Sculpture from Antiquity to the Middle Ages: From the Eighth Century Bc to the Fifteenth Century (Taschen Jumbo Series)

The foundations of Western sculpture were laid by the Greeks, Etruscans and Romans. The sculpture of antiquity still influences sculptors and the techni- ques they use, just as it affects our dealings with art and the status we accord it. However, scholars of the period (from the 8th century BC to the to 5th century AD) have hitherto neglected certain important links. By re-examining numerous contemporary traditions, the present publication takes a new look at how the works were created, the circumstances of their discovery, and the historical and political background. Remarkable details about the purpose of the works provide new insight into the relationship between client and commission. Placed thus in their total context, the works of antiquity are thereby clearly revealed as far more than “idealised representations of nature”. The masterpieces of antiquity rarely bear a signa- ture, and indeed not a single work can be ascribed with certainty to quasi-mythical sculptors such as Myron, Polyclitus, Phidias and Praxiteles. All we have is innumerable copies. The emphasis of the account given here is therefore on the history of the art; the artists withdraw into the background. A Cinderella among the arts during the transition from late antiquity to the Romanesque period, medieval sculpture (from the 5th to the 15th century) entered a golden age as the changing religious, polit- ical and social context conferred wholly new func- tions of representation on it. Henceforth, sculptural works acted as intermediaries between Gad and man. They served on the one hand as instruments for disseminating the teachings of the Church, while on the other reflecting the new view of mankind. The artists of the time re-discovered the techni- ques of past eras, and created pieces made of painted wood, bronze and gold. Other contemporaneous works were made of stone, marble and alabaster that astonish in their bold innovativeness. One unique art form of the period, the sculptural decoration of church facades, is of unsurpassed monumentality. Besides these public works, there were also commis- sions from high dignitaries of church and state for their splendid residences or their impressive monu- mental tombs, which the best-known artists were called on co erect. The works of the time were long considered joint endeavours. Following very recent research, we have now been able to discover the identity of individual artists, and even possess more detailed information about their relationships with their patrons. We are consequently having to revise our view of the period as a whole. As the decisive moments and most important works in the history of medieval sculpture are set forth before our cyes, we are made increasingly aware of the achievement of a fascinating age. This volume contains over 1,000 illustrations, some in colour. It is the first volume of a two-part work covering sculpture from antiquity to the pre- sent. Sculpture: From Antiquity to the Middle Ages, the first in a two-volume reissue of what was originally a four-volume set, covers the history of sculpture from ancient times to the Middle Ages. This affordably priced volume offers numerous informative and insightful essays and more than 1,000 illustrations -- many in color. The great art of antiquity from the eighth century BC to the fifth century AD / Philippe Bruneau, Mario Torelli, Xavier Barral i Altet. The great art of the Middle Ages from the fifth century to the fifteenth century / Georges Duby, Xavier Barral i Altet, Sophie Guillot de Suduiraut. The illustrations in this book foster an appreciation of world sculpture, but they also explain historical themes concerning patterns of imagery and meaning, the role of politics and devotion, and the signs of modernity in the late Gothic period.