Depictions of the Human Form

Ancient Greek art focused mainly on the human body, in painting, sculpture, etc. It first started with an attempt at depicting the basic shape of the human body, but slowly progressed over several hundred years into what they considered to be the perfect human form. This was a being that could endure any physical challenges. In most depictions of the human form during the archaic period, details were added, but the form remained rigid and unnatural.

Kouros 1953.125 represents what is probably common among earlier archaic depictions of human characteristics. The body is very rigid, and any details are unnatural and geometric. An example of this is the ellipse around the abdomen. The sculpture also appears to have a characteristic that is common among Greek sculptures: a stance in which one leg, in this case the left, is forward of the other. The weight appears to be evenly distributed between both legs.

Torso of a Youth 1965.23 was most likely created later than the previously-mentioned sculpture. There is much more detail overall, and the stance and shape are not as rigid and unnatural. Although one leg, in this case the right, is in front of the other, like in Kouros 1953.125, the weight is noticeably being placed on the left leg. The simple geometric shapes apparent in the previous sculpture are gone, being replaced with a realistic portrayal of musculature.

Enthroned Zeus from Paestum also displays the characteristics of most archaic Greek sculpture. Zeus sits very straight and rigid. The body is nearly completely symmetric. There is a noticeable lack of detail, as well, with deep creases where parts of the face come together, and smooth surfaces everywhere else. Also evident is the somewhat ridiculous smile, which is apparent in archaic art.

Youth of Agrigento , a marble statue from around 480 BC, also personifies physical excellence in the human form. Although the face and torso are symmetrical, as is the case with previous archaic sculptures, the right arm is extended, breaking the symmetry. The weight is being placed on the right leg, which is somewhat forward of the left. Barely noticeable is the slight smile, which is reminiscent of pieces from the earlier archaic period.

These examples of ancient Greek art exhibit several of the most common characteristics of the human form depicted in sculpture. They all attempt to portray what they consider physically perfect, godlike forms. The bodies are rigid, upright, and well built. The archaic style included a smile to add life to the person, while the rest of the body still lacked detail or appeared unnatural in form. Later transitional forms broke free of the stiff form, adding incredibly realistic detail, such as muscles.