Perfectionism In Ancient Greek Art

The production of art in the ancient world saw numerous styles and traversed many cultures. Throughout this period of art production, techniques improved, materials of the ancient world were explored, and artists perfected their craft. The art of ancient Greece is superior to the art of all other periods because of the attention to detail, perfectionism in architecture, and the ability to fully accomplish realistic representations of ideal human proportions while also adapting old techniques and defining the path of artistic periods to follow. When observing painted vessels from the ancient world, the Grecian’s attention to detail is unmatched by any other culture. Dionysos with Maenads (6.4) is a beautiful example the black figure technique which shows remarkable precision using intricate details to depict three human figures, their clothing, hair, and the story surrounding them. When compared with an Egyptian painted vessel dating to around 3300 B.C. (4.2), it is obvious that both painters are depicting human interaction, but the Egyptian vessel uses simple lines and shapes which do …show more content…
The sculpture by Polykleitos, known as Doryphoros or Spear Bearer (6.7), is a perfect representation of the ideal male form as he stands in delicate contrapposto. Even sculptures that came after Doryphoros struggled to grasp this sense of perfection. Arringatore or Aulus Mettellus (7.3), from the period of the Roman Republic, is an example of the decline of proportional quality in human statues. While the statue itself beautifully communicates a message, his hips are not aligned and his right arm is extremely long for his body. Many sculptures of the Roman period were remarkable for their expression, but not for their perfection. It was the perfection of ancient Greek sculptures that opened the door for the expressionism of the following