Eyes
Identity and Commemoration in British 18th and 19th Century Sculpture
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.36399/GroundingsUG.1.272Keywords:
Eyes, Sculpture, Perception, Identity, Statuary, GazeAbstract
While staring right at us, the varied representations of eyes in sculpture have largely gone unrecognised. Their consideration is essential, however, for the contemporary viewer’s perception of, and identification with, the political and mythology subjects of eighteenth and nineteenth century statuary. A historical overview of the depiction of eyes reveals contradictions in neo-classical sculptural practices: a move from the emulation of the antique, with coloured eyes, to the presentation of uncarved marble eyeballs. This is highly significant for the individualisation of a statue is most achieved through the expression of the eyes both in facial appearance and gaze.
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Copyright (c) 2007 Anna Vermehren
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