1. Ancient
Greece
Classical and
Hellenic Sculpture
“The Nude Dudes”

2. Characteristics of Greek Classical Sculpture:
•Different from Archaic in the use of CONTRAPPOSTO: fluid body
movement, relaxed stance, unknown in freestanding sculpture until this
point
•Forms highly idealized- even old people have heroic bodies!
•Heroic form defined by POLYKLEITOS, a sculptor whose CANON of
proportions of the human figure had far-reaching effects- wrote that the
head should be 1/7 of the body- favored heavy musculature with a body
expressing alternating stances of relaxed and stressed muscles
•Peloponnesian war impacts the arts- human form stopped being so
idealized
•gods started being sculpted in a more humanized way
•PRAXITELES carved figures with a sensuous appeal, favored a lanky
look
•Sculptures from 300’s BCE have heads that are 1/8 of the body and
sensuous S-curve to the frame

3. Let’s take a look at some Greek
Classical Sculpture (and mosaics, and a
few other Classical things)

4. Discus Thrower (Diskobolos), Myron, 450 BCE
• Thrower Diskobolos
• Don’t know the exact location, the Roman’s made their own copy
• Originally found in Greece, placed at the entrance of the Panathinaikon
Stadium in Athens, where the first modern Olympic Games were held in 1896 AD.
• This piece is made out of pure marble
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Created 450 BCE which rests in the classical Greek period
• Made to represent the perfect athletic form of Diskobolos
• Achieved this by flexing his muscles(to show his strength) and
Having a stern look(to show his concentration)
• Unique features include the vigorous movement which is
Portrayed, The top half of the statue is smooth and open; the
Bottom is curved and angular, has no symmetry
• Similar to this piece is “Achilles” used same material of pure
Similar in size, muscles are also shown to flex
• Aspects of Greek culture represented-shows how Greeks strived
For peak performance and also liked to be very fit, shows how Greeks
Appreciated the ideal figure

5. East Pediment of the Temple of
Aphaia

6. Information
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Marble
490 BCE - 480 BCE in the Classical Period of Ancient Greece
narrates the birth of Athena from the head of her father, Zeus
sun actually rising, and the god of the sun actually bringing the sun on his chariot, into the
new day, representing the birth of Athena
very lifelike and filled with movement, even though still sculptures
also, bodies extremely expressive even though no head and no hands
the kouros and korai stand stall and are usually expressionless, unless they have the archaic
smile
in contrast, the people depicted in this photo have twisted bodies and, their heads are turned
in various ways, as Dionysys head is turned and has an interesting expression, we can
assume that each of them had varied expressions
Dionysus, God of wine, has a very relaxed composure
like many Greek sculptures, this God displays nobility

7. Spear Bearer (Doryphoros)
a.k.a. Achilles
By: Guillermo Lopez-Vila

8. Artist:
- Polykleitos
Location:
-Originally in Greece
-Now in Naples National
Archaeological Museum
Medium:
-Originally Bronze
-Roman Copy (shown)
is Marble
Chronology:
-450-440 BCE (Classical
Era)
Purpose:
- Thought to
represent Achilles
-Illustrates theory of
“The Canon” (ideal
human)
-Achieved by using
proportional limbs and
stance
Unique Features:
-Left leg set in motion,
balanced by right arm
in motion
-“Contrapposto”
-Head turned to show
awareness
-“Spear Bearer”, but
missing spear
Similar Works:
-Compared to “Kritian
Boy”, who lacks in
dynamic appearance
Represented Culture:
-Shows how Greeks
appreciated the ideal
figure through the use
of the Canon and
contrapposto

9. Apollo with Battling Lapiths and Centaurs
470-460BCE, Marble, Temple of Zeus, Olympia
Early Classical Period
• Celebrates triumph of reason over
passion, symbolized in Apollo
overtaking the raving, drunk Lapiths
• Decorate western pediment of the
Temple of Zeus
• Symbolized Greek ruling over Persia by
demonstrating the power of the Greek
gods
• Lapith – children of Apollo and nymph
Stilbe
• Depicts common Greek myth
• Centaur men carrying off lapith
women at wedding
• Apollo quells riot by raising his arm
• Displays ideal, glorified human body in
Apollo
• Calm features on human faces,
emotional non-humans
On Temple
In Museum

10. Athena, Herakles, and Atlas
460 BCE
-made of marble
-metope relief from frieze of the Temple of
Zeus, Olympia
-c. 460 BCE- The Classical period
-one of 12 labors imposed by King Eurystheus
of Tiryns
-Herakles enlisted the aid of Titan Atlas to
steal gold apples from the garden of
Hesperides
-Titan Atlas’s job was to hold up the heavens
-Herakles held up the heavens while Titan
Atlas stole the apples
-Artist has balanced the erect, frontal view of
heavily clothed Athena
-High relief
-Figures reflect a strong interest in realism

11. Kritian Boy (480 BCE)
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Found in the remains of the Athenian Acropolis in Greece
Marble sculpture
Created around 480 BCE - beginning of the Early Classical
Period
Purpose: represent the human body accurately, though in a
glorified light
-realistic features
-nudity
-contrapposto/shifted weight = more accurate
representation of human body’s pose
First Greek sculpture found with a more relaxed, natural
pose
Unlike upright, rigid kouroi sculptures of past
Face unsmiling and more realistic as well
Start of more natural-looking human figure sculptures, first
sculpture of Early Classical Period, innovativeness signifies
the start of a new era in Greek art

12. Charioteer of Delphi
Heniokhos – “Rein Holder”
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First erected around 474 BCE
Originally located in the Sanctuary of Apollo in Delphi
Casted in bronze (lost wax method)
Made in honor of the victory of a chariot team in the Pythian
Games
Part of a much larger statuary group probably including
groomsmen, a chariot, and up to six horses
Commissioned by Polyzalus, the tyrant of a Greek colony in
Sicily called Gela
Dedicated to Apollo as a tribute for the god’s help during the
race
Artist included an inscription around the base
Name of sculptor is unknown
Has glass eyes and copper detailing like other Greek statues
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Details have survived until today
Example of “Early Classical” or “Severe” style
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More naturalistic pose than the preceding Archaic period of
Greek art
Stance is still rigid when compared to later works

13. Riace Bronze Warrior A (−460–−450)
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One of two full-size hollow-cast bronze sculptures found in
Riace, Italy in 1972 by a snorkeling chemist
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Bone and glass eyes, silver teeth, copper lips and nipples, 6’9” (2
m)
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Original site of creation uncertain.
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Transitional between archaic, Classical periods of Greek
Csulputer
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Balance between ideal anatomical forms and gratuitous
“naturalistic”/realistic detail, e.g. weight on back leg
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Apparently part of a larger group in a sanctuary—probably some
kind of monument
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No testimony in literature to identify the depicted
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Speculation: represents Tydeus of the Seven Against Thebes; or
Athenian warriors from Delphi, part of monument to Battle of
Marathon; or from Olympia
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Show a shift between idealization of form of the heroes or
athletes (it’s hard to tell) and more naturalistic detail
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Not a very distinct “archaic smile”
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Neither fully idealized, nor entirely realistic (impossible
anatomy)
“Warrior A” (460–−450 BCE): Zuo Michael

14. Zeus or Poseidon, 460-450 BCE, bronze
• This could be Zeus (holding a thunder
bolt)
• This could be Poseidon holding a
trident
• Graceful turn of body with uplifted
back foot
• Idealized expression of the body
• Embodies beauty, control, and strength
• Head looks older than body
• Found in two pieces at bottom of sea
off the coast of Greece
• Mastery of anatomy- probably
rendered from a human model
• Body of a true god- superhuman – gods
are immortal and powerful, but subject
to personality flaws and unpredictable
emotions of mortal beings
• Probably created for a temple
dedicated to Zeus (or Poseidon)

15. East Pediment of the Parthenon (447-432 BCE)
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Where: The Acropolis, Athens, Greece
– The Parthenon and the pediment as a whole was made of
low-relief pentelic marble
– The skeletal of the structure still resides there today, the
pediments serves as decoration on the top of the
Parthenon
– The center piece of the Pediment was destroyed, so all
reconstructions are subject to conjecture and speculation
What: Pediments are the triangular spaces formed by the pitch
of the roof of a Greek temple, one at either end of the building.
– Like the pediments of most temples, those of the
Parthenon were filled with sculpture in the round, set on
the deep shelf of the cornice and secured to the wall metal
pins.
– Much of which have been damaged or worn over the past
centuries.
Story: The east pediment narrates the birth of Athena, fully
grown in clad armor, from the brow on the head of her father,
Zeus.
– The east pediment is preserved better than the west
– The myth was not often depicted in classical times,
although it had been popular in the Archaic period, on
vases
Predicted full view of both pediments
View of only East Pediment

16. Greek
Artwork
The Horsemen,
Marshals and Young
Women
447-432 BCE
Aliyah Oestreicher

17. The Processional Frieze
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The Frieze, found in the Parthenon of Greece, was 525 feet long, made entirely of
marble, and is a relief sculpture.
The Frieze’s subject was a procession celebrating the festival that took place in Athens
every four years.
The Frieze belongs to the High Classical Period (450-400 BCE).
The purpose of this massive piece was to depict various scenes of both everyday life
and of godly activities. At one end, sculptors carved Athena’s birth and the women who
paid homage to her.
The sculptors of the piece took into the spectator’s view point, carving the top band in
higher relief than the lower band, thus they would catch the reflected light and give
viewers a clearer view of the action. The sculpture has amazing subtleties that are
revealed in present day. They were originally made to be covered in paint and so held
all the details a secret.
Compared to other Greek art, many similarities jump out. Perhaps the most notable is
the material, many of the Greek sculptors used marble exclusively. In addition, much of
the robes and curvature of arms and legs are similar to other works of the era. The
human form was so important, that comes out in this relief.
This sculpture represents a lot of cultural and religion from Greece. The clothing, the
gods, and the people’s actions are depicted so that they tell a story. The nobility, honor,
and pride show through the sculpted people and their gods.

18. Marshals and Young Women

19. The Horsemen

20. Three Goddesses, from the Parthenon, 438-432 BCE, marble
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Figures are related to one another in their poses, positions, and interconnected meaning
Clinging, wet drapery reveals the voluptuous bodies beneath; deeply carved drapery
Figures sit naturally within the framework of the pediment
Used to be on the right side of the East Pediment (next to Athena’s birth scene)
Posture varies in order to accommodate the slope of the pediment that framed them
Hestia (goddess of hearth
and home (about to stand
up- tucked feet
Dione (cradles daughter, Aphrodite)

21. Nike (Victory) Adjusting Her Sandal
410-405 BCE. Marble. 3’6”.
Acropolis Museum, Athens.
• Relief sculpture
• Part of parapet (low wall) in Temple of
Athena Nike (reduced to rubble in
Turkish occupation of Greece)
• From the High Classical Period
• Most discreetly erotic image in ancient
art
• Bends gracefully forward, causing
garments to slip off shoulder.
• Wings create balance unstable pose
• Fluid movements, cloth clings to body
like wet silk
• Emphasis on realistic, detailed body
figures
• Fluid movement, asymmetrical pose

22. Grave Stele of Hegeso
410-400 BCE , Kerameikos Athens, Pentelic marble
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Free standing monument
width: 0,97 m, height: 5’2” (1.58m)
Classical Period 410-400 BCE
Found in Athens, cemetery of Kerameikos
• It shows a beautiful women seating (Hegeso) in a
elegant chair with her feet on a foot stool :
represented ideal women of that time
• She is selecting jewels from a box presented by
her maid
• It is a relief sculpture
• Although their faces and bodies are idealized, the
two women take some individuality through
details in costume and hair
• The maid’s hair is caught in a net, while Hegeso’s
hair is flowing
• Purpose: It is a freestanding monument that used
in cemeteries

23. Hermes and The Infant Dionysus
Artist: Praxiteles or His Followers
4th Century BCE
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Late Classical Period, c. 350-330 BCE
From the temple of Hera, Olympia
Height 2.15 meter, marble statue
When Zeus, king of the gods, revealed himself to his mortal lover Semele, she died.
Zeus, was able to rescue their unborn child by sewing him to his thigh. Following
the birth of the child, Zeus ordered Hermes, to hide the baby from his wife Hera,
who sought to destroy the baby. Hermes took the baby to mountains for hiding,
where nymphs raised the child.
The purpose of this artwork was to show the devotion Hermes had to Zeus, he
would do anything to help him and his family, this can compare to most other
Greek sculptures and there significances.
Negative space, the detail of the cloth and on the baby are extremely specific and
strongly detailed
Greek culture can be seen through this by the fact that it’s purpose was to protect
Zeus's son. Since Zeus is a Greek God, he was strongly admired and therefore his
child is characterized in this piece
Unique features; the off-balanced stance of the god’s body forms a new pose
known as the "Praxitelean curve."

24. Aphrodite of Knidos Artist: Praxiteles
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Found near the ancient Roman harbour of Portus
Sculpture (1.52 m), made of marble
Constructed in 350 BCE – Late Classical Period (400-300 BCE)
Depicted the goddess as she prepared for the ritual bath that
restored her purity (not virginity), discarding her drapery in her
left hand, while modestly shielding herself with her right hand.
– Her hands are placed in a motion that simultaneously shields her
womanhood and draws attention to her nudity.
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One of the first nude female statues
– At Knidos the statue stood in the center of Aphrodite's round temple
 statue could be viewed from all sides.
– Aphrodite not ashamed of nudity -- demonstrates that the nudity of
the goddess signifies her divine birth from the sea
– Pudica gesture is not indicative of her shame, but her fertility
– Her eternal youth through ritual cleansing and renewal
– Use of contrappso, like many other works (ex. Doryphoros)
– Praise of the deities, respect for them

25. Panel from the Amazon Frieze
-found in the tomb of Maussollos at Halikarnassos
-marble
-mid-4th century under the late Classical Period
-depicted the adventure of Herakles and Theseus to Themiskyra, where
they battled with Amazonian women
-at top of a podium, met at corners of building (Castle of St. Peter at
Bodrum)
-rich colours: blue background, flesh of men was red
-unique features: bronze added
for some weapons and bits of the
horses
-battles with Amazonian women
was a common subject in Greek
sculpture and culture
-dynamic and nude features of
the men very common in other
pieces

26. Man Scraping Himself
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Apoxyomenos (the "Scraper") by Lysippos
Marble copy made by the Romans
Original Bronze copy was lost
Created c. 350-325 BCE, Late Classical Period
Greek Athlete lost in thought while scraping sweat
and dirt from his body
Deep-set eyes, tousled hair, heavy forehead,
dreamy stare create look of deep thinking
Weight evenly distributed between engaged and
free legs
Arm is outstretched; viewers must circle for full
view
Use of contrapposto pose
Typical Classical subject: nude male athlete
Canon of Proportions: Ideal Human Figure
Importance of Athletics to Greeks (Olympics)

27. Alexander the Great
-Found in Alexandria, Egypt
-Created around 330 BCE, Honoring
Alexander the Great, the new leader of
Egypt
-Made out of Marble; over the top,
gold-studded
-Coin created in about 300 BCE
-Made out of silver
-Great amount of detail, especially in
hair
-Shows wealth and class

28. Alexander The Great Confronts Darius
III at the Battle of Issos
• Floor mosaic
• Originally found in The House of
Faun in Pompeii, Italy
• 1st century CE
• Roman copy of Greek wall
painting (Fresco) from 310 BCE
(The Hellenistic Period)
• 8’10” x 17’
• The original is believed to be
created by either Philoxenos of
Eretria or Helen of Egypt
• Depicts Alexander the Great
(left) defeating Darius III (right)
• Created to praise Alexander the
Great
• The artist uses shadow to create
a mass of volume effect

29. THE HELLENISTIC PERIOD
323-30 BCE
• Greek empire started to break apart when
Alexander the Great died unexpectedly in 323
BCE
• Battle of Acticum in 31 BCE and death of
Cleopatra in 30 BCE ended Hellenistic period

30. Characteristics of Greek Hellenistic Sculpture:
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Wider range of realistic modeling
Show more movement than Classical
Figures have variety of expressions- sad to joy
Themes unused before: childhood, old age,
despair, anger, drunkenness
• Accent on range of human emotion
• Sculptors carve with greater flexibility- use
negative space more freely
• Viewer is meant to walk around sculpture and
see it from all angles (not up against a wall)

31. Greek Before Hellenistic
Hellenistic
Idealized, general figures
Showed individuals and specifics
Heroic figures
Everyday figures
gods
Mortals
Aloof serenity
Individual emotion
Drama
Melodramatic pathos
Mild drama
Intense drama, appeal to the
senses

32. Gallic Chieftain Killing His Wife and
Himself (Roman copy after the original
Greek bronze of 220 BCE)
•Greek original was bronze
•Pity for subjects
•Chieftain supports dead wife
and plunges sword into his chest
•Deliberate attempt to elicit a
specific emotional response in
the viewer = EXPRESSIONISMcharacteristic of Hellenistic art

33. ATHENA ATTACKING THE GIANTS
Detail of the frieze from the east front of the altar from Pergamon.
c. 175-150 BCE. Marble, frieze height 7'7”
Remember this? This is Hellenistic! Look at the emotion!

34. NIKE (VICTORY) OF SAMOTHRACE
Sanctuary of the Great Gods, Samothrace. c. 190 BCE .
Marble, height 8'1”. Musée du Louvre, Paris
•Meant to stand in or above a fountain representing a
figurehead (prow) of a boat
•Wet drapery look imitates the water playing on the wet
body
•Invisible wind on her body
100x more
beautiful in
person!
Check it out
in Paris!
•Probably built to
commemorate a naval
victory in 191 BCE
•Dramatic twist
•Contrapposto torso
•Monumentality of figure
•Missing right arm may have
raised a victory crown or
held an open hand in
greeting
•Boat at base is battleship

35. Views from the Smolinski Cam

36. Boxer at Rest, late 4th-2nd century BCE, bronze with inlaid copper
• Captures a specific moment
• Found in Rome
• Boxer – sitting on a boulder just after a
match – resting after tension of the fight
• Something catches his eye and makes him
turn his head – applause for next opponent?
• Athletic nakedness, just boxing gloves and
athletic suspender
• Many wounds on head- just finished match
• Blood = inlaid copper- drips from wounds

37. Alexandros (artist) APHRODITE OF MELOS
(ALSO CALLED VENUS DE MILO), c. 150-100
BCE. Marble, height 6'8”, Musée du Louvre,
Paris.
•Elegance of pose
•Long, S-shaped curve
•Sensuous and erotic
•One hand perhaps held an apple, her symbol
•Maybe held a mirror to admire herself
•Other hand might have held up her robes
•Softly modeled forms
•Light and shadow softly play on surface

38. Smolinski Cam

39. OLD MARKET WOMAN
Roman 1st century CE copy of a Greek original from 150-100 BCE Marble,
height 49-1/2”, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
•Extreme realism, interest in old age
•Unknown function
•Woman presenting gift of birds and fruit as
offering for a festival?
•Dress is surprisingly elegant- in contrast to nonelegant way it is worn
•May have been an elderly worshipper of the god
of wine, Dionysos
•Another interpretation- she is an old market
woman – poor, crippled with infirmities,
returning from market with what she bought

40. Rhodes Sculptors, LAOCOÖN AND HIS SONS
1st century CE. Marble, height 8’
Vatican Museum, Rome.
•Story of Trojan priest who tried
to warn his people of the dangers
lurking inside the horse given to
Troy by the Greeks- snakes were
sent by the gods to prevent him
from speaking
•High drama, emotional
•Twisting, curving forms- the eye
can’t rest- wanders around
composition- view it from all
angles
•Exaggerated muscles- increases
pathos of moment
•Negative space!

41. Epigonos (?) DYING GALLIC TRUMPETER
Roman copy (found in Julius Caesar's garden in Rome) after the original bronze of
c. 220 BCE. Marble, height 36-1/2”, Museo Capitolino, Rome.

42. •Trumpeter from Gaul collapsing on his
instrument
•Blood oozing from his wounds- shows
defeat of Gauls
•Seen as hero by the Greeks- glorifies their
conquest- victory over the Gauls
•Represents barbarian foe: hair unkept
•Meant to be seen in the round- all angles
•Negative space
•Emotion on face