A Greek statue combines aesthetics, religion and appreciation
Ancient cities were virtually covered in Greek mythology statues. Temples, streets, buildings and public places were opulently decorated with them. However, they were not mere ornaments, but also the effigies of ancient gods in human form. Furthermore, Greek statues were also used to commemorate great athletic accomplishments, or heroic deeds on the battlefields of the numerous wars, or even persons whose thoughts and actions had huge impacts on society as a whole. Therefore, there are numerous statues of philosophers like Platon, kings such as Alexander the Great or poets like Homer. Several great pieces of art were even created directly on the streets as talented sculptors competed against each other in popular competitions that were held outside. Consequently, the sculpture achieved a highly entertaining value and was highly esteemed by the people.
Greek statues for sale for your own home
Aesthetics and idealism form a harmonic union in Greek god statues. In our shop we offer you Greek statues for sale so you can use them to decorate your home or allow them to unfold their deeper meaning. As an example, you could buy and exhibit a Justitia to commemorate the values of the judiciary, justice and order, and to find pleasure in the artistic beauty of the figure at the same time. When you purchase an antique statue in our online shop, you receive a bronze statue that is an accurate recreation of the original sculpture, or you will sometimes even get a casting of a model that is displayed in a museum that is virtually an almost exact copy of the original. All those statues are made of 100% bronze. Buying Greek statues for sale means for us that you place your trust in us. In exchange, we offer you the highest quality and bronze statues that were cast by hand using the lost wax technique.
Using the lost wax technique to produce high quality statues
The lost wax technique is a moulding procedure which is used for the production of metal and glass castings. With the aid of a model made of wax or plastic, one-piece moulds are created, which are figurines that are cast in one piece. First, a wax mould is modelled and equipped with ventilation and git ducts. This mould is then wrapped in the moulding material. The resulting mould is then melted out and, depending on the material, cauterised. Afterwards, molten metal is poured into the mould. When the metal has solidified, the mould is destroyed and the finished sculpture emerges. Yet, not every material is suitable as a mould for this procedure, as it has to be lithe, fireproof and permeable to gas. Additionally, it should be easily destroyable after the casting. Materials which show those features are clay mineral, plaster, clay or quartz sand.
The ancient profession of metal casting
The lost wax technique has a long tradition that dates far back in history. Starting in the fourth century BC, the technique started to spread among metal casters. At first it was common in Bulgaria and Anatolia, where it was mainly used for the casting of copper and tin. However, this technique was also already used in Columbia and Central America for the production of ritual objects. During the Middle Ages, bronze casting was widely spread and the technique was used for nearly every bronze artwork. Even nowadays, the lost wax technique is still up to modern standards and, for example, is used in the field of dentistry. More detailed information on our method of bronze casting can be found here.
The Greek statue in the arts
The Greek statue mostly discussed the human form. Yet, it was not really about individuals, as the individual human was a symbol for society. The figures portrayed the beauty standards of Antiquity's society and represented the harmonic balance between body and soul. Sports and a healthy body were integral parts of the Greeks' lifestyles. Consequently, they captured this notion in their statues made of stone, marble, bronze, ivory, clay or wood.
Greek's artistic epochs
Greek art history can be divided into three epochs. The first development of the Greek sculpture was during the geometric or archaic period which was around 650 years BC. During this time, mainly wooden sculptures were created in order to use them for ritual purposes. The large-scale sculpture had its beginnings during this period. Life-size and larger-than-life statues which depicted naked young men and clothed girls reveal the huge impact of Egyptian culture on the Greeks. The stiff posture, head-on gaze and clenched fists are strongly reminiscent of the human figures of the ancient Egyptians.
The classical epoch of Greek works
During the classical epoch around the year 440 BC, sculpture abandoned the stiff human image and focused on the depiction of action. The focus was on the anatomy and function of the human body. A popular motif was a body in motion. During the high period of classical Antiquity, the depiction of the human body in motion was perfected. The movement of the limbs was studied intensively, leading to the creation of statues that gave off the impression that the artist captured a person in motion. The change between the supporting leg and the free leg, curved spines, tilted hips, strained muscles and twisting joints gave a sculpture the impression of almost being alive.
The Late Classical and the Hellenistic epoch
The classical idea of man was also a motif of the Late Classical and Hellenistic periods around 320 BC, when it was developed further, resulting in sculptures then showing wide-ranging gestures and their muscle play and animated facial expressions. Statues became leaner and taller and the first large-scale sculpture of a nude woman broke a taboo. The Hellenistic epoch now also focussed on groups of humans that were merged into one work of art. The animated facial expressions were an integral part of the sculptures. Misery, anger and pain were captured impressively and in highly realistic ways in the different sculptures.
The reason why a lot of Greek statues are naked
Obviously, not every antique sculpture is naked. However, especially in temple facilities, one can see a lot of bare human bodies, as the artists paid homage to the beauty of the human body, portraying the beauty standards of ancient Greek culture. In the early period of Greek statues only men were shown in the nude, exhibiting well-defined abdominal muscles as well as well-trained arms and legs. There were probably no real-life models for those sculptures as they were often larger than life and had slightly shifted proportions, for example heads that were a bit too big. Consequently, one could say that those statues were the ancient equivalents of Photoshop, depicting an ideal image of the human body that can never be achieved.
Greek mythology as a common motif
Mythology is a term that originated in Greece and could be translated with "the telling of stories". Mythology focuses on myths, or rather on their interpretation in religion, science and literature. It encompasses the scientific investigation of divine and heroic sagas as well as the lore of the creation and destruction of the world. The individual relationships between the gods and the stories about them have the function of delivering messages and preserving the wisdoms of humankind.
The mythological artistic motifs of ancient Greece
The creative activity of ancient Greece was mostly inspired by three particular motifs. The first motif is the depiction of the character of Oedipus and the sphinx, as pictured by French artist Gustav Moreau who depicted a key scene of the Oedipus myth in which the hero is pressed against a stone wall by a winged creature while he keeps eye contact with the sphinx the whole time. The second motif is the portrayal of a fight scene between the bull-headed Minotaur and Theseus, a well-known hero of Greek mythology. The first of the so-called Minotauromachies originated during the Antiquity. However, they are also adapted quite often in modern paintings, for example by Pablo Picasso. The third motif is the triumph of Bacchus, which is sometimes also called triumph of Dionysus. In this depiction, the return from Asia and the union of immortal Dionysus and mortal Ariadne are the central themes. This is a motif that can be found very often on vases, walls of buildings and in mosaics.
Icarus and Zeus were popular characters
Other frequently used depictions are the ones of Icarus and Zeus. Icarus was the son of Daedalus who fell to his death because he came too close to the sun during his flight. An especially well-known depiction of this scene was created by the artist Henri Matisse. Zeus is the most important god and is also known as the father of the gods who is more powerful than any other god in Greek mythology. The motif of his strength and uniqueness helped Zeus become a very popular subject in the arts, which is why this motif has been adapted quite often and in many different artistic genres when it comes to the depiction of mythological scenes.
Justitia – the embodiment of justice
In our shop you can buy a bronze statue of Justitia. Do you believe in values such as justice, objectivity and reliability? By purchasing a bronze statue of Justitia, you not only buy the statue of a goddess. You purchase a work of art that will always remind you of those important values. With her blindfold, her sword and her scales, this goddess symbolises justice and defends the values of the judiciary. However, Justitia is not only bought by lawyers, notaries or judges, as those values are important for everyone.
A goddess who combines mundane and divine matters
Justitia can nowadays still be found in important places of the judiciary profession. She never goes out of fashion and is still accepted in her function as goddess of justice and the judiciary. Her symbolic power has not changed all that much over time. She is enshrouded in a myth that promises absolute justice for societal morality and public order. During the Antiquity, her powers spanned both the mundane as well as the divine realm. Furthermore, she always appears as a goddess in human form, thereby embodying a connection between the profane and the divine.
Justitia stands for absolute justice
The judiciary has always exuded a certain dignity and seriousness, consequently creating a feeling of trust in the proper handling of every case by applying the relevant knowledge of the law to bring about justice. This is why Justitia can always be found in public spaces by law-abiding persons. Quite often, the goddess is put up in a place that can be seen by everyone. Due to the fact that nothing should be kept from her, she is often erected in an exposed place where nothing gets past her eyes. Additionally, Justitia does not only embody the judiciary. She can be seen as more of personification of justice with a divine claim to infallibility. Both the executive as well as the legislative branches seek refuge with her as they both lack a similar character. Therefore, Justitia can be seen as standing for the public order in general.
The goddess who never laughs
Justitia never laughs, as her duty demands absolute seriousness. She is aware of this seriousness in any scenario, whether it is trivial or meaningful. She does not care how significant a situation might be. Her facial features always remain void of any emotions. She never, ever jokes around. She always stands upright, calm and steadfast in her place. When you inspect her more closely, you might catch yourself thinking that justice has to be the responsibility of the divine. Maybe you remember the old saying that in a courtroom and on high sea man is in God's hand. Even though Justitia is above all mundane things, she is still concerned about them. With her, there is no preferential or discriminatory treatment. This is the demand that she places on every trial.
Cupid and Eros - love has many names
In Greek he is known as "Eros", while the Romans called him "Cupid". The god of covetous love inspired numerous works of literature, the visual arts and music. And he is part of our collection as well. He did not play a big role in the tales of the gods, but the young god was loved by the arts. According to Hesiod, he belonged to the first five gods that emerged from the initial Chaos. Aristophanes claims that Eros fathered the first birds. And Sophocles describes Eros as someone with complete control over humans. In Classical Antiquity, Eros was most often portrayed as a young man with a whip, a net and sandals. In the Hellenistic style, the depiction of a young child with a bow and arrows prevailed. His arrows were able to either kindle love or completely destroy any passion. Consequently, he can be seen as a clumsy child with a great impact.
Hermes – god of travellers, merchants and thieves
Hermes had a lot of important tasks and domains in the Greek pantheon. He is the god of traffic and therefore the guardian of travellers, merchants and shepherds, but he also protects thieves. He also keeps a keen eye on art dealers which is why he is not missing in our collection. As the messenger of the gods he delivered the decisions, orders and resolutions made by Zeus on Mount Olympus. Additionally, he escorted souls into Hades, the underworld. He is often depicted as youthful. At first he wore a hat, but this was later on replaced by his famous winged helmet which was supported by winged sandals and little wings on his shoulders. He was also depicted with the caduceus, which he used to bring sleep and create dreams.
Satyr – a demon of Dionysus
Satyrs are hybrid creatures from the entourage of Dionysus and popular motifs of erotic works of art. While nymphs embody the female version of this part of Greek mythology, satyrs represent the male version. In the arts they are often unmistakably depicted as bald, naked and with pointy noses. Most often they are shown as a hybrid between horses or donkeys and humans. In later periods of ancient art, they are portrayed more and more human-like because they were attributed with the invention of wine-growing and music. Yet, they never completely leave their animal nature behind. In the Hellenistic style, the depiction of the satyr was mixed with that of Pan. This is why in later periods of ancient art, satyrs are portrayed with goat legs.
Icarus on his way towards the sun
Icarus is one of the most symbolic characters in Greek mythology. Icarus and his father Daedalus were imprisoned on Crete. In order to get over the water, Daedalus built two pairs of wings for him and his son by using rods onto which he then glued feathers with the help of wax. He told his son not to fly too high or too low so the wings would not be harmed by the sun or the sea. However, Icarus became the victim of his own boisterousness and flew too high. Consequently, the wax of his wings melted, the feathers fell off and Icarus fell into the sea. His boisterous reach for the sun cost him his life. Icarus is a popular motif in the arts, often symbolising a foolish and boisterous character. This is also the depiction of him that you can buy in our shop.
A new interpretation of ancient art - Michelangelo's David
In our shop you will not only find reproductions and adaptations of ancient Greek statues for sale. Michelangelo's David is also part of our assortment, even though he was only created at the beginning of the 16th century. This statue is a wonderful work of art that is undeniably inspired by ancient art. It is probably the most important sculpture in the history of art. This work was created from a single block of marble and continues to fascinate its observers even today. His pose implies that David is about to begin his fight against Goliath. He seems careless, but the protruding veins in his right hand are an indication of his exertion. Additionally, his strained neck muscles, his knitted brows and his pursed lips betray his calm demeanour. The statue's realism still fascinates us today.
Garden Gnomes - playful sculptures for your garden
Apart from Greek statues, we also offer garden gnomes for sale. Those can take on a lot of different forms: from Milo’s lovely fairies to the bronze sculpture of a gnome’s head by Juno. Consequently, if you are looking for garden gnomes for sale in order to give your garden a more playful aura, you have come to the right place.