articulation and boastful, vigorous and convincing movement. The thrower’s muscles and concentrated expression make a strong impression (â€Å"Marble Statue: Discus Thrower†) and lively effect on the spectator. Furthermore, the Discus Thrower is a powerful representation of the Greek sense of harmony and balance (Petronius). Myron divulges mastery of style. On the contrary, there are controversies with regards to the pose of the thrower. Consequently, it is said to delineate an unnatural pose to a human and is considered as an inefficient way to throw the discus. However, the inefficient posture is defended and considered to be because of the ancient Olympic sportsmen’s set of rotation of three quarters prior to the throw. The two sculptures namely Nike Adjusting Her Sandal and Discus Thrower are the same in style because both of them portray Classical sculpture. On the contrary, they are very much different because the two artists, Praxiteles and Myron, render their subjects differently which can be justified into several reasons. First, the types of sculpture that the two objects are presented. Nike Adjusting Her Sandal is a relief sculpture. In contrast, Discus Thrower is a round one. Second, their manifestations are not both natural, which means that the artists have not been loyal and devoted to nature. Nike Adjusting Her Sandal is rendered without a head. The only natural treatment with it is its intricate drapery. On the other hand, the Discus Thrower’s pose is considered to be unnatural. The natural element on it concentrates on the rendition of human figure—its physical features and characteristics. Nike Adjusting Her Sandal and Discus Thrower are primarily different because the former is created by a Greek and the latter is crafted by a Roman even though it is patterned from the original Greek sculpture. Moreover, the distinctions between them lie on their physical depictions even though they both demonstrate similar style. The Greek and Roman sculptures are powerful and strong illustrations of advanced artistic development of the period and of the continent. Nike Adjusting Her Sandal and Discus Thrower reveal the Classical style of sculpture and the two types of sculpture namely relief and round, during those times. Their respective artists present mastery in skills and styles. Praxiteles divulges his mastery in intricate and elaborate drapery. On the contrary, Myron expresses it on the contrapusto form of the figures. Works Cited â€Å"Discobolus. † 2009. Absolute Astronomy. 08 April 2009. http://www. absoluteastronomy. com/topics/Discobolus Hope, Kenneth. â€Å"Nike Adjusting Her Sandal, Temple of Athena Nike, Acropolis.16 May 2007. What Do I Know? 08 April 2009. http://idliketocallyourattentionto. blogspot. com/2007/05/nike-adjusting-her-sandal-temple-of. html â€Å"Marble Statue: Discus Thrower. † 2009. Alibaba. com. 08 April 2009. http://www. alibaba. com/product-gs/204358242/Marble_statue_Discus_Thrower_. html Petronius, Satyricon. n. d. Diskobolos. 08 April 2009. http://penelope. uchicago. edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/miscellanea/museums/discobolus. html Scott, Zack â€Å"The Nike. † 4 December 1996. Visual Arts 11. 08 April 2009. http://orpheus. ucsd. edu/va11/nike. html.