Art Term of the Month: Dynamic - In the Past
7/8/2021
One of the best examples of dynamic non-contemporary art is Baroque sculpture. Dominating the early 17th to mid-18th centuries, this style of sculpture featured a dynamic movement and energy of human forms—they spiraled around a central vortex or reached out into the surrounding space.
"Apollo and Daphne," detail
"Apollo and Daphne" from the front
Here we see "Apollo and Daphne," made by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, the foremost figure of the Baroque sculpture movement. Bernini’s masterful technique brings the dynamic running action of the two figures to life – an invisible diagonal line curves along Apollo’s right foot to the leaves flowing up the rock, up Daphne’s torso and past her raised right hand. This gesture, built up in every detail in the sculpture, lifts the entire piece, creating a bounding, leaping feeling of movement even in stone. Amazing!