Reply To: Progression or regression?

[Aubri Stogsdill]

While I can see both sides of this argument, I personally think Hellenistic Art added to the progression of humanistic values. While in previous Greek culture, the representation of the human body was generally flawless, somewhat generic, and little emotion was portrayed, in Hellenistic art we see artist taking care to represent humans in far more relatable and accurate ways. Bodies were still beautiful, but they were a bit less ideal, and certainly far more ‘human’ esc. So in a way, the idea of what ‘humanism’ was could have shifted. People were no longer represented in a godlike fashion, but their true humanity was being displayed and celebrated. Figures were less stoic and far more emotional. The acceptance and celebration of the less picture perfect parts of being human were beginning to be celebrated. That is certainly development in humanism if you ask me. If we are to remove the difficulty, struggle, and emotion that comes with being apart of humanity, we deny a massive chunk of ‘who we are’. By embracing the flaws and struggles of humanity, a deeper love and appreciation for it can develop, and this is what we see in Hellenistic art.