Reply To: Perfect Proportion

[tmbergan]

In the Classical period, they shifted even more away from tight and formal sculptures to more relaxed and human ones. As they began making these more laid back pieces, they were able to show more detail in the curves and proportions. They were able to make things even rather than awkward, turning the previously disproportioned bodies into much more balanced ones. The ideal men continued to be portrayed as young and fit as well as nude, while the women continued to be covered up and depicted with softer features and bodies. All women sculptures seem to have been clothed until those of Aphrodite showed a nude woman, although even in those pieces she tried to cover herself up. We still see some of these today — the ideal male body is still seen as fit, as muscular celebrities such as Chris Hemsworth, for example, are plastered on magazines and the like. The ideal female body, on the other hand, no longer has as much of a softer look (unless you count the softening of their facial features with makeup and photoshop) and instead are heavily altered to have almost inhuman proportions sometimes akin to a Barbie doll. Being clothed still mimics the Classical period as well, as women today are still generally seen as needing to be covered up whereas a man doesn’t have to be.