Ancient art and art from antiquity and cultural treasures from the past

[wayward bob]

iron age trinovantes british coin (50-ish bc)

modelled on an alexander the great (greek) gold stater (300-ish bc)

alexander on the head side gradually morphs over the generations into an abstraction of his hair and laurel wreath. it finally develops into an ear of corn.

 

[wayward bob]

just realised i need to save a tattoo spot for a celtic-coin horse

 

[JimW]

"The Priest-king" from Mohenjo-daro

 

[ringo]

just realised i need to save a tattoo spot for a celtic-coin horse

Nice idea. I've been working on a tattoo design which incorporates techniques from Japanese painting, block work and brush pot/vase design for 15 years. It's almost complete

 

[DotCommunist]

is there a consenus on when 'antiquity' ends? fall of constantinopole or something? wondering if the Kells book migh not count its got to date from Romes decline and withdrawal from this part of earth tho..

 

[ringo]

is there a consenus on when 'antiquity' ends? fall of constantinopole or something? wondering if the Kells book migh not count its got to date from Romes decline and withdrawal from this part of earth tho..

Yeah but we've already gone past that 'cos I said in one of the first posts I was going right up to the Renaissance & Baroque period. I might even put an art nouveau vase up in a minute

It's more cultural treasures from the past I spose.

ETA: Thread title added to

 

[Plumdaff]

I love mosaics, some of the best are in late antiquity, here's the 6th century Basilica of San Vitale, Ravenna

And let's not forget Theodora

 

[ringo]

I love mosaics, some of the best are in late antiquity, here's the 6th century Basilica of San Vitale, Ravenna

Ooh, they're lovely, nice choice.

 

[ringo]

Plumdaff did you watch Italy Unpacked? Andrew Graham-Dixon and Giorgio Locatelli travel through Italy looking at amazing art in churches and the like and then cook some of the local dishes ofeach area. Perfect holiday, I'm doing that one day.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01q9rgn

Did similar in France years ago with a mate who's a wine photographer & his wife. We drank wine, ate cheese and looked at art all the way from Marseille to Strasbourg, through Epernay and finished in Paris. Burp.

 

[ringo]

Venus figurine, Upper Paleolithic Europe, but similar found across the globe

 

[ringo]

The Standard of Ur. It shows scenes from the life of a king of Ur in ancient Iraq,one of the world’s first cities. 2600-2400 BC

 

[Plumdaff]

Plumdaff did you watch Italy Unpacked? Andrew Graham-Dixon and Giorgio Locatelli travel through Italy looking at amazing art in churches and the like and then cook some of the local dishes ofeach area. Perfect holiday, I'm doing that one day.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01q9rgn

Did similar in France years ago with a mate who's a wine photographer & his wife. We drank wine, ate cheese and looked at art all the way from Marseille to Strasbourg, through Epernay and finished in Paris. Burp.

I loved that programme. I would love to do something like that one day, also do the same around Greece and bits of Turkey.

 

[DotCommunist]

part of the interior of Istanbuls Blue Mosque (one for the bucket list). Kells tie in- saw an art history docu about the kells and it talked about an islamic art influence on the work (along with the celctic style etc). I can sort of see it.

edit for better pic

 

[ringo]

This cheeky satyr wants to get frisky with this lady. She's quite keen and gives him a tickle. Greek plate, 4th Century BC

 

[weepiper]

Hilton of Cadboll Pictish stone, c800AD, Ross and Cromarty

The Monymusk Reliquary, c700AD

The Lewis Chessmen, c1300AD, found in a sand dune in the 1800s

 

[wayward bob]

part of the interior of Istanbuls Blue Mosque (one for the bucket list).

isfahan for me

 

[DotCommunist]

isfahan for me

Its a shame tripping in these places of worship would be deeply disrespectful, cos otherwise...

 

[wayward bob]

 

[wayward bob]

reliquary pendant containing a holy thorn c14th

thought to have been used as a talisman during childbirth.

 

[Pickman's model]

isfahan for me

i'll see your isfahan and raise you the palatine chapel in palermo

 

[MooChild]

My favorite is Bernini's David

 

[ringo]

My favorite is Bernini's David

I was going to add some Bernini

 

[MooChild]

I was going to add some Bernini

Seen that one (The first one, the second one is blocked at work), that mattress is unbelievable and unreal when viewed up close in real life

 

[trabuquera]

Normally I go for things which are fairly archaic - like this, Etruscan sarcophagus, couple just hanging out together for the rest of eternity:


And much of the time really classical (Greek and later) marble sculpture just somehow - doesn't do it for me. But that programme on BBC 4 last night converted me completely. who could resist the swagger of the Motya charioteer? (



the photos don't do it justice, by the way - going to go and see it in person whenever I can... the way whoever did this, managed to conjure living flesh and see-through superfine fabric out of stone is just extraordinary. Look at his bum!

 

[wayward bob]

Seen that one (The first one, the second one is blocked at work), that mattress is unbelievable and unreal when viewed up close in real life

i got fooled recently by a (modern) sofa-brick-wall i voted sofa but it was bricks

 

[Artaxerxes]

The Ancient Greeks were pretty incredible, good programme on BBC4 last night reminded me of some lovely stuff,

That was a great show, I loved the Minoan murals and would love the spring one in my house somewhere

 

[RoyReed]

There's some lovely things been added here. I've already put some of my favourite things in this thread on medieval stuff at the V&A.

 

[ringo]

And much of the time really classical (Greek and later) marble sculpture just somehow - doesn't do it for me. But that programme on BBC 2 last night converted me completely. who could resist the swagger of the Motya charioteer?

I'd never seen the Motya charioteer either and was equally enthralled. When I studied Ancient History and Archaeology we never touched on the art in detail, so I wasn't really aware so much was known about individual sculptors, it's one of the reasons I enjoyed that programme so much. Loved the development from frieze carvings to 3-D sculpture, and from democratic everyman faces to individualism.

One thing he didn't cover was the classic facial/body poses. That spear bearer by Polykleitos was a great example. With his lifted foot and thrust out hip he struck a pose still used by photographers and models today, classic in the true sense of the word.

 

[ringo]

If you look at the sculptures of Alexander The Great he is often depicted with his head slightly askance. The early Greek sculptors recognised that this gave the human face character and accentuated beauty and bone structure. The same shape and style has since copied for depictions of everyone from Christ to Beckham.

Alexander The Great:

Jesus:

Beckham:

 

[RoyReed]

I'd never seen the Motya charioteer either and was equally enthralled. When I studied Ancient History and Archaeology we never touched on the art in detail, so I wasn't really aware so much was known about individual sculptors, it's one of the reasons I enjoyed that programme so much. Loved the development from frieze carvings to 3-D sculpture, and from democratic everyman faces to individualism.

I missed the beginning of the programme, but did he mention that the statues would have been brightly painted. I don't remember him saying that in the part I did see.