Greek Female Power

The Power of the Female Form Artist unknown, seated sculpture of Helen c. 324-29 represents the expressions of beliefs of power and powerlessness in the female figure. The freestanding sculpture is a representation of Helen of Troy. The sculptor depicts the woman whose love was fought over famously causing the heartbreak of thousand and their deaths in the Trojan War. The sculptors base has Helen seated upon a chair, the seated position is contradictory in both expressions of power and of struggle. From her posture and glare alone we can detect power, confidence, and beauty, but those features juxtaposed against her seated position are muted to male authority. The idea that she is seated contrasts the mainstream idea that height gives a sense …show more content…
In many cultures and religions women have been a central connection between nature and society, in Helen we can also see this. Since the beginning women have been the symbol to motherhood a power and dominance in and of itself the reminisce of that power is mirrored in the relaxed form Helen has in regards to the abilities she has, abilities only women posses. Juxtaposed to male dominance she her capability to show her strengths without force. As a viewer we have no evidence to interpret her holding or possessing any weapons to declare her power. Her force is her beauty, a soft and elegant invitation to acknowledging her control. We see that softness reflected in the artist talent at creating a similarity to the curves of a female’s body in the curves and lines of both Helens dress and hair. The elements of attire are understated in the work almost identical to the downplaying of her posture. At first glance her pose could be analyzed as the leisure found in the riches she was surrounded in, but I claim it is the easiness and almost destined affirmation she had to …show more content…
One belief that lies behind this sculptor is the power and oppression wheeled by a female’s body. In the artist’s efforts to capture Helens beauty, the statement being created is the assertion of her beauty without the need to flaunt cliché ideals of body standards and attire. Her dress is simple, her hair is up and neat, and she has no visible jewelry all these doings help maintain the idea that she is a natural beauty. That her radiance is as simple and as understood as the suns ability to rise and set everyday without question. A general concept to some is the dramatization of the female body in society and media and how it is used control the attention of men, Helens grace and elegance show in this piece both follows and disregards this belief. Helen herself as the legend tells did capture the attention and lust of thousands with her beauty, but the power and devotion awarded to her was not from her external appearance nonetheless her inner strength. This sculpture erected in possible devotion to her is not to claim her outer beauty as a source of obsession, but it is used to emphasize her internal power to overcome the burdens society has placed upon her as a women. The glaze of her eyes establishes this most powerfully, she is looking forward that a representation to the future and the obstacles ahead