Marble Sculpture
Definitely the most frequently used material in sculpture, marble's translucency and durability has made it the medium for all great sculptors. Prominent Greek artists like Phidias, Myron, Polykleitos, and Praxiteles used this for the majority of their sculpting works. Ever since the invention of metal tools in the Bronze Age, marble has being greatly praised by architects and sculptors alike. In the Renaissance, Michelangelo (1475-1564) described stone sculpture as the general release of a form as it emerged out of the block. He saw sculpting stone as the liberation of a human form trapped inside the stone's surface.
The stone that is known as a metamorphic rock formed as a result of changes in the structure of sedimentary or igneous rock from extreme heat or pressure. Sculptors especially liked marble as it remained relatively soft and easy to work with when used. It does become extremely hard and dense with age, but that strengthens the durability and preserving quality of the stone. Of course, marble can also be features in a variety of shades and patterns. White marble is greatly respected for fine art sculpture because of its resistance to shattering. In addition, the stone allows light to penetrate into the stone, similar to human skin. This results in the waxy human-like look that it attains, and it can be beautified with greater polishing. Since marble is a much more fine grain, it allows the sculptor to create vivid details.
In terms of history, stone sculpture was usually made from limestone in Classical Antiquity. Only in the era of Greek Archaic sculpture (c. 650-480 BCE), marble was used on a regular basis. It was initially used to make the standing nude male and the draped female. In Classical Greek sculpture, (c. 480-323), bronze sculpture became equally important in Roman sculpture. The discovery of marble stone was an important factor in its general use of sculpture.
Some famous examples of marble sculpture are featured below:
The Three Graces
(2nd Century)
Kleobis and Biton
(610-580 BCE)
Dying Gaul (240)
Bronze Copy
Due to this rich history, Greek and Roman sculpture became strongly associated with marble works. It was a reason as to why Renaissance artists rejuvenated the art from Classical Antiquity in its original stone. After the Renaissance, marble was the predominant material of choice for classicalism all the way to the 17th century Baroque sculpture. The use of marble had such a great reputation and identity that the superiority of marble was propagated in all European academies, until the 20th century.
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