Different societies around the world have ways of how they describe their values, morals and ethics. One of these ways is in the way they carry out different activities like: how they dress, what they eat and drink, their beliefs and religious affiliations among many other ways. However, this may vary among different societies, but also it is possible to find that they share some similarities. Similarities may be as a result of interaction by these societies at some point in history or mere coincidence. Likewise, the works of art among different societies may vary or bear some similarities and some differences. Although both Greeks and Romans practiced art, Apollo Sauroktonos (Lizard-slayer) and Marcus Aurelius statues’ visual aspects can be used to show how similar or different Greeks and Romans in physical/body features or their views in art, gender and sexuality as portrayed in their values, morals and ethics.
Similarities
Both Greek’s Apollo Sauroktonos and Marcus Aurelius statues are of the same height. Most of the time art works represent facts about those (society/people) that come up with these works. However, the complexity of these works may represent sculptor’s imagination. The above two pieces of art can be used to draw the conclusion that Greeks and Romans were tall with more or less the same height. They also could have valued conspicuity in their arts. Therefore, they had to make tall and visible pieces of art.
The two statues also lack some parts in their body organs composition. Greek’s Apollo Sauroktonos statue lack the two arms while Marcus Aurelius statue has its head decapitated. Some parts of art materials can be lost during recovery and this might have been the case. Greeks or Romans viewed quality and durability of their works differently, and this can be seen in their art works. They are also extremely old and probably weak thus leading to crumbling when mishandled or as weathering or climate changes occurs. Since the strength of raw materials dictates the durability of the piece of work, it can be said that both Greeks and Romans had raw materials that did not have perfect durability. It is also possible that the environments affect these works differently.
Differences
Greek’s Apollo Sauroktonos (Lizard-slayer) statue portrays a naked person (exposes the manhood of the person portrayed in the statue), whereas Roman’s Marcus Aurelius statue portrays a person wearing clothes. Greeks might have held high pride in the beauty of a naked person especially of the male gender. This could explain the nakedness of the Greek’s Apollo Sauroktonos (Lizard-slayer) statue. It might also mean that Greeks were highly creative to think of portraying an image of man differently from how others represented theirs. Greek sculptors’ creation of a statue of a nude person might also mean that either Greeks did not wear clothes or when they wore, there were no restrictions of appearing naked or scantly dressed. This falls under their moral morals, values and ethics. Romans could have made sculptures in more realistic way and lacked creativity like complex imaginations to come up with new ideas. Romans were Christians from long ago, and this must have influenced their pieces of art. Christian ethics, morals and beliefs might not allow display of naked portraits since it is against their beliefs.
Greek’s Apollo Sauroktonos statue is right colored/whitish while Roman’s Marcus Aurelius statue is darker. Possibly, Romans were painters and people who highly valued colours in their art works. This can be explained from how Marcus Aurelius statue is dark. It is also possible that there was use of dark, raw materials or even exposure to processes like burning to make them hard and dark. Right color in the Apollo Sauroktonos statue may be depicting presence of right colored raw materials like marble/stone. Greeks might have chosen to retain originality of their art work masterpieces. Therefore, rather than painting them, they retained them natural due to their value on originality. Some of The Greek art works are exceptionally old. Possibly, their art work masterpieces lost their color due to continued weathering and change in weather conditions.
Greek’s Apollo Sauroktonos statue is smooth/lack lines while the Roman’s Marcus Aurelius statue is rough. The former is smooth since it represents a naked person and obviously, such a statue should be smooth. Marcus Aurelius statue is rough/full of lines. This is in the outfit of the statue representing clothing. The roughness is in the positions of body parts of the statue especially the hands, neck area and the legs. The Romans could have been wearing loose garments.
Greek’s Apollo Sauroktonos statue lacks both hands which might have broken off earlier. These hands were off the body (lacked contact with the torso). They might have broken off during the time of recovery. Greek art has gone through extensive transformation over many years both in the materials used and the quality of the art. Lack of these body parts can also be attributed to the many years that Greeks and Romans thus old enough to start crumbling.
Apollo Sauroktonos statue is more slender than Marcus Aurelius statue which is a bit plump. This affect the amount of raw materials each spent to come up with pieces of work: Greeks used small amounts of molding material as compared to the Romans. Greeks could have been slender people as compared to Romans. They can be said to be slender people as seen in these art works. It can be due to what they ate or may be the difference is because one is naked and the other one wears clothes.
Conclusion
Meanings can be deduced from the physical features of different masterpieces across the world about the people who came up with these materials. Conclusions can then be made after interpreting what might be the meaning of the physical features according to different themes that exist in the world of art. These conclusions mostly tells more on peoples morals, beliefs and ethics and their general view on the key things in the society e.g. sexuality, gender and art. Although both Greeks and Romans practiced art, Apollo Sauroktonos (Lizard-slayer) and Marcus Aurelius statues’ visual aspects can be used to show how similar or different Greeks and Romans were in their physical/body features and on their views on art, gender and sexuality as portrayed in their values, morals and ethics.