The Human Figure

Representations of human figures in art have varied throughout history depending on the culture and society in which they were created. For instance, 11^th century African portrayals of humans differ greatly from late Roman portraits.

Soon after the start of the 19^th century, anthropologist Leo Frobenius discovered a series of 19 small lifelike statues in Nigeria. He couldn’t believe that these naturalistic works could have been made in the Yoruba civilization that had once flourished in the region. Instead he gave credit to ancient Greek artists. Other excavators of the site believed the statues had originated in Egypt. But finally it was determined that the figures were indeed created in Nigeria in the 11^th to 12^th centuries. King from Ita Yemoo (Ife), one of the 19 statues, displays an idealized naturalism. Blemishes and signs of age are omitted but body proportions are not idealized. The head is large, representing the belief in the Yoruba civilization that the head is the ‘locus of wisdom, destiny, and essence of being.’ Additionally, the statue wears a heavily beaded costume, crown, and jewelry, to depict the figure as a ruler. The value of a wise and aware ruler in the Nigerian society is apparent in this small structure.

In ancient Rome, each new ruler placed busts and portrait statues everywhere to assert their authority. One such portrait, Trajan Decius, not only displays the ruler’s authority but also serves as a reference to the society at the time. The old and sad baggy eyes are realistic, similar to the veristic style developed in the Roman Republic. His eyes seem to glance around nervously, reflecting upon the soul of an insecure ruler during a time of civil unrest.

Throughout history artists have pulled inspiration from the society around them, leading them to capture their culture in representations of the human body, such as King from Ita Yemoo (Ife) and Portrait of Trajan Decius.