Where Classical Greek art had a large influx of contrapposto and ‘silver ratio’ designs, the Hellenistic era almost completely moved on from these concepts (although they built on them). There is no one thing tying this era of art together – we see gods and godesses represented as well as man, and none of them have a true line of connection through all of them. The two large male sculptures we see in The Hellenistic Period are Pergamon and The Laocoon – both of which are in pain. However, Pergamon, the Dying Gallic Trumpeter, lacks the ‘ideal body’ seen in previous works from the classic period. The sculpture of Laocoon and His Sons have idealized bodies, but are in the unique pose of being strangled by a single, very large, snake.
There is the statue of sleeping Eros, which is the most unique from this era – depicting the chubby small god in a sleeping position. Nike of Samothrace and Aphrodite of Melos are similar in the effect that they are in somewhat of a contrapposto, but with their left legs instead of their right. Thus, with all these unique aspects, it makes plenty of sense that Hellenistic art is regarded as more individualistic than Classical Greek art.