First, the artist typically makes a small maquette in wax or clay, over an armature or frame. From this initial model, a full-size model is developed, into which tacks are inserted at key reference points. A measuring frame is then placed over the model which records the locations of the tacks.
Step 2. The locations of the tacks are then transferred to the raw marble block, in a process known as pointing. Step 3. Now begins the traditional "hammer and point work" - the basic technique used in all stone sculpture, since the time of Daedalic Greek sculpture , in BCE.
This involves knocking off sizeable chunks of unwanted stone, using a mallet and either a long point chisel, or a wedge-shaped pitching chisel. Step 4. Once the general shape of the statue has emerged from the block, the carver uses other tools to create the precise characteristics of the figure, including toothed or claw chisels, rasps, and rifflers.
Of course 20th-century sculptors now have an armoury of power tools, including stone-cutters, drills and other instruments, at their disposal. Step 5. After the carving is completed, the rough surface of the statue must be finished off.
This can be done by abrading the surface with another stone called emery, or else sandpaper. Power tools can also be used to polish the marble. All this abrading and polishing brings out the colour of the stone, and adds a sheen known as a patina. Sometimes, tin and iron oxides or sealing compounds are applied to the surface to give it a highly reflective glowing exterior. From the era of Early Classical Greek sculpture onwards , no statue was complete until it was painted and decorated.
Such painting was a specialist task performed by expert painter. Colour schemes varied, but as a general rule, statues or reliefs that were located high up and whose details were less visible to observers - like the Parthenon frieze - were decorated with brighter, more non-naturalistic colour pigments : hair, for instance, might be painted orange.
Whereas those sculptures positioned nearer to the ground - like those on the Alexander Sarcophagus - were painted with more realistic colours. Sometimes the skin was painted, sometimes not; but eyes, eyebrows, eyelids, and eyelashes were invariably coloured, as was the hair. In the case of important figurative sculptures, eyes might be inset with coloured enamel or glass, while copper might be applied to the nipples of the chest.
For more details, see: Classical Colour Palette. Problem of Copying Clay Models. Successful sculptors were rarely involved in all the 5 steps outlined above. This procedure worked well during the era of early Greek sculpture c. But as the shape of statues became more complex and naturalistic, the system of proportions was rendered obsolete and the whole process of replicating the original clay design in marble became more difficult. In due course, a grid system was adopted, which lasted beyond the era of Hellenistic Greek sculpture , whereby a number of "points" on the original clay model would be measured, then multiplied in size according to the rate of enlargement.
These new measurements would then be marked on the marble block, and carefully followed during the carving process. The scheme remained problematical, however, and led frequently to marble statues being produced that were noticeably inferior to the clay originals. History of Marble Sculpture. Prior to Classical Antiquity, stone sculpture was generally made from limestone, sandstone, gypsum, alabaster, jade or clay.
Only from the era of Greek Archaic sculpture c. During Classical Greek sculpture c. Marble was also important in Roman sculpture - especially Roman relief sculpture. The discovery and proximity of marble stone quarries for Pentelic, Carrara and Parian varieties of the stone was also an important factor in its use for sculptural purposes, as was its cost: two reasons why it was not generally used to decorate the hundreds of cathedrals, abbeys and churches that were built during the era of Romanesque and Gothic sculpture.
On the other hand, Renaissance sculptors had more money to spend, thus Michelangelo used marble to create his masterpiece David , Galleria dell'Accademia, Florence , as well as his Pieta for St Peter's Basilica. It is worth remembering that most original Greek bronzes were melted down or lost, but also, that the Romans made numerous marble copies of bronzes they knew about. As a result, Greek and Roman sculpture became strongly associated with marble, which was another reason why Renaissance artists - fired with a desire to rejuvenate the art of Classical Antiquity - preferred it to ordinary stone.
The venture brought new life to the economically depressed area, employing hundreds of quarrymen, squarers, sled men, stone cutters and cart drivers, who guided oxen trains. In the 19th century, the tsars of Russia chose Altissimo marble for the construction of St.
Today, the Henraux company owns the entire mountain, employs about people and extracts marble from five active quarries. Arts Updated. Yet, the blocks reached Rome only at the beginning of the summer for reasons, in the light of current knowledge, unknown though it has been supposed that there had been bureaucratic problems.
In August, Michelangelo signed the contract with the Cardinal for the creation of one of the most famous masterpieces of world art.
After his first experience, Michelangelo came to Carrara other times to obtain the marble used in his works. For these reasons, Michelangelo considered these first phases of material choosing as an essential part of the creation of his masterpieces. According to documents and biographies, we know that Michelangelo was back in Carrara for the second time in , when the Opera del Duomo di Firenze commissioned him to make the statues of the apostles, and again in the spring of , right after the order of the funerary monument of Pope Julius II, which would have become the most difficult endeavour of his career and life his very famous Moses is part of that monument and it was made of Apuan marble.
The new experiences in the quarries were done during the hot season: on the occasion of his stay which lasted for eight months, a lapse sufficient for the artist to rough-hew the marbles in Carrara, where he stayed until the autumn , Michelangelo arranged the transportation directly with some ship owners from Lavagna the vessels that were used for the marble transportation from Avenza were almost exclusively from Liguria.
Furthermore, for the quarrymen the opportunity of having Michelangelo in Carrara meant having an exceptional customer, since the quantities he ordered were always conspicuous, due to the impressive artistic pieces he was asked to carry out.
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