Greek Sculpture Evolving Ancient Greek

Greek Sculpture

Evolving Ancient Greek representations of the Human Figure

Discuss the development of the human figure in Greek sculpture from the archaic period to Hellenistic period. Discuss specific works.

Over the course of Greek history, representations of the human figure grew increasingly naturalistic and emotive. They also grew more distinctively 'Greek,' or distinct from Egyptian or Mesopotamian figures. The earliest known period of extant Greek human figure representation is that of the archaic period of Greek art, usually said to date up to 489 BCE. The archaic period is known as the period of Kouroi design. These sculptures, designed around a series of straight lines and geometric shapes (as seen in the pelvic-like triangles typical of the period), seem similar to that of Egyptian hieroglyphics in their generic, mask-like nature and emotive range, although some art historians believe that the more mobile stance Greek statues of the classical era are hinted at in the kouroi's gestures and seeming impetus to walk, in contrast to the static, frozen nature of Egyptian paintings (Kerr 2008).

Both the male and female statues of this period usually have long, curling locks, thin lips, and stand, feet flat on the ground. The faces are almost expressionless. The gestures of these figures are standardized too, often portrayed with palms outstretched or with clenched figures, but never in kinesthetic motion. Although life size, they do not appear life-like. "The statues of Kleobis and Biton" are mentioned by the ancient Greek historian Herodotus" and are noted as coming "from the sanctuary of Apollo at Delphi" (Kerr 2008). Originally, scholars thought that these statues were all representations of the God Apollo because of their similarity, but now we know this not to be the case. "Kouroi" means an unbeareded (young) male youth, but there are many different types of these statues.

Even the archaic period showed a highly idealized form. In the case of the statues of the heroes Kleobis and Biton their "vacant stare and odd smile indicates that they are no longer subject to the flux of human emotion" (Kerr 2008). Their strength is revealed in their nudity, and their lack of expression shows they have entered the realm of the gods and heroes. This idealism manifest in sculpture grew even more pronounced during the classical era of Greece. A seismic shift occurred during the classical era of Greek sculpture. While figures from this era are equally idealized, they do not seem merely representational of concepts like heroism, but also realistic. "The Greeks studied the movement of the body, how weight is carried, and how a shift in stance could affect the placement of limbs, torso, and head. After 480 BCE, the first marble sculpture displaying the qualities of 'contrapposto," or weight shift, appeared in the Kritios Boy" ("Classical Greek Sculpture: Background," Greek Sculpture, 1998). This is why classical sculptures are more atomically naturalistic. This is particularly evident in the facial expression, which is usually serene, proportional, yet not as vacant as archaic sculpture, because of the more naturalistic facial structure of the statues. More individuation is shown in the bodies of men and women, and gods, goddess, and idealized figures of heroes and athletes are typical subject matter. It is unsurprising, perhaps, that the greatest statues of this period were of gods and goddesses in temples of worship, like the figure Athena that once graced the Parthenon, and in terms of the mortal pantheon, muscular statuses commemorating and commending athletes and warriors seemed popular, such as the famous "Discus Thrower" of the 6th century.