Sculpting Perfection: Greek and Roman Idealism

Jencel Aprille Abuan19 November 2013

Throughout time, civilizations have molded their own perspectives into art. There are

countless of works that symbolize cultures’ own ideal beliefs of form and beauty. The Ancient

Greeks are known to hold their intricate ideals into their sculptures. They developed a unique

sense of structure and a canon of proportions that they believed represented the highest form of

perfection and beauty, comparable to the infinite impeccability of their gods and goddesses.

Their own classic model of perfectness was immortalized in several sculptures that are very well-

known today. The Bronze Statue of a Man represents the canon of proportions that renowned

Greek sculpture, Lysippos followed during mid-2nd to 1st century B.C. As time passed, such

ideals were passed on to generations and to other cultures and inspired them to apply their own

standards and create more immortalizations of perfect form. Greek ideals transcended famously

to Roman art. The Marble Statue of a Bearded Hercules depicts some of the ideal body that the

Greeks praised in their time but there are details that are unique to Roman standards, more

specifically 68-98 AD Early Imperial-Flavian form.

Greek idealism was prevalent at the start of their Classical period. Inspired by their own

beliefs of their gods and goddess, there was a need to create art in their most perfect form.

Common subjects were young males, nude in their most god-like athletic structure. The Bronze

Statue of a Man displays the fundamental points of this idealism. Judging by the naturalistic

details in the musculature and the depth of every crevice in the bronze, it can be theorized that it

is a figure of an athlete or a subject of high honor. The imposing figure stands in contrapposto, a

relaxed and fluid manner stance in which there is a twist of the left knee, the leg free of any

tension. The right leg stands straight, pulling all of the weight down therefore creating a shallow

‘S’ curve. The left hand is rested on the waist while the right is raised in an almost ninety-degree

angle, holding something that could probably be a spear—according to the museum’s wall

description. This is also portrays the use of negative space which allows large open areas around

the figure. The entire body is also not strictly frontal—the head slightly turned to the side, the

eyes gazing far in the distance.

The impressive figure dates back to Hellenistic Era of Ancient Greece, when sculptors

began to gradually shift away from Classical standards. Hellenistic sculptors displayed a wider

range of naturalistic forming and greater focus on anatomical detail and intricate portrayal of

depth and emotion. But though this statue was described as a piece from the Hellenistic times,

the over life-sized sculpture contains qualities that derived back from Greece’s Classical period.

As seen from the museum’s wall description, it remarked that this bronze statue could have been

inspired by the many nude depictions of Hellenistic rulers by the great sculptor Lysippos.

Lysippos is renowned for sculpting The Scraper or the Apoxyomenos figure, which dates back

480 to 440 B.C.E. The bronze figure appears to have the same stance as The Scraper, possessing

alternate relaxed and tense parts of the body. But it also possesses Hellenistic qualities such as

the generous use of negative space and the emotion it brings as a viewer walks around the statue.

Ergo, it can be inferred that this bronze statue was created during the time that Greek sculpture

was breaking away from the dominance of the Classical period.

The idealized form of the Bronze statue, as mentioned in the museum description, was

inspired by Lysippos’ fourth century statue of Alexander the Great. Such a piece would most

definitely share Hellenistic and Classical characteristics. The Classical aspect of this would

involve the statue’s dependence on Lysippos. The sculptor was known to have his own canon of

proportions: the head to be one-eighth of the body, elongated bodies, and far reaching eyes.

Although the measurement is not accurate (measurements were observed by a photograph taken

eye-level) the head of the bronze figure appears to be likewise proportioned from the rest of the

body. Such meticulously calculated set of structure and form is prevalent in most Classical

sculptures. Historical sculptors such as Praxiteles and Polykleitos were known of their own

canon of proportions in which forms would be highly idealized. These features then radiate a

sense of heroism in these figures and flawless effects—evidently seen in this bronze statue.

Hellenistic elements include the great deal of emotions emanated by the figure. The bronze

figure is described to be “approximately one-and-a-half times life-sized” in the Museum wall

description and it stood upon a tall pedestal so the figure could stand above the viewers. The

piece’s grandiosity was not applied without purpose. As seen from various renowned Hellenistic

works such as the Nike of Samothrace, and Laocoön and his Sons, Hellenistic art possesses

monumentality that brings noble significance to the sculpture. Such scales meant that the subject

were of high importance. Therefore, as described by the Museum, the strikingly large statue is

assumed to be a commemorative depiction of a high Hellenistic ruler. The emotions that it brings

when a viewer looks at its grandness below its feet could compare to a civilian from ancient

Hellenistic times, walking up to see a statue of his ruler in recognition of his power and victories.

Furthermore, with the knowledge that the statue could have been holding a spear, its stance and

its gaze expresses the subject’s venerable authority over his people. The mixture of both

Classical and Hellenistic properties, in result, gave this piece a type of idealism that intertwined

the heroic flawlessness of a god and the monumental significance of a ruler.

Idealisms take a turn as time progresses into the era of the Roman Empire. Works of art

in this culture was influenced by other civilizations especially the Greeks. Countless of Greek

artworks were absorbed by the Romans thus creating numerable marble copies of Greek bronze

works and the development a whole new idealization of form and beauty of their own. The

Marble Statue of a Bearded Hercules transcends from the stylizations associated with Greek

Classical works by adding new techniques and Roman social standards at the time. The marble

figure is erected on a round base, standing naturally. There is slight contrapposto with both legs

positioned in a leaning manner, weight placed on the left leg and a sculpted tree stump

commonly seen in Roman sculpture. The musculature deviates away from the thin athletic form

of the Classical Greek, now with a block-like solidity and strength. The body is wider and the

torso is thicker. As seen from the Bronze Statue of Man, the large figure is not entirely frontal.

As a lion skin sat upon Hercules’ head, he looks far off the distance with his deep-set eyes.

Although his arms were not restored, it can still be assumed that stance is powerful and heroic.

The marble sculpture dates back to 68 to 98 A.D., which marked the Flavian period of the Early Imperial era. At this time, Roman art developed its innovative sculpting style, adding more to Republican verism with Early Imperial idealism. In the Republican period, individualized veristic statues, which are sculptures of noblemen displayed with striking naturalism, were a trend. This form of idealization associated old age with respect and wisdom. The unflattering realism found in these works was influenced by Hellenistic sculptures like the marble Old Market Woman. These age-defining facial features were later then incorporated to Flavian idealization of beauty. The Flavian favored the less individualized and more stylized form of beauty. Most sculptures of this time, as well as the Bearded Hercules figure, possessed Flavian ringlets, most commonly seen from the well-recognized marble statue of a Flavian Woman. Hercules is idealized with a curled beard which could be interpreted as association with veristic knowledge and a product of heroic maturity. This beard was created using a new technique of sculpting—drillwork—which is “a technique for rapidly cutting deep grooves with straight sides, used…to render the holes in the center of the curls.” This technique creates a dramatic “play of natural light over the subtly sculpted marble surfaces.” 1

1 Cothren, Michael W., and Marilyn Stokstad. Art History. Fifth Edition. Vol. Volume 1. New York: Pearson Education Inc., 2014, 188.