Guide To Art History

Famous ArtistsArt Styles and PeriodsArt MediumsAncient Art

Bronze: The History and Development of a Medium By ArtHistory.net

Tin­based bronze came into existence late in the third millennium B.C. Bronze is a metalalloy that consists mainly of copper though other elements such as tin are added alongwith aluminium, phosphorus, and manganese. It is characterized by its hardness, butwas known to be brittle. Its use became so widespread that the period of antiquityknown as the Bronze Age was named for this metal alloy, a period of time particularlyknown for its skilled metalwork. Before bronze copper was the metal of choice, but theaddition of tin gave way to the much stronger new metal.

Bronze was used to make weapons, tools, and armor, but it was also used extensively inthe creation of art; and indeed, even functional bronze items were often treated toartistically rendered decoration. The earliest tin­bronzes (an earlier bronze wascomposed with arsenic) originated in Susa and other nearby cities of Mesopotamia.Trade helped nurture the production of bronze since copper and tin ores were seldomfound in the same areas.

As an artistic medium, bronze was extensively used by artists and artisans. Bronze wasfamously employed in sculpture. An early example of bronze statuary comes fromIndia’s Chola Empire in Tamil Nadu. Africa’s Kingdom of Benin famously producedbronze heads. The Greeks, Egyptians, and Chinese of antiquity are also revered for theirsculptures as well as other bronze art works. The use of bronze became widespread andthe Bronze Age chiefly lasted until 1200 B.C. Many cultures influenced bronze castingwith advancements during this period which also increased bronze usage for artisticpurposes.

Ancient bronze art is known for its great beauty. Many bronze artifacts were once usedceremonially especially in places like China. One early example of a Chinese bronze is avessel that may have been created as early as 722 B.C. and depicts a pattern ofinterconnecting dragons. Other beautiful and intricately carved bronze vessels are someof antiquity’s best known works of art. As a medium, bronze allowed for great detail andsophisticated artistry.

Although iron eventually supplanted bronze in many industries, bronze remained animportant art medium. In fact, some of the most famous bronze art works date to theartist Rodin who lived from 1840 to 1917. While the ancients knew of a wax processused to mold bronze, it has been lost to time, but the production of bronze art works has

continued into the present making the most of new technologies. Contemporary artistscontinue to produce bronze objects of art in all manner of artistic styles.

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