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284:"Monumental sculpture" is still used within the stoneworking and funeral trades to cover all forms of grave headstones and other funerary art, regardless of size. In contemporary art, however, the term is used to refer to all large sculptures regardless of purpose, and also carries a sense of permanent, solid, objects, rather than the temporary or fragile assemblages used in much contemporary sculpture. Sculptures covered by the term in modern art are likely to be over two metres in at least one dimension, and sufficiently large not to need a high
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63:, but not always consistently. It combines two concepts, one of function, and one of size, and may include an element of a third more subjective concept. It is often used for all sculptures that are large. Human figures that are perhaps half life-size or above would usually be considered monumental in this sense by art historians, although in
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is an example of a tradition of monumental sculpture in wood that would leave no traces for archaeology. The ability to summon the resources to create monumental sculpture, by transporting usually very heavy materials and arranging for the payment of what are usually regarded as full-time sculptors,
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and art history the appearance, and sometimes disappearance, of monumental sculpture (using the size criterion) in a culture, is regarded as of great significance, though tracing the emergence is often complicated by the presumed existence of sculpture in wood and other perishable materials of which
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of the south portal the sculpture of
Moissac becomes truly monumental. It is placed above the level of the eye, and is so large as to dominate the entire entrance. It is a gigantic semi-circular relief ...", size is certainly the dominant part of what he means by the word, and Schapiro's further
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It is only in wealthy societies that the possibility of creating sculptures that are large but merely decorative really exists (at least in long-lived materials such as stone), so for most of art history the different senses of the term cause no difficulties. The term may be used differently for
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The most overworked word in current art history and criticism. It is intended to convey the idea that a particular work of art, or part of such a work, is grand, noble, elevated in idea, simple in conception and execution, without any excess of virtuousity, and having something of the enduring,
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comments suggest that a lack of "excess of virtuousity" does not form part of what he intends to convey. Nonetheless, parts of the Murray's concept ("grand, noble, elevated in idea") are included in his meaning, although "simple in conception and execution" hardly seems to apply.
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However, this does not constitute an accurate or adequate description of the use of the term for sculpture, though many uses of the term that essentially mean either large or "used in a memorial" may involve this concept also, in ways that are hard to separate. For example, when
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definition only refers to "Very large, comparable to a typical monument in massiveness", but the notes below on the many reference works consulted give a range of different emphases on size and function.
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are titled as follows: "Monumental
Sculpture to c.1300", "Monumental Sculpture 1300–1600", "Free-standing Sculpture c.1600–c.1700", "Forms in Space c.1700–1770", "Sculptures and Publics" (1770–1914).
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97:, and expressions of the power of a ruler or community, to which churches and so religious statues are added by convention, although in some contexts monumental sculpture may specifically mean just
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and the early 20th century: for ancient and medieval sculpture size is normally the criterion, though smaller architectural sculptures are usually covered by the term, but in the
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a specific funerary function may be meant, before the typical meaning once again comes to refer to size alone for contemporary sculpture. The relevant chapters in Parts 2-4 of
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272:, never resumed the use of monumental figurative sculpture, whether in religious or secular contexts, and was to ban even two-dimensional religious art for a period in the
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of some sort, and therefore capitals and reliefs attached to buildings will be included, even if small in size. Typical functions of monuments are as grave markers,
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disturbed many ideas held about early
Chinese civilization, since only much smaller bronzes were previously known. Some undoubtedly advanced cultures, such as the
521:
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brought a halt to religious monumental sculpture in the regions concerned, and greatly reduced production of any monumental sculpture for several centuries.
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The third concept that may be involved when the term is used is not specific to sculpture, as the other two essentially are. The entry for "Monumental" in
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603:, blogpost by Joseph Taylor McRae, Lecturer in Computer Games Arts and editor of Art/Games Journal, published on May 25th, 2016, by the
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seems to have progressing towards its use, with small stone figures, when it collapsed. Other cultures, such as
Ancient Egypt and the
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The term is also used to describe sculpture that is architectural in function, especially if used to create or form part of a
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a rather larger overall scale is implied. Monumental sculpture is therefore distinguished from small portable
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The Silent
Rhetoric of the Body A History of Monumental Sculpture and Commemorative Art in England, 1720–1770
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When a culture ceases to produce monumental sculpture, there may be a number of reasons. The most common is
228:, seem to have devoted enormous resources to very large-scale monumental sculpture from a very early stage.
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Abbey; a classic example of what is meant by "monumental sculpture" in ancient and medieval art history.
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is considered a mark of a relatively advanced culture in terms of social organization.
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stable, and timeless nature of great architecture. ... It is not a synonym for 'large'.
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of the website of the Church
Monuments Society. For contemporary sculpture, see
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probably dates to the 3rd millennium BC, and may be older than the
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as "one of the largest groups of monumental carving in
Spanish
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407:(2003). Jamaica's national monument to the Emancipation from
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For examples, concerned with funerary sculpture only are:
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For example, none of the figures in sculptures at the
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different periods, with breaks occurring around the
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535:"Arts role in government architecture is explore"
256:, usually religiously motivated, as followed the
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443:are larger than this, and they are described by
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208:. The discovery in 1986 of an ancient Chinese
169:Appearance of monumental sculpture in a culture
537:by Helen Harrison. All accessed April 29, 2009
599:See for example, several uses of the term in
461:Peter and Linda Murray (1968). "Monumental".
379:Elogio del Horizonte (Eulogy to the Horizon)
523:, and several of the titles covered on the
561:, p. 9, Cambridge University Press, 1981,
623:Selected Papers, volume 2, Romanesque Art
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490:Art & Architecture Thesaurus Online
35:Medieval and Renaissance wall tombs in
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232:Disappearance of monumental sculpture
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240:, as in Europe during the so-called
327:excavated and restored in the 1990s
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557:See for example Martin Robertson,
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158:The Oxford History of Western Art
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218:Indus Valley civilization
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39:. In discussing the
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358:(1977) by
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214:Sanxingdui
210:Bronze Age
191:Maya stela
180:totem pole
175:archeology
23:portal of
21:Romanesque
651:Sculpture
254:aniconism
242:Dark Ages
95:memorials
69:figurines
61:criticism
51:The term
45:memorials
416:See also
366:, Poland
364:Koszalin
136:tympanum
99:funerary
87:monument
80:diptychs
409:Slavery
389:, Spain
320:, a 15-
300:Gallery
244:or the
132:Moissac
76:reliefs
25:Moissac
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286:plinth
200:, the
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387:Gijon
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322:moai
59:and
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