ENSITIVITY TO THE QUALITIES OF MARBLE AND A SUPERB SENSE OF DESIGN. AS IF TO MAKE UP FOR THE LACK OF LIFE IN THEIR STATUES, ARCHAIC SCULPTORS SOUGHT NATURALISM BY PAINTING THEM. GREEK SCULPTURE ROSE TO ITS HIGHEST ACHIEVEMENT IN THE 5TH CENTURY BC, WHEN THE SPIRIT OF GREECE ITSELF WAS AT ITS HEIGHT. OF THE TEMPLES BUILT IN THIS "GOLDEN AGE" OF PERICLES, THE FINEST WAS THE PARTHENON, DEDICATED TO ATHENA, GODDESS OF ATHENS. IT WAS ORNAMATED BY THE MASTER OF GREEK SCULPTURE, PHIDIAS. EVEN PHIDIAS COULD HAVE NOT DONE ALL OF THE SCULTPTURES IN THE ENTIRE PARTHENON, AND ONLY HERE AND THERE CAN THE SCULPTURES OF HIS HAND BE MADE SURE THAT THEY ARE INDEED HIS. "THE THREE FATES", DESIGNED TO FIT THE TRIANGULAR SPACE OF THE PEDIMENT, ARE GENERALLY BELIEVED TO BE THE FINEST TREATMENT OF DRAPERY IN SCULPTURE. DRAMATIC GESTURES AND DECORATIVE DETAIL REPLACED THE QUIET DIGNITY AND RESTRAINT OF THE EAIRLIER DAYS OF GREECE.IN THE FOURTH CENTURY THE ROMAN EMPIRE ACCEPTED CHRISTIANITY AS ITS RELIGION. THIS MEANT A NEW KIND OF ART. SCULPTURE, LIKE ARCHITECTURE AND PHILOSOPHY, TURNED TO THE CHURCH, AND THE CHURCH, FACED WITH THE NEED OF INTERPRETING THE NEW RELIGION FOR GREAT MASSES OF PEOPLE, USED THE ARTS TO A GOOD ADVANTAGE. RELIGIOUS IS SUBJECT MATTER, SCULPTURE WAS CLOSELY RELATED TO CHURCH ARCHITECTURE. ROMAN SCULPTURE PASSED THROUGH THREE DEFINITE STAGES. THE FIRST, WAS INFLUENCED BY THE DEATH MASKS MADE FOR THE FAMILY GALLERY AS PART OF ANCESTOR WORSHIP. THE SECOND STAGE REPRESENTS A TYPE OF REALISTIC SCULPTURE WITH A SENSE OF UNEASE. THE THIRD WAS SHAPED UNDER THE RULE OF AUGUSTUS. UNDER HIS DICTATION, IMPERIAL SCULPTURE TO DISPLACING THE REALISTIC ART OF THE LATE REPUBLIC. LATER IN ROMAN ART, IN ADDITION TO FREE-STANDING SCULPTURES, RELIEF SCULPTURES BECAME TO BE MORE POPULAR. CHRISTIAN ART WAS UNDERGOING AESTHETIC CHANGES. IT BECAME MORE AND MORE IMPRESSIONISTIC, USING THE SIMPLEST DETAILS TO CREATE AN ILLUSION OF REALITY, IN ...
