Introduction
The culture of ancient Greece can be traced back to thousands of years ago, and it is considered to be the most powerful of the modern worlds, especially in western countries. Ancient Grecian thinkers laid the foundation of many fields of study, including arts. Great Grecian thinkers and intellectuals are found in areas of studies such as mathematics, engineering, arts, and medicines. The concept of beauty was initiated in Ancient Greece, and it was based on a pleasing balance and proportion of form. Besides, the columned Greek temples significantly influenced the art of architecture and it I still being embraced in the modern world. Besides, the ancient Greece sculptures are still being used to determine the ideal standard for the human forms 1 Therefore, the ancient Greek arts have left a legacy in the modern world, and the influence will continue for thousands of years to come.
The legacy of Ancient Greek Arts on Capturing Beauty
Ancient Greeks paid much attention to the aesthetic, which generally refers to the study of beauty. They were highly obsessed with beauty, which is still being seen on some of the Ancient Greek arts. 2 Although ancient Greece's great personality like Plato and Aristotle had entirely different views and perception on arts, they both agreed that any art should beautiful while at the same time useful. Consequently, due to the influence of the ancient Greece Arts, the concept of aesthetic has increasingly become common in the modern era. Almost every artistic picture or painting in the modern world is aimed at depicting some level of beauty. Artists in the present era are striving to come up with the most beautiful pieces of arts that are useful and make meanings. The statue of the goddess Aphrodite that was designed during the ancient Greek era is still being used as a standard to measure beauty.
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The statue of the goddess Aphrodite, which represents the God of beauty in the ancient Greek, is motivating modern artists to strive towards perfection. 3 Aphrodite was nicknamed "the mother of beauty," and it has inspired artists for more than two centuries now. Artists in the present day always imitate some of the most beautiful arts that were designed by the ancient Greek artists. Hence, artistic or aesthetic beauty can be traced back to the ancient Greece era, especially after the designing of the Aphrodite statue that symbolizes beauty.
Yasunari Ikenaga is one of the modern artists who is known to convey the concept of beauty in his artistic works. He is using pictures to communicate the concept and meaning of contemporary beauty. Like many modern artists, Ikenaga is using ancient Greece arts such as Aphrodite statue to define beauty. Ikenaga’s painting shows that many artists are striving to achieve perfection in their arts. One of Ikenaga’s arts is shown below, and it is showing the modern definition of a beautiful woman.
In the ancient Greek, beauty was mainly associated with the human form, including some of the objects in the natural world. Unlike earlier Greece civilization that was obsessed with the unreachable world of gods, the ancient Greed focused more on the human form, particularly the human body. 4 As a result, many ancient Greek people created art of human scale. The ancient Greek artists started depicting the human body in a more realistic way the obsession of capturing human body became common in ancient Greece arts, and it had a significant influence on all arts that followed. Capturing human form influenced how people, especially women perceive their bodies. For instance, in the 1980s, many women started questioning their body curves, particularly after the emergence of supermodels who constantly appeared in magazines, including television screens. The supermodel body curves were influenced by the ancient Greece arts that focused on different human forms. Recently, a new trend emerged where artists create a beautiful artificial body through the use of modern technologies.
Therefore, the ancient Greece arts left a profound legacy on how the modern world perceive and view the concept of beauty as well as body forms. Just like the ancient Greek culture, the modern society is concerned with beauty and perfect bodies. 5 Many women are striving to attain twiggy look. At the same time, present-day artists still apply idealism when creating or painting human body. The concept of beauty and human body forms were substantially influenced by the ancient Greek arts that are still found in many museums across the globe.
The legacy of Ancient Greek Arts on Architectural Arts
Ancient Greek used their artistic skills to build temples for their gods and goddesses as a way of honoring them. The temples were designed in different forms, especially based on their columns. The temples were built in three main forms. The first type of the temple was known are Doric and it was created by the Dorian tribe that lived in the Greek mainland. The Doric style was simple, and it was not always decorated with other artistic features. Importantly, the columns in Doric style is fluted; it is sturdy and plain at the top. The use of Doric art is common in many western countries, and it is used in private houses as well as public buildings. For instance, in the USA, the Doric art was used to build and design the Justice Hall, which is located in the New York City. Therefore, even though Doric art is no longer used to make temples for gods and goddesses as in the case of ancient Greece, it is used in the construction of various buildings, especially in the western world, including the USA. 6
The Ionic order or arts, on the other hand, was developed by the Ionian Greeks who were living along the coast of Asia that is currently known as Turkey. Unlike Doric, an Ionic art was more delicate and ornate. It has a double curve at the top, and they are more fluted than Doric art. Also, the feet of the columns have small bases to stand on instead of being placed on the floor 7 In the USA, the Ionic arts are common in Michigan where they have been used to build residential houses and public facilities. For instance, the art was used to Garden Sanctuary, Stockbridge, and many residential mansions, which is an indication that the art is still being applied in the modern world.
The third most popular architectural art that was used by ancient Greece and is still being applied in the modern world is Corinthian order or column. Corinthian art was first developed in the City of Corinth before Doric, and Ionic styles were developed. The Corinthian order has more variation than Doric and Ionic, and it has elaborate capital. Besides, it has a fancier face, which makes it more attractive, especially when compared to both Doric and Ionic. Corinthian arts were common in many temples in ancient Greece. Besides, it is still being used by the modern artists, especially those who are involved in the architectural design. For instance, the Corinthian art was used in designing Duveen’s Gallary in the New York City in the USA. Therefore, the architectural arts that were created in ancient Greece are still common in the modern world.
The legacy of Ancient Greek Sculpture on Modern Arts
The ancient Greek Sculpture took a lot of inspiration from Egyptian Art before they started depicting a unique Greek vision and inspiration. Sculptures were mainly used to capture human forms in a way that had never been imaged before in the artistic world 8 . Ancient Greek Sculptors were mainly concerned with idealized perfection, especially of the human body and figures. Besides, the ancient Greece sculptors paid much attention to Greek gods and goddesses when developing various sculptures. They used sculptures to show the meaning of worship and honoring gods and goddesses. Furthermore, ancient Greek sculptors used sculptures to show the secularization of their religion. For instance, the sculpture of Poseidon was the god of the sea, and ancient Greek artists developed it. 9
Ancient Greece sculpture had significant influence in the world. Many religious organizations used ancient Greek sculptures to develop and model images of their god and goddesses. The sculpture acted as the inspiration to many religious leaders in various parts of the world. As a result, there is no significant difference between sculptures of ancient Greek gods and the modern images or painting of gods and goddesses. At the same time, ancient Greece sculpture left a significant legacy on the design and development of American gravestones. The earliest gravestones that were used in America were not similar to those of the ancient Greeks. However, due to the attractiveness and uniqueness of ancient Greece Sculptures, Americans started imitating the arts in developing their gravestone, which has remained even in the modern times. 10
However, unlike the ancient Greece sculptures, the modern sculptures are highly polished through the use of modern technologies and attractive paints. Consequently, there is a slight difference between ancient Greece sculpture and modern sculptures, especially regarding physical appearance. Nonetheless, both the ancient and modern sculptures are used to convey common themes such as gender, body types, and religious issues. Besides, perfection is still maintained in the development of contemporary sculpture just like the way it was done in the ancient Greek.
Conclusion
Ancient Greece is believed to be the first major civilization in Europe and the whole world. As a result, it left a legacy in almost all sectors such as art, government, and science. Ancient Greek arts are still found in museums in various parts of the world, and they significantly inspire modern artists. The Concept of beauty and desire to come up with the perfect art that is common among current artists were influenced by the ancient Greece arts that were nearly perfect while at the same time unique. Ancient Greece arts were used to convey common themes such as religion, gender, and body forms, which still dominate the modern art industry. Therefore, ancient Greece arts have significant influence in the contemporary art.
Bibliography
Konstan, David. “The secret history of beauty: How the Greeks invented Western civilization’s biggest idea.” Salon , January 3, 2015. https://www.salon.com/2015/01/03/the_secret_history_of_beauty_how_the_greeks_inven ted_western_civilizations_biggest_idea/
Matus, Douglas. “Five Legacies of Ancient Greece.” Classroom , June 24, 2018. https://classroom.synonym.com/five-legacies-ancient-Greece-23079.html
Pountney, Michelle. “The ideal human form as manufactured in ancient times as it is today, as shown in The Body Beautiful exhibition at Bendigo Art Gallery.” Herald Sun, August 4, 2014. https://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/arts/the-ideal-human-form-as-manufactured-in-ancient-times-as-it-is-today-as-shown-in-the-body-beautiful-exhibition- at-Bendigo-art-gallery/news-story/f54a725285265e5877c2aa90a5fe98f5
Stewart, Peter. “Why does the art of ancient Greece still shape our world?” Iwonder, January 6, 2018. https://www.bbc.com/timelines/z99tn39
1 . Matus, Douglas. “Five Legacies of Ancient Greece.” Classroom , June 24, 2018. https://classroom.synonym.com/five-legacies-ancient-Greece-23079.html
2 Matus.
3 Stewart, Peter. “Why does the art of ancient Greece still shape our world?” Iwonder, January 6, 2018. https://www.bbc.com/timelines/z99tn39
4 Konstan, David. “The secret history of beauty: How the Greeks invented Western civilization’s biggest idea.” Salon , January 3, 2015. https://www.salon.com/2015/01/03/the_secret_history_of_beauty_how_the_greeks_invented_western_civilizations_biggest_idea/
5 Pountney, Michelle. “The ideal human form as manufactured in ancient times as it is today, as shown in The Body Beautiful exhibition at Bendigo Art Gallery.” Herald Sun, August 4, 2014. https://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/arts/the-ideal-human-form-as-manufactured-in-ancient-times-as-it-is-today-as-shown-in-the-body-beautiful-exhibition-at-bendigo-art-gallery/news-story/f54a725285265e5877c2aa90a5fe98f5
6 . Matus, Douglas. “Five Legacies of Ancient Greece.” Classroom , June 24, 2018. https://classroom.synonym.com/five-legacies-ancient-greece-23079.html
7 . Matus.
8 5. Pountney, Michelle. “The ideal human form as manufactured in ancient times as it is today, as shown in The Body Beautiful exhibition at Bendigo Art Gallery.” Herald Sun , August 4, 2014. https://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/arts/the-ideal-human-form-as-manufactured-in-ancient-times-as-it-is-today-as-shown-in-the-body-beautiful-exhibition-at-bendigo-art-gallery/news-story/f54a725285265e5877c2aa90a5fe98f5
9 . Pountney, Michelle. “The ideal human form as manufactured in anc ient times as it is today, as shown in The Body Beautiful exhibition at Bendigo Art Gallery.” Herald Sun , August 4, 2014. https://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/arts/the-ideal-human-form-as-manufactured-in-ancient-times-as-it-is-today-as-shown-in-the-body-beautiful-exhibition-at-bendigo-art-gallery/news-story/f54a725285265e5877c2aa90a5fe98f5
10 Pountney, Michelle. “The ideal human form as manufactured in anc ient times as it is today, as shown in The Body Beautiful exhibition at Bendigo Art Gallery.” Herald Sun , August 4, 2014. https://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/arts/the-ideal-human-form-as-manufactured-in-ancient-times-as-it-is-today-as-shown-in-the-body-beautiful-exhibition-at-bendigo-art-gallery/news-story/f54a725285265e5877c2aa90a5fe98f5
