Importance of Sculpture: Its Influence on Social Life and Culture

According to Webster dictionary, the sculpture is the art of making two- or three- dimensional figures, whether it be of an object or an idea, especially through the use of carving metal or plaster. Many ages ago, before the development of written and spoken languages, art was the only way that those before us could convey their thoughts to one another. Therefore, the importance of sculpture throughout history has been to communicate ideas through art and it has provided many with a constant source of comfort and peace throughout lifetimes.

To begin with, the sculpture is known by many to be more or less a form of art, and that it has proven itself to have a large sense of value throughout history. There are many forms of art, each being different from the next, but sculpture is just one of the forms, or mediums, that an artist can use to communicate with others and to express their own individual beliefs. One of the most famous artists in the 1500's when by the name of Michelangelo. Michelangelo was a man of many abilities, some being painting, architecture, poetry, and engineering. To many, it could be said that Michelangelo is perhaps the most influential figure in the history of western art whose individual works exceeded those of his time, those before him, and those who have come after him. One of the most famous sculptures in the world is known as “David”, which was created in 1504. While many see this sculpture simply as a naked man standing on a slab of marble, its original purpose had a powerful meaning. In time, it had come to symbolize the Florentine Republic, which was an independent city-state that seen by many at the time as a threat. Although it was just a sculpture, it had come to represent an idea that was remembered throughout all of history. Along with sculpture being able to communicate ideas, it also allows for a sense of communication. Before languages, the written word, etc., people were only able to communicate through facial expressions and through what they could create with their own two hands. While it wasn’t the most effective form of communication, this form of art has allowed many to communicate with one another and to represent one’s ideas or beliefs to those around them.

In addition to the sculpture being a form of communication, it has also shown itself to provide people with a sense of comfort, in which they are able to find peace and relaxation. Many sculptures, like “David”, take time to fully take in and understand the meaning of. The brilliance of sculpture is that each and every piece has meaning behind it, and for some, it can take lifetimes to understand. One of the more well-known sculptures that many people have heard of is the Moai statues of Easter Island that were built between 1400 and 1650. While these statues are very large in size and may not look very aesthetically pleasing, each and every one of the statues has meaning. These statue heads stand facing away from the sea and are believed by many archaeologists to represent the spirits of their ancestors and other important individuals of the past. Being able to connect with people of one’s past is just one of the reasons why these statues provide comfort to those who choose to visit them. A man named George Bernard Shaw, who was a well-known Irish playwright, author, and political activist, once said, “Without art, the crudeness of reality would make the world unbearable.” All in all, he’s saying that sculpture is important for a vast number of reasons, and without it, the world would be a very different place. Of course, every sculpture doesn’t have some extravagant meaning, whereas some do.

Some sculptures, instead of conveying some deep and thoughtful message or providing one with a sense of wonder, are only built or created on commission to commemorate a historical event or the life of an inspirational person. Many sculptures are created to be public art, only created to show and to remember events of the past, while some are made to gain fame in their own right. For example, there are many statues around the world that are dedicated to people, such as Martin Luther King. These aren’t statues that are created for fame or to become super well-known or popular, but instead, they are created to commemorate and to remember an important person of the past.

It could be said that sculptures aren’t important and are only created as some sort of decoration for buildings and exhibits. The modern world is filled with many busy people who often don’t have time to recognize or see the importance of sculpture. Of course, sculptures are often used to make places look nicer and add an extra dimension to an area, but there is so much more to understand about them. Many argue that sculpture never had created a huge impact, to begin with, and that many of these “sculptures” were only created without a sense of meaning. Sculpture may not have value if there are already books and texts that are saying the exact same things that they are. However, what many people in the world don’t see is that sculpture has a unique way of expressing itself. Unlike a vast majority of the other forms of art, it patiently waits for one to gradually experience the idea of what it has to say. Sculpture may be seen as boring and dull to some, but it will always convey a sense of thought that could not simply be created by a text.

It is apparent that when looking at how much sculpture has been used and utilized in history that it is vital to the world. Whether the sculpture is as small as “The Trojan Horse”, which was created by Fernando Botero in 1992, or it’s as large as the statue of “David”, the sculpture has and is said by many that it will always play an important role in history and the future to come. Many sculptures lack aesthetically pleasing aspects and super detailed curves and lines, yet every one of them has some sort of meaning that could be passed on from one generation to the next. Before the 20th century, sculptures throughout the world were valued and better appreciated than they are in the modern world. While sculptures seem as if they lack importance and meaning, every sculpture has a purpose and some just take to understand.