classical greek art

The art of Greece in the Hellenistic period is largely based on Greek poetry and myth . Yet , according to George M .A . Hanfmann (83 , it attempted to united these myths with nature given reality (Hanfmann , 83 ) Therefore , the sculptures of the Hellenistic period are marked both by realism and drama (Bagnani , 234 . One of the best known sculptures that exhibits this sort of unification is the statue of Aphrodite of Melos (commonly known as the Venus De Milo . This statue is worth examination , because , although it portrays a goddess , she is so much

like an every day human that a viewer can relate to her . Meanwhile the level of detail her sculpture was able to achieve is awe-inspiring

From the front of the Aphrodite of Melos , realism is shown in Aphrodite 's hair , which is textured with waves . It is parted in the middle , in a way that is not dissimilar to the hairstyles of modern women . Her nose is long and straight - large for today 's standards Meanwhile her cheeks are round and full . They make her appear more heavy set than the models of today . Her lips are full , but her mouth is small . She has slight dimples near her lips . Her neck is fairly thick but long . Her breasts are two different sizes , but realistic . They are not overly large . Her stomach is narrow , her abdominal muscles are visible . She has hips , but they are slight . She has a belly button . Her clothing has folds in it . It covers most of her lower half . One indentation hints at a thigh . She is turned as if she is looking at something in the distance . Meanwhile , her shoulders are turned . Her knee can be seen beneath her clothing . One foot is covered , the other uncovered

Aphrodite is no less real from the side . Here , her nose looks even more prominent than it does from the front . Her ears , however , are tiny . Her hair is tied back . There is a headband around the top and a pony tail behind , looped at the top into almost a bun , then trailing down her neck . It is wavy like the sea . Her eyes are very realistic , complete with lids , creases and an iris . Yet without color they look somewhat cold and piercing . From the side her chest and ribs look disproportionate , but this may be because her arms have fallen off . Her toes are large , but realistic . They are complete with nails and each separate and unique . From the back , it is apparent that she has three ponytails , rather than one . Her back is slender and womanly . Her backside is visible , but not exposed entirely . It looks like she may have just emerged from the bath . It is impressive that her sculptor opted not to make only one side of her realistic , but instead to sculpt her to realistic perfection from front to back

These things give her a very realistic presence . Although she is not ugly , her beauty is not the sort...