Doryphoros and Augustus of Prima Porta - Assignment Example

Doryphoros and Augustus of Prima Porta1. Both are finely made bronze sculptures depicting a man in his real form. The Doryphoros is a counter-pose object; this simply means that it is a standing figure with most of the weight pressed on one foot. The other foot is in motion; this makes the image’s arms and upper body rotate in the opposite direction from the legs and hips. Augustus of Prima Porta on the other hand is a combination of two forms of art with contrasting symbols. The first is depiction of the male being as having a perfect physique; this is the same style used in making Doryphoros.

The second style is a portrayal of actual Roman attributes with full body adornment and symbolising authority. 2. Line- is used in Doryphoros and Augustus of Prima Porta to define the male body in its most proportional form; this is because this element is used to determine its size and shape (Janson & Janson, 2003). It is used to outline full body shape and curvatures while also defining the postures of the objects under study. Shape- In both the sculptures, the shapes come out because the sculptors divided the human body into different parts.

They then designed all these and made sure they are proportionate when assembled into a whole. Colour- the sculptures have a grey-silvery hue which is the natural bronze colour; the sculptors never altered their natural colour. Texture and Balance- The images have a fine balance between relaxation and tension because of their postures; that creates harmony. The shades fade off very gently from one colour code to the next making the balance and texture very clear; however, they have a simulated texture which makes the objects poses real textures.

This is seen for instance in Augustine’s clothing and adornments. Value- the objects are neither very dark nor light; they have a mid-gray value.3. The objects have a subject the sculptors wanted to pass across; The Doryphoros is a symbolism of male beauty with balanced body parts. Augustus of Prima Porta is a sculpture made by Tiberius in recognition of his father’s role in protecting their empire. 4. Both sculptures are representational; this is to say that they symbolise different aspects of the male body and form. 5. The artist message when making Doryphoros is portrayal of a perfect male; this is coupled with nakedness which symbolizes civility thus bringing out a contrast with Greek’s backward neighbours.

Augustus is personified as being a perfect ruler of the Roman Empire (Janson & Janson, 2003). He does this by giving him features of both strength and agility. He is compared to the powerful Greek gods as he wields authority which was essential in ruling the expansive empire and protecting it from foreign occupation.6. Doryphoros is the symbolism of a perfect and balanced male personality. In addition to Doryphoros qualities, Augustus is also depicted as the commander of the Roman Army; he is in military attire while raising one of his hands as he addresses an imaginary crowd. 7. Doryphoros is set in the ancient Roman Empire around 450BC.

This was a time of political warfare as many nations tried to expand their territories. There were social realignments in the society as the citizens were becoming increasingly aware of their bodies; hence posing nude was a sign of civility. Augustus is set in 20BC when ruler-ship was majorly autocratic with clear instruments of control and authority. 8. To pass the message of nature and time, within specific time frames, nature has the ability to show us so much as the human race.9. Both these pieces are historically significant as they show the modern society how the traditional Roman and Greek societies strived to capture their citizen’s images.

Doryphoros is a symbolism of an ideal persona while Augustus shows the love Romans had for their ruler, despite his autocratic leadership style, till they had to create a perfect image of his stature.10. The traditional role of this artist is giving form to intangibles; this is because he has applied different elements to create a feeling of perfection and dominance. ReferencesJanson, H. W., & Janson, A. F. (2003). History of art: The Western tradition. Upper Saddle River, N.J: Prentice-Hall.