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The fundamental idea of Winckelmann's artistic theories are that the end of art is beauty, and that this end can be attained only when individual and characteristic features are strictly subordinated to an artist's general scheme. The true artist, selecting from nature the phenomena suited to his purpose and combining them through the exercise of his imagination, creates an ideal type in which normal proportions are maintained, and particular parts, such as muscles and veins, are not permitted to break the harmony of the general outlines. The fundamental idea of Winckelmann's artistic theories are that the end of art is beauty, and that this end can be attained only when individual and characteristic features are strictly subordinated to an artist's general scheme. The true artist, selecting from nature the phenomena suited to his purpose and combining them through the exercise of his imagination, creates an ideal type in which normal proportions are maintained, and particular parts, such as muscles and veins, are not permitted to break the harmony of the general outlines.
 +==TOC==
 +PART I.
 +
 +CHAPTER I.
 +
 +GROUNDS AND CAUSES OF THE PROGRESS AND SUPERIORITY
 +OF GREEK ART BEYOND THAT OF OTHER NATIONS.
 +
 +SECT. PAGE
 +
 +1. Introduction ........ 3
 +
 +2 — 4. Causes of the Progress and Superiority of Greek Art 3
 +5 — 8. Influence of Climate in producing the Admirable Con-
 +formation of the Greeks ..... 4
 +
 +9 — 12. Kind and Joyous Disposition of the Greeks . . 8
 +
 +13. Constitution and Government of the Greeks. Re
 +
 +marks on their Freedom . . . . .10
 +
 +14. Statues, as Rewards for Excellence in Athletic Exer
 +
 +cises, and for other Merit . . . . .10
 +
 +15. Veneration for Statues . . . . . .12
 +
 +16, 17. Gaiety of the Greeks the Source of Festivals and
 +
 +Games ......;
 +
 +18 — 22. Influence of Freedom on the Mind .
 +
 +23 — 27. Respect for Artists ......
 +
 +28. Application of Art ......
 +
 +29, 30. Sculpture and Painting attained Maturity at Different
 +Periods .......
 +
 +31. Causes of the Progress of Painting .
 +32 — 34. Art practised throughout Greece
 +
 +
 +
 +12
 +15
 +
 +18
 +22
 +
 +23
 +24
 +25
 +
 +
 +
 +XVI CONTENTS.
 +
 +
 +
 +CHAPTER II.
 +
 +
 +
 +THE ESSENTIAL OF ART.
 +
 +SECT. PAGE
 +
 +1 — 6. Introduction ........ 27
 +
 +7. The Essential Point in Art. The Drawing of the
 +
 +Nude Figure based on Beauty . . . .30
 +
 +8 — 19. Of Beauty in general. Negative Idea of it . . 30
 +
 +•20 — 24. Positive Idea of Beauty 41
 +
 +25 — 27. The Shape of Beauty in Works of Art. Individual
 +
 +Beauty ........ 45
 +
 +28—32. And especially of Youth 47
 +
 +33 — 35. Ideal Beauty formed from Beautiful Parts of Indivi-
 +duals ........ 50
 +
 +36 — 39. Especially of Eunuchs and Hermaphrodites . . 53
 +40. Denoted by the Form of Beasts . . . .60
 +
 +
 +
 +PART II.
 +
 +CHAPTER I.
 +
 +
 +
 +THE CONFORMATION AND BEAUTY OF THE MALE DEITIES
 +
 +AND HEROES.
 +
 +
 +
 +I — 3. Conformation of Youthful Deities
 +
 +4. Different Stages of Youth in Youthful Male Deities
 +5 — 7. Satyrs or Fauns. The Young Satyrs
 +8 — 10. The Older Satyrs or Sileni, together with Pan
 +11 — 15. The Youth and Conformation of Apollo. Of a Beau
 +tiful Genius in the Villa Borghese
 +16, 17. The Youth of other Deities. Of Mercury
 +
 +18. Of Mars
 +
 +19, 20. Of Hercules
 +
 +21 — 24. Of Eunuchs in Bacchus ....
 +25, 26. And, likewise, in the Bearded Bacchus
 +
 +
 +
 +65
 +68
 +68
 +75
 +
 +81
 +86
 +89
 +90
 +93
 +96
 +
 +
 +
 +CONTENTS.
 +
 +
 +
 +XV11
 +
 +
 +
 +SECT. PAGE
 +
 +97, 28. The Beauty of Divinities of a Manly Age ; and the
 +Difference between the Human and the Deified
 +
 +Hercules 99
 +
 +29—35. Of Jupiter, and especially of Serapis and Pluto ; like-
 +wise of Serapis and the Centaurs . . .103
 +
 +36,37. Of Neptune 112
 +
 +38. And of the other Sea-Gods 113
 +
 +39 — 41. Idea of Beauty in the Figures of the Heroes; how it
 +
 +is and ought to be 115
 +
 +42,43. The Beverse censured in Figures of Heroes . . 118
 +44,45. In the Figures of the Saviour 119
 +
 +
 +
 +CHAPTEB II.
 +
 +THE CONFORMATION AND BEAUTY OF THE FEMALE DEITIES
 +
 +AND HEROINES.
 +
 +
 +
 +1,2. Idea of Beauty in Female Divinities
 +3,4. Of the Goddesses. Of the Superior Goddesses. Of
 +Venus, the Venus de' Medici, and others like her
 +
 +5. The Look of Venus
 +
 +6. Venus dressed
 +
 +7. Juno
 +
 +8. Pallas .
 +
 +9. Diana .
 +
 +10. Ceres
 +
 +11. Proserpine
 +
 +12. Hebe .
 +
 +13. The Inferior Goddesses
 +
 +14. The Graces .
 +
 +15. The Hours .
 +
 +16. The Nymphs
 +
 +17. The Muses .
 +
 +18. The Fates .
 +
 +19. The Furies .
 +
 +20. The Gorgons
 +21, 22. The Amazons
 +
 +23. Beauty of the Portraits of Particular Individuals
 +
 +24. Ideal Conformation of Animals
 +
 +
 +
 +121
 +
 +122
 +127
 +128
 +128
 +129
 +133
 +134
 +135
 +136
 +136
 +136
 +137
 +138
 +138
 +139
 +140
 +140
 +144
 +148
 +149
 +
 +
 +
 +XV111 CONTENTS.
 +
 +SECT. PAGE
 +
 +25. Beauty of Female Masks 151
 +
 +26. Concluding Remarks on the Beauty of Conformation,
 +
 +generally considered 151
 +
 +
 +
 +CHAPTER III.
 +
 +THE EXPRESSION OP BEAUTY IN FEATURES AND ACTION.
 +
 +1. Of the Expression of Beauty both in Features and
 +
 +Action . . . . . . . .154
 +
 +2. The word Expression explained and defined . . 154
 +
 +3. Principles of Artists in Expression. Stillness and
 +
 +Repose abstractly . . . . . .155
 +
 +4. United with Expression of the Passions . . .155
 +
 +5. Propriety in general . . . . . .156
 +
 +6. Figures of Female Dancers . . . . .157
 +
 +7. Expression in Figures of the Divinities. Of Repose
 +
 +and Stillness . . . . . . .158
 +
 +8. In Jupiter ........ 159
 +
 +9. In Apollo 159
 +
 +10. Posture of Figures. Decorum in Male Figures . 160
 +
 +1 1 — 15. Expression in Figures taken from the Heroic Age . 162
 +16,17. In Women of the Heroic Age . . . .166
 +
 +18. Expression in Persons of Rank . . . .168
 +
 +19 — 21. Roman Emperors represented on their Monuments
 +
 +like Citizens . . . . . . .168
 +
 +22. General Remarks upon the Expression of Violent
 +
 +Emotions 170
 +
 +23, 24. Of Expression in most Works of Modern Artists
 +
 +generally 171
 +
 +25. Ancient and Modem Artists compared in regard to
 +
 +Action . . . . . . . .173
 +
 +26. Supplementary Remarks on the Conceptions of
 +
 +Beauty in the Works of Modem Artists . .175
 +
 +27. Opinions of the Unskilled 175
 +
 +28. Superiority of Modem Painting . . . .177
 +
 +29. Of Living Sculptors in Rome. Imitation of Antique
 +
 +Works .179
 +
 +
 +
 +CONTENTS. XIX
 +
 +
 +
 +CHAPTER IV.
 +
 +
 +
 +PROPORTION.— COMPOSITION.
 +
 +SBOT. PAGK
 +
 +1 — 4. Of Proportion generally . . . . .181
 +
 +5. Opinion of Vitruvius in regard to the Proportion of
 +
 +Columns . 183
 +
 +6. Proportion of the Heads of Figures . . . 184
 +
 +7. Proportions of the Human Figure more accurately
 +
 +determined .186
 +
 +8. Faults in the Proportion of Ancient Figures . . 187
 +'.1 — 12. Proportion more accurately determined, especially in
 +
 +regard to the Length of the Foot, in Refutation of
 +
 +the Erroneous Objections of some Writers . . 189
 +
 +13. Proportions of the Face determined, for Designers . 191
 +
 +14 — 16. Of Composition 193
 +
 +CHAPTER V.
 +
 +BEAUTY OF INDIVIDUAL PARTS OF THE BODY.
 +
 +1—3. Of the Beauty of Individual Parts of the Body . 197
 +4. Of the Head, and especially of the Profile of the
 +
 +Face 198
 +
 +5, 6. The Forehead 199
 +
 +7 — 9. The Hair on the Forehead generally . . . "201
 +
 +10. Of Hercules 203
 +
 +11. Of Alexander the Great 204
 +
 +13. Refutation of the Name given to a Head cut on a
 +
 +Gem 204
 +
 +13. Erroneous Reason of this Appellation . . . 205
 +
 +14. Similarity of this Head to that of Hercules . . 206
 +
 +15. A Representation of Hercules with Omphale . . 207
 +
 +16. Proof of this Supposition from the Dress of the
 +
 +Lydians 207
 +
 +17, 18. Explanation of a Painting on a Vase of Terra Cotta. 208
 +
 +19. Of Heads of Hyllus 210
 +
 +20. The Eyes. The Beauty of their Form generally . 211
 +
 +21. In Art, of Ideal Heads 212
 +
 +
 +
 +XX
 +
 +
 +
 +CONTENTS.
 +
 +
 +
 +SECT.
 +
 +22. Eyes of Divinities .
 +
 +23. The Eyelids ....
 +
 +24. The Eyebrows. Attributes of their
 +
 +25. Objections to Joined Eyebrows
 +
 +26. The Mouth ....
 +27, 28. The Chin ....
 +
 +29. The Ears generally
 +30 — 85. Ears of Athletes or Pancratiasts
 +
 +36. The Hair ....
 +37, 38. Difference, in respect to the Hair,
 +and Modern Artists .
 +
 +39. Of the Hair of Satyrs or Fauns
 +
 +40. Hair of Apollo and Bacchus .
 +
 +4 1 . Hair of Young Persons .
 +
 +42. Color of the Hair .
 +
 +
 +
 +Beauty
 +
 +
 +
 +between Ancient
 +
 +
 +
 +PAGE
 +
 +214
 +215
 +216
 +217
 +
 +218
 +
 +220
 +222
 +223
 +
 +229
 +
 +230
 +232
 +232
 +232
 +232
 +
 +
 +
 +CHAPTER VI.
 +
 +BEAUTY OF THE EXTKEMITIES, BREAST, AND ABDOMEN.
 +DRAWING OF THE FIGURES OF ANIMALS
 +BY GREEK MASTERS.
 +
 +
 +
 +1. Of the Beauty of the Extremities .... 234
 +
 +2. Of the Hands 235
 +
 +3 — 5. Of the Legs, Knees, and Feet .... 236
 +
 +6. The Breast of Male Figures 238
 +
 +7, 8. Of Female Figures 239
 +
 +9. Nipples on the Breast of the Antinoiis, erroneously
 +
 +so called, in the Belvedere . . . .241
 +
 +10—12. The Abdomen 241
 +
 +13 — 17. General Remarks in Reference to this Treatise . 242
 +18 — 24. Of the Drawing of the Figures of Animals by Greek
 +
 +Artists 247
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Ancient art

History of Ancient Art (1764 as Geschichte der Kunst des Alterthums) is an art history book on ancient art by German historian Johann Joachim Winckelmann. It was one of the first books written in German to become a classic of European literature.

Winckelmann's masterpiece, the Geschichte der Kunst des Alterthums ("The History of Ancient Art Among the Greeks"), published in 1764, was soon recognized as a permanent contribution to European literature. In this work, "Winckelmann's most significant and lasting achievement was to produce a thorough, comprehensive and lucid chronological account of all antique art— including that of the Egyptians and Etruscans." (Haskell and Penny 1981:101.) This was the first work to define in the art of a civilization an organic growth, maturity, and decline. Here, it included the revelatory tale told by a civilization's art and artifacts—these, if we look closely, tell us their own story of cultural factors, such as climate, freedom, and craft. Winckelmann sets forth both the history of Greek art and of Greece. He presents a glowing picture of the political, social, and intellectual conditions which he believed tended to foster creative activity in ancient Greece.

The fundamental idea of Winckelmann's artistic theories are that the end of art is beauty, and that this end can be attained only when individual and characteristic features are strictly subordinated to an artist's general scheme. The true artist, selecting from nature the phenomena suited to his purpose and combining them through the exercise of his imagination, creates an ideal type in which normal proportions are maintained, and particular parts, such as muscles and veins, are not permitted to break the harmony of the general outlines.

TOC

PART I.

CHAPTER I.

GROUNDS AND CAUSES OF THE PROGRESS AND SUPERIORITY OF GREEK ART BEYOND THAT OF OTHER NATIONS.

SECT. PAGE

1. Introduction ........ 3

2 — 4. Causes of the Progress and Superiority of Greek Art 3 5 — 8. Influence of Climate in producing the Admirable Con- formation of the Greeks ..... 4

9 — 12. Kind and Joyous Disposition of the Greeks . . 8

13. Constitution and Government of the Greeks. Re

marks on their Freedom . . . . .10

14. Statues, as Rewards for Excellence in Athletic Exer

cises, and for other Merit . . . . .10

15. Veneration for Statues . . . . . .12

16, 17. Gaiety of the Greeks the Source of Festivals and

Games ......;

18 — 22. Influence of Freedom on the Mind .

23 — 27. Respect for Artists ......

28. Application of Art ......

29, 30. Sculpture and Painting attained Maturity at Different Periods .......

31. Causes of the Progress of Painting . 32 — 34. Art practised throughout Greece


12 15

18 22

23 24 25


XVI CONTENTS.


CHAPTER II.


THE ESSENTIAL OF ART.

SECT. PAGE

1 — 6. Introduction ........ 27

7. The Essential Point in Art. The Drawing of the

Nude Figure based on Beauty . . . .30

8 — 19. Of Beauty in general. Negative Idea of it . . 30

•20 — 24. Positive Idea of Beauty 41

25 — 27. The Shape of Beauty in Works of Art. Individual

Beauty ........ 45

28—32. And especially of Youth 47

33 — 35. Ideal Beauty formed from Beautiful Parts of Indivi- duals ........ 50

36 — 39. Especially of Eunuchs and Hermaphrodites . . 53 40. Denoted by the Form of Beasts . . . .60


PART II.

CHAPTER I.


THE CONFORMATION AND BEAUTY OF THE MALE DEITIES

AND HEROES.


I — 3. Conformation of Youthful Deities

4. Different Stages of Youth in Youthful Male Deities 5 — 7. Satyrs or Fauns. The Young Satyrs 8 — 10. The Older Satyrs or Sileni, together with Pan 11 — 15. The Youth and Conformation of Apollo. Of a Beau tiful Genius in the Villa Borghese 16, 17. The Youth of other Deities. Of Mercury

18. Of Mars

19, 20. Of Hercules

21 — 24. Of Eunuchs in Bacchus .... 25, 26. And, likewise, in the Bearded Bacchus


65 68 68 75

81 86 89 90 93 96


CONTENTS.


XV11


SECT. PAGE

97, 28. The Beauty of Divinities of a Manly Age ; and the Difference between the Human and the Deified

Hercules 99

29—35. Of Jupiter, and especially of Serapis and Pluto ; like- wise of Serapis and the Centaurs . . .103

36,37. Of Neptune 112

38. And of the other Sea-Gods 113

39 — 41. Idea of Beauty in the Figures of the Heroes; how it

is and ought to be 115

42,43. The Beverse censured in Figures of Heroes . . 118 44,45. In the Figures of the Saviour 119


CHAPTEB II.

THE CONFORMATION AND BEAUTY OF THE FEMALE DEITIES

AND HEROINES.


1,2. Idea of Beauty in Female Divinities 3,4. Of the Goddesses. Of the Superior Goddesses. Of Venus, the Venus de' Medici, and others like her

5. The Look of Venus

6. Venus dressed

7. Juno

8. Pallas .

9. Diana .

10. Ceres

11. Proserpine

12. Hebe .

13. The Inferior Goddesses

14. The Graces .

15. The Hours .

16. The Nymphs

17. The Muses .

18. The Fates .

19. The Furies .

20. The Gorgons 21, 22. The Amazons

23. Beauty of the Portraits of Particular Individuals

24. Ideal Conformation of Animals


121

122 127 128 128 129 133 134 135 136 136 136 137 138 138 139 140 140 144 148 149


XV111 CONTENTS.

SECT. PAGE

25. Beauty of Female Masks 151

26. Concluding Remarks on the Beauty of Conformation,

generally considered 151


CHAPTER III.

THE EXPRESSION OP BEAUTY IN FEATURES AND ACTION.

1. Of the Expression of Beauty both in Features and

Action . . . . . . . .154

2. The word Expression explained and defined . . 154

3. Principles of Artists in Expression. Stillness and

Repose abstractly . . . . . .155

4. United with Expression of the Passions . . .155

5. Propriety in general . . . . . .156

6. Figures of Female Dancers . . . . .157

7. Expression in Figures of the Divinities. Of Repose

and Stillness . . . . . . .158

8. In Jupiter ........ 159

9. In Apollo 159

10. Posture of Figures. Decorum in Male Figures . 160

1 1 — 15. Expression in Figures taken from the Heroic Age . 162 16,17. In Women of the Heroic Age . . . .166

18. Expression in Persons of Rank . . . .168

19 — 21. Roman Emperors represented on their Monuments

like Citizens . . . . . . .168

22. General Remarks upon the Expression of Violent

Emotions 170

23, 24. Of Expression in most Works of Modern Artists

generally 171

25. Ancient and Modem Artists compared in regard to

Action . . . . . . . .173

26. Supplementary Remarks on the Conceptions of

Beauty in the Works of Modem Artists . .175

27. Opinions of the Unskilled 175

28. Superiority of Modem Painting . . . .177

29. Of Living Sculptors in Rome. Imitation of Antique

Works .179


CONTENTS. XIX


CHAPTER IV.


PROPORTION.— COMPOSITION.

SBOT. PAGK

1 — 4. Of Proportion generally . . . . .181

5. Opinion of Vitruvius in regard to the Proportion of

Columns . 183

6. Proportion of the Heads of Figures . . . 184

7. Proportions of the Human Figure more accurately

determined .186

8. Faults in the Proportion of Ancient Figures . . 187 '.1 — 12. Proportion more accurately determined, especially in

regard to the Length of the Foot, in Refutation of

the Erroneous Objections of some Writers . . 189

13. Proportions of the Face determined, for Designers . 191

14 — 16. Of Composition 193

CHAPTER V.

BEAUTY OF INDIVIDUAL PARTS OF THE BODY.

1—3. Of the Beauty of Individual Parts of the Body . 197 4. Of the Head, and especially of the Profile of the

Face 198

5, 6. The Forehead 199

7 — 9. The Hair on the Forehead generally . . . "201

10. Of Hercules 203

11. Of Alexander the Great 204

13. Refutation of the Name given to a Head cut on a

Gem 204

13. Erroneous Reason of this Appellation . . . 205

14. Similarity of this Head to that of Hercules . . 206

15. A Representation of Hercules with Omphale . . 207

16. Proof of this Supposition from the Dress of the

Lydians 207

17, 18. Explanation of a Painting on a Vase of Terra Cotta. 208

19. Of Heads of Hyllus 210

20. The Eyes. The Beauty of their Form generally . 211

21. In Art, of Ideal Heads 212


XX


CONTENTS.


SECT.

22. Eyes of Divinities .

23. The Eyelids ....

24. The Eyebrows. Attributes of their

25. Objections to Joined Eyebrows

26. The Mouth .... 27, 28. The Chin ....

29. The Ears generally 30 — 85. Ears of Athletes or Pancratiasts

36. The Hair .... 37, 38. Difference, in respect to the Hair, and Modern Artists .

39. Of the Hair of Satyrs or Fauns

40. Hair of Apollo and Bacchus .

4 1 . Hair of Young Persons .

42. Color of the Hair .


Beauty


between Ancient


PAGE

214 215 216 217

218

220 222 223

229

230 232 232 232 232


CHAPTER VI.

BEAUTY OF THE EXTKEMITIES, BREAST, AND ABDOMEN. DRAWING OF THE FIGURES OF ANIMALS BY GREEK MASTERS.


1. Of the Beauty of the Extremities .... 234

2. Of the Hands 235

3 — 5. Of the Legs, Knees, and Feet .... 236

6. The Breast of Male Figures 238

7, 8. Of Female Figures 239

9. Nipples on the Breast of the Antinoiis, erroneously

so called, in the Belvedere . . . .241

10—12. The Abdomen 241

13 — 17. General Remarks in Reference to this Treatise . 242 18 — 24. Of the Drawing of the Figures of Animals by Greek

Artists 247


Unless indicated otherwise, the text in this article is either based on Wikipedia article "History of Ancient Art" or another language Wikipedia page thereof used under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License; or on research by Jahsonic and friends. See Art and Popular Culture's copyright notice.

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