Reply To: Hellenistic Variety

[Aubri Stogsdill]

In the Hellinistic period we see a dramatic shift towards realism. The works were no long generally idealized bodies, they instead possessed far more real human attributes. We see this in the depiction of a sleeping Cupid. Before this time, children were depicted as ‘tiny adults’ but in the sculpture we see a far more accurate representation of the body of a child. With the soft rounded features, belly rolls, and even childlike facial features and hands. Also, in this time period there is a shift to far more dramatic scenes, for example the ‘Dying Gallic Trumpeter’ is seen laying on the ground with a bleeding wound and face of intense defeat. The artist seemed to be capture a moment so unique and unlike other works before it. The artists really shifted from making stereotypical beautiful moments and people, to capturing more real life moments of particular individuals. I think this could partly be because as the art shifted, people began to see just how much variation there was in the human body and in the ways that beauty could be expressed. While the Dying Gall isn’t exactly an ideal representation of strength, the form is still aesthetically pleasing and absolutely beautiful.