Adam Turner
Karen Scheafer
HUM 2211
29 January 2012
Separate Pieces
Artwork consists of different ideas from many different cultures from all different time periods. “The Good Shepherd” was created by Christian influences, while “Calf Bearer” came from the Greek transition from an archaic style, to the classical Greek style. The physical differences in these two pieces as well as the purpose behind them are two key features that set them apart. The intentions of each artist when creating these pieces of art were both different as well.
In “The Good Shepherd”, Jesus is the shepherd and the lambs are the followers. Jesus is the one who takes care of this lamb. Though religious art was limited during this period of time because of the outlaw of graven images, these freestanding pieces of art were still made but only retained rudimentary features. In contrast to “The Calf Bearer”, this piece was a message of religious content from Jesus to the people who followed him. Rather than Jesus being seen as himself, the statue depicts him as the Shepherd. His seems to be intently watching the lamb as if he is ensuring its safety. Fully clothed in a relaxed kind of stance, the statue still gives off a power unmatched by any other. Unlike “The Calf Bearer”, “The Good Shepherd” is not visually amazing by any means, but it achieves exactly what the artist intended, which is the message that “Jesus is the savior of man.”
With some of the movement of the Greek Classical era the “Calf Bearer” is known as more of a transitional type of artwork. Visually appealing, this piece represented the regular, everyday man, as the protector of his calf. The artist used great detail in creating the muscles, representing the great strength of man. It seems the figure is moving forward with the calf. This statue was different then earlier Egyptian art in that it had fluidity as opposed to stiffness. The eyes were made of pearl and the smaller features of the piece were made to look more real with the use of dark and light shades. The artist wanted to insure that this piece looked as real as possible while creating visual enjoyment for his audience.
