Marble sculpture
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Marble sculpture is the art of creating three dimensional forms from marble. Sculpture is among the oldest of the arts. Even before painting cave walls, early humans fashioned shapes from stone. From these beginnings, artifacts have evolved to their current complexity. The point at which they became art is for the beholder to decide. In any case, sculptures rank among the greatest of human achievements.
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Tools
The Italian terms for the tools of sculpture are given here, and where possible the English terms have been included.
- La Mazza - The mallet. This is used to strike the chisel.
- Gli Scalpelli - The chisels. These come in various types:
- La Subbia - a pointed chisel or punch
- L'Unghietto - Literally, "little fingernail"
- La Gradina - a chisel with multiple teeth
- Lo Scalpello - a flat chisel
- Lo Scapezzatore - a hefty chisel with a broad blunt edge, for splitting.
- Il Martello Pneumatico - Air hammer
- Il Flessibile - an angle grinder, fitted with an electrolysis-applied diamond studded blade
- Hand Drill
Technique
Hammer and point work is the technique used in working stone, in use since Pygmalion. It consists of holding the pointed chisel against the stone and swinging the hammer at it as hard as possible. When the hammer connects with the striking end of the chisel, its energy is transferred down the length and concentrates on a single point on the surface of the block, breaking the stone. This is continued in a line following the desired contour. It may sound simple but many months are required to attain competency. A good stone worker can maintain a rhythm of relatively longer blows (about one per second), swinging the hammer in a wider arc, lifting the chisel between blows to flick out any chips that remain in the way, and repositioning it for the next blow. This way, one can drive the point deeper into the stone and remove more material at a time. Some stoneworkers also spin the subbia in their fingers between hammer blows, thus applying with each blow a different part of the point to the stone. This helps prevent the point from breaking.
List of marble sculptures
- Elgin Marbles, in the British Museum, London
- David by Michelangelo, in Florence
- The Dead Christ by John Hogan in Newfoundland
- Laocoon and his Sons by Agesander, in the Vatican Museums, Vatican City
- Moses by Michaelangelo, in Rome
- Pieta by Michaelangelo, in the Vatican
- The Veiled Virgin by Giovanni Strazza in Newfoundland
- Winged Victory of Samothrace, in the Louvre, Paris
See also
External Links
- Parian marble (http://www.travel-to-paros.com/marble/) Famous Statues made of Parian Marble