- A boss such as this one would have decorated a piece of furniture. With this purpose in mind, how big do you think this is?
Find an object of similar size-4 1/8 inches.
What kind of furniture do you think this was made for? A chair? A bed? Why?
No right answer since we don't know for sure.
- SUBTRACTIVE SCULPTURE
is made by removing unwanted material from a solid mass, such as wood or marble.
ADDITIVE SCULPTURE
is made by building up a form by molding or
MODELING
a material such as clay.
Is this
bronze boss an example of additive or subtractive sculpture?
In bronze casting, an additive method of sculpting, an artist models the sculpture in clay, then uses the model to make a mold for
molten bronze.
- Artists throughout time have often
EMBELLISHED their
sculptures, adding material to the basic medium for decorative and/or expressive effects. Here the artist embellished this sculpture with
INLAID
silver eyes and silver and copper inlay on cheeks, nose, and forehead.
What function do these embellishments serve?
Adding precious metals make the boss more valuable, expressing the wealth of its owner.
Think
- This bronze boss was used to decorate a piece of furniture in ancient Rome.
How do we decorate furniture today?
Carved wood, paint, combining different materials such as wood and metal, much like ancient Romans!
- Ancient Romans placed great emphasis on realistic portraiture and so chose to represent the natural force of the ocean, Oceanus
the Titan, as an individual, realistic human. How would you represent a natural force such as the wind, or an earthquake? Would
your representation be human? Animal?
ABSTRACT?
NON-OBJECTIVE?
Explain your answer.
- The artist who made this bronze boss
INLAID
it with silver and copper to make it more valuable. Today people still increase the value of objects by adding precious materials.
What are some examples?
Jewelry with precious stones such as diamonds are more valuable than plain metals; coats with fur trim; floors inlaid with custom
tile or stone; cars with leather upholstery; a ceiling with
GILDED
or molded decoration.
Are there other ways we make things more valuable?
Logos, designer names or sports
SYMBOLS
on clothing. Hand-made items are often more valuable than their machine-made counterparts.
- This bronze boss is a Roman interpretation of a Greek myth. Is one culture's interpretation of another's mythology an authentic
interpretation? Why or why not? Would we consider this more genuine or legitimate if it had been made by a Greek artist? Why or
why not? Explore the other works of art in the World Mythology set of images.
What other examples do you find of an artist depicting a myth from another culture?
Theseus, Orpheus and Eurydice, Phaeton, Medusa
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