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    History of The Figure in Art

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    crazyleo74
    The representation of the human figure in art has evolved throughout history alongside changes in human needs and artistic expression. Early figures primarily served religious and communication purposes, while later portraits captured living images. Sculpture achieved realism before two-dimensional drawings and paintings. Stylistic conventions for depicting the figure developed in ancient Egypt and Greece/Rome before gaining increased realism and perspective in the Renaissance. The invention of photography in the 19th century profoundly impacted figure painting, leading artists to depict more genre scenes and experimental styles. In the 20th century, figure representation ranged from abstract to realistic across a variety of media and purposes.

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    History of The Figure in Art

    Uploaded by

    crazyleo74
    214 views48 pages
    The representation of the human figure in art has evolved throughout history alongside changes in human needs and artistic expression. Early figures primarily served religious and communication purposes, while later portraits captured living images. Sculpture achieved realism before two-dimensional drawings and paintings. Stylistic conventions for depicting the figure developed in ancient Egypt and Greece/Rome before gaining increased realism and perspective in the Renaissance. The invention of photography in the 19th century profoundly impacted figure painting, leading artists to depict more genre scenes and experimental styles. In the 20th century, figure representation ranged from abstract to realistic across a variety of media and purposes.

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    History of the Figure in Art

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    The representation of the human figure in art has evolved throughout history alongside changes in human needs and artistic expression. Early figures primarily served religious and communication purposes, while later portraits captured living images. Sculpture achieved realism before two-dimensional drawings and paintings. Stylistic conventions for depicting the figure developed in ancient Egypt and Greece/Rome before gaining increased realism and perspective in the Renaissance. The invention of photography in the 19th century profoundly impacted figure painting, leading artists to depict more genre scenes and experimental styles. In the 20th century, figure representation ranged from abstract to realistic across a variety of media and purposes.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as ppt, pdf, or txt
    214 views48 pages

    History of The Figure in Art

    Uploaded by

    crazyleo74
    The representation of the human figure in art has evolved throughout history alongside changes in human needs and artistic expression. Early figures primarily served religious and communication purposes, while later portraits captured living images. Sculpture achieved realism before two-dimensional drawings and paintings. Stylistic conventions for depicting the figure developed in ancient Egypt and Greece/Rome before gaining increased realism and perspective in the Renaissance. The invention of photography in the 19th century profoundly impacted figure painting, leading artists to depict more genre scenes and experimental styles. In the 20th century, figure representation ranged from abstract to realistic across a variety of media and purposes.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as ppt, pdf, or txt
    of 48
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    The representation of figures in art has changed as human needs and artistic expression evolved, from early religious purposes to highly creative and expressive modern styles.

    Early figures served communication and religious purposes, later portraits captured the living, and after cameras figure art became highly creative and expressive, represented through drawings, paintings and sculpture in various styles over history.

    Figures were often used in storytelling, especially mythology, with drawings still looking flat but sculptures very realistic, showing poses like contrapposto and realistic drapery.

    HISTORY OF

    THE FIGURE
    IN ART
    The representation of the figure in art
    changes as human needs and artistic
    expression evolved.

    Early figure images served only
    communication and religious
    purposes. Later, portraits captured
    images of the living. After the
    invention of the
    camera, figure art became highly
    creative and expressive.
    Throughout history, figures are
    represented as drawings, paintings,
    and sculpture.

    Sculpture achieved a realistic
    appearance before drawings and
    paintings of figures. However,
    drawing and painting used modern
    art styles to illustrate the figure before
    sculpture.

    PREHISTORIC FIGURES
    Line drawings of figures, similar to
    stick figures.
    Told stories and communicated
    before written language.


    PRE-COLUMBIAN FIGURES
    Figures were mostly stylized
    sculptures.
    Represented gods and other
    deities for worship and
    ceremonies.
    Figure Drawings on a Codex

    ANCIENT EGYPTIAN
    FIGURES
    Figure drawings were flat looking,
    with heads and feet in profile,
    while the body faced forward.
    Most important figures were
    shown larger than others.
    Profile head
    Forward facing torso
    Profile legs & feet
    ANCIENT GREEK AND
    ROMAN FIGURES
    Figures were often used in
    storytelling, especially mythology.
    Drawings were still flat looking,
    but sculptures were very realistic.
    Figure sculptures showed the
    classical contraposto pose and
    realistic looking drapery.
    Storytelling on Ceramic Vases & Urns
    Figures
    from
    Mythology
    Very realistic figure sculpture
    Eyes were blank or hollow
    Windows to the Soul
    Contrapposto Pose
    Realistic looking drapery

    MIDDLE AGES FIGURES
    Figures were beginning to
    develop a little more in form.
    Used in picturing religious and
    medieval scenes.
    Lack of
    Perspective
    Old looking
    children
    Mosaics & Tapestries
    Illuminated Manuscripts
    RENAISSANCE FIGURES
    With the discovery of perspective,
    figures had more realistic form.
    Figures continued in religious
    depictions, but also became
    popular as portraits of the clergy
    and wealthy patrons.
    In time, portraiture grew to include
    the middle class.
    Albert VII, Archduke of Austria
    and Marie de Medici
    Children became younger looking

    18
    TH
    CENTURY FIGURES

    Portraiture continued to be
    popular, sometimes including
    land, house, pet, or other prized
    possession.
    Figure painting also provided
    entertainment or delivered a
    message.
    Robert Andrews and His Wife by
    Thomas Gainsborough
    Children
    now looked
    like their
    appropriate
    young age

    19
    TH
    CENTURY FIGURES
    The invention of the camera had a
    profound effect on figures in art,
    especially portraiture.
    Artists began painting genre
    (figures in everyday life situations).
    Figure painting and sculpture
    changed from realistic to more
    impressionistic styles.
    The Doves by Richard MacDonald
    20
    TH
    CENTURY FIGURES
    Monuments were made to
    immortalize prominent figures in
    history.
    A wide variety of art styles create
    figures that are abstract,
    expressionistic, or realistic.
    Expensive portraits are usually only
    painted because of prestige.
    Statue of Liberty by Frederic Bartholdi
    Lincoln Memorial by Daniel Chester
    French
    Iwo Jima Memorial by Felix de
    Weldon

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