Types of sculpture. Sculpture as a kind of fine art

What is a sculpture? This is a kind of fine art, sculpting images of volume form, creating images using specific materials (solid or plastic, depending on the purpose). Clay, wood, wax, bone, and metal can be used. There are varieties of sculptures of a public nature, located in parks, squares, in squares. There are creations, more significant in terms of artistic value. These are masterpieces of the museum level, created by great masters, such as Michelangelo, Rafael or Benvenuto Cellini.

Sculpture, its types and features

As it happens in any other art, three-dimensional artistic images bear the signs of exclusivity. Sculpture can be copied, but complete coincidence with the original can not wait. Exact copies are possible only when using the casting method, when the alloy is poured into the same mold.

What is a sculpture from the artist's point of view? First of all, it is an opportunity to express oneself, to realize in the image your vision of this or that image. Existing types of sculpture can fully reflect any story, it all depends on the skill of the sculptor. In this case, the proper choice of the material is of no small importance. Often in the practice of creating sculptural images, the discrepancy between the conceived creation and the quality of the raw materials becomes obvious. The clay is replaced with marble or vice versa, the hard stone gives way to clay mass with the subsequent firing of the finished product.

Especially carefully the sculptor chooses the material in the manufacture of miniatures.

David and Galatea

And, finally, what is a sculpture in the understanding of ordinary people who are drawn to art and are eager to get acquainted with its profound content? Undoubtedly, these are masterpieces of world significance - the marble sculpture of David, which was sculptured by Michelangelo Buonarroti, or Galatea Pygmalion, who worshiped the creation of his hands. He fell in love with a beautiful statue as a man can love a woman. Is not this the real art?

To the question that Such a sculpture, there are many answers, but the most correct of them lies on the surface - a sculptural image must reflect reality. Surrealism is also not alien to this art form, but its specificity does not allow to fully realize the idea, the viewer has to speculate.

Statue of Nefertiti

Sculpture as a kind of fine art has ancient roots. At one time, images of the Egyptian Queen Nefertiti, dating from the 14th century BC, were found. The artistic merits of the statue did not always correspond to the classical canons, but the very fact that in ancient times there were masters who sculpted voluminous images speaks volumes.

Even at that time, the types and genres of sculpture could be quite diverse. Available materials of ancient times - clay, marble and sandstone. Due to the variety of materials available, sculpture as a kind of fine art has existed for more than fifteen centuries. Not a single generation of masters has changed, and today artistic images remind us of the past.

Varieties of images

Consider the main types of sculpture. The list includes the following types:

- Round, or volumetric, - the most widespread kind. Examined from all sides, you need circular access. There is no background in the plane. The category of round sculpture includes statues, figurines and busts. A separate position is occupied by wooden sculpture, which is often a genuine work of art. As an example, you can bring a Perm art sculpture made of wood.

- The sculpture is monumental. It differs, first of all, in size. It can reach several tens of meters in height. For example, the American Statue of Liberty, established in the Hudson Strait (height - forty-six meters), the Argentinean statue of Christ in Rio de Janeiro (38 meters), Motherland in Volgograd (85 meters), the monument "Motherland" In Kiev (sixty two meters). In most cases, such statues are of a heroic nature. Statues of less have a different purpose, most often decorative.

Sculptures on pedestals are monuments dedicated to great people or events.

- Tondo - a round sculpture in the form of a bas-relief. In this manner, Michelangelo Buonarroti created. His two most famous works are "Madonna of Doni" and "Tondo Tadei". This method was used by Raphael - they created the "Madonna of Alba" and "Madonna in the chair."

- Effigy is a sculptural tombstone. It was used at the burials of noble nobles. Most often the image repeated the face of the deceased. Also, the effect was applied to the symbolic execution of a convicted criminal if he managed to escape. In this case, his sculptural image was executed.

Popular types

- Sculptures of snow. The most common is a snowman or a snowman. There are examples of the construction of giant snowmen. So, in 1992, a woman was built in the United States with a height of 37 meters, which was included in the Guinness Book of Records. Annually in different parts of the world contests for the best snowman and sculptural groups from snow and ice are arranged.

- Fine plastic - sculpted images no higher than 15 centimeters. Includes a number of thematic areas: Chukotka carved bone, Bogorodsky carving, tin miniature, glyptic (stone carving), miniature images of animals. The most laborious method is artistic products in the manner of the glyptic. Also, the bone carving is valued. The material for this fishery is the walrus tusk - quite plastic, well polishable. Basically, sculptures of small forms are designed for decorating interiors and personify arts and crafts.

Rare species

- Netsuke - miniature sculptural images, highly artistic art of bone carving, national Japanese craft. Fangs of marine animals or ivory (that is, tusks of ordinary land elephants) are used as a material. Plots of miniatures in the style of netsuke can be very diverse. These are all kinds of figurines on biblical themes, statues of gods, beasts and fish. The art of Japanese bone carving is famous all over the world. Highly appreciated are the ancient Netsuke, which is over one hundred years old. Such products are considered rarities and are quite expensive. Master-carvers of the old school go to a different world, and the art of Netsuke is gradually degenerating. Schools in which teach methods of carving on the bone, unable to convey to the new generation all the subtleties of craft.

- Medallion art - sculptural images on the plane, which are made on the principle of bas-relief. In some cases, when the image should be more convex, as in the manufacture of orders, the high relief properties are applied.

- Mascarron - a grotesque sculptural image of the head of an animal or a human face. Often used to illustrate mythical subjects, personifies evil and danger. Many sculptures made in the style of mascaron are used to decorate churches, large sacral buildings or grandiose architectural structures.

Easel sculpture

Assumes perception from a close distance. The conditioned connection with the inner world of a person is emphasized, while narrative narrative is seen, as well as the absolute absence of interrelation with the objective environment, and especially with the interior specifics.

Not all types of sculpture are listed, but we tried to present the reader the main directions of this truly amazing creativity.

Wholeness of Creation

The expressiveness of a sculpture depends on how the basic plans, volumes, light planes and rhythmic relationships are built. There are a lot of construction criteria, and the final result is achieved precisely due to their observance. Sculptural art is a science with many unknown, but the main condition for success is the integrity of the silhouette and the clear contours of the image. At the same time, the master must, in the process of his creative work, introduce more and more elements of artistry. This is the only way to achieve a high result.

The technology of sculpture involves a huge amount of physical labor, they are also associated with a variety of technical processes: chasing, forging, casting, welding, carving, all sorts of cuttings. One sculptor can not manufacture the product from beginning to end, therefore, assistant assistants are involved in the work, they cut the stone, mold the castings and mint the initial phases of the image.

Strong connection of times

At all times, there were talented masters of their craft. Some sculptors sculpted from a single piece of marble, others preferred a more pliable material, but in both cases, unique masterpieces emerged from under the incisor.

Historical and modern sculpture are sufficiently identical, they are united by a thematic community - the aspiration of the masters to depict the reality in which they live and are engaged in creativity. The materials used can also contribute to the convergence of the epochs.

The history and types of sculpture are closely intertwined. So, in ancient times, there existed directions of volumetric sculpting, which still exist today. Thus, the fine arts of the past centuries are organically connected with the cultural values of our time. Virtually all European types of sculpture dominated the cultural formations thanks to masters from the fifteenth to the nineteenth centuries, among them Auguste Rodin, Giovanni Bernini, Betto Bardi Donatello, Jean-Antoine Houdon, Michelangelo Buonarroti, Fedot Shubin. Unsurpassed talent of these masters allowed to collect in museums around the world a significant number of masterpieces of sculptural art.

Modernity

The twentieth century also gave humanity a whole galaxy of talented masters of artistic sculpture, such as Vera Mukhina, Sergei Konenkov, Aristide Mayol, Henry Moore, Emil Antoine Burdel. On the account of these geniuses of the business - set of memorial ensembles, group and individual sculptures, park complexes in open air. All kinds of sculpture, oriented to installation in public places, had to be maintained in a certain ideological style, and the authors coped with this task perfectly.

How to guess the type of sculpture

And at the conclusion of this article, we want to share some observations. In many crossword puzzles, tea-books or scandvors, it is suggested to guess the following word: "a kind of sculpture, 8 letters". This speaks of the popularity of sculpture. As for the answer to the question, eight words can be found a lot of words related to this topic. This and the "bas-relief", and "high relief", and "monument".