Reply To: Progression or regression?

[Maggie May]

I can see the argument both sides of the argument, but I personally fall more to the side of believing that Hellenistic Art is a progression of humanistic ideals, not a regression. When considering this, I thought most frequently of the statue of the Old Woman, who was not portrayed formally, but more realistically, with a dramatic facial expression. We see realistic children, older people, and babies depicted in the art of this time. We also see gods depicted in more casual, human-like settings and activities, like playing dice. This leads me to believe that Hellenistic art displayed a shift from the idealized, unobtainable god-like aspects of art past to art more focused on realistic human existence. I believe what we create as art displays what we value and what is most important to us, so it would follow that Hellenistic art displays a shift towards humanism.