Throughout the development of the world, the idea of nudity presents a complex history and disputing views. The current society shies away from the idea of nakedness, but the Ancient Greeks sculpted naked statues with no shame. The topic of nude statues creates an environment of power from the artist’s decision of sculpting. Even the famous poet, Homer, recognizes the purpose and idea of nudity in The Odyssey. In Homer’s poem, The Odyssey, a naked Odysseus wanders around the river’s bank in Scheria, and he approaches the daughter of Alcinous, Nausicaa. At this time, Nausicaa’s servants and handmaidens flee from Odysseus’s sight, but “Only/ Alcinous’s daughter stood her ground” (VI.149-150). The quote indicates Nausicaa feels aware of the
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The article “The Problem with Dexileos: Heroic and Other Nudities in Greek Art” by Jeffrey Hurwit supports the idea of contradiction on page 50. Ian Jenkins justifies in his article “The Human Body in Ancient Greek Art” that some nude statues represented the idea of arête or perfection to show off the impossible heroic body (5). The Greeks brought perfection shown in statues to idealize humans and ignore their mortality (Jenkins 2). As stated in “Naked Ambition: When the Greeks First Stripped Off”, the idea of nudity represented a type of costume which symbolized an enhanced body. People spent time oiling themselves to make their body always looks the best (Davidson 4). For the last two and a half centuries, people recognized Greek statues through heroic nudity since the nudity symbolized the comparison to the costumes and perfection of the gods (“The Problems with Dexileos: Heroic and Other Nudities in Greek Art” 46-47). However, other sculptures represented the idea of weakness and defeat in the state of nudity, and some of the ancient culture associated the exposed figurines with defeat and dishonor (“The Nude Western Art and Its Beginning in Antiquity” 1-2). According to “The Problems with Dexileos: Heroic and Other Nudities in Greek Art”, Homer believed naked statues represented a defeated, dead-like, or severely hurt person (Hurwit 47-48). For example on the …show more content…
Under the Ancient Greek traditions, the idea of sculpting statues naked established certain moral values that citizens of Ancient Greece believed in. In the Odyssey, Homer reinforces the idea of nudity in the Greek culture by showing Nausicaa standing her ground when facing a nude Odysseus (VI 149-150). This idea of nudity appeared when the citizens of the Ancient Western civilization devised the idea. The rarity of nudity in all forms established disputing view concerning nudity in victims and heroes since the Ancient Greeks rarely spotted naked people in the streets. The Ancient Greeks’ tradition formed a whole world of new open doors for people to study and discover. All through the world’s development to modern culture, the Ancient Greeks produced naked statues in which the current society steers away
The article “The Problem with Dexileos: Heroic and Other Nudities in Greek Art” by Jeffrey Hurwit supports the idea of contradiction on page 50. Ian Jenkins justifies in his article “The Human Body in Ancient Greek Art” that some nude statues represented the idea of arête or perfection to show off the impossible heroic body (5). The Greeks brought perfection shown in statues to idealize humans and ignore their mortality (Jenkins 2). As stated in “Naked Ambition: When the Greeks First Stripped Off”, the idea of nudity represented a type of costume which symbolized an enhanced body. People spent time oiling themselves to make their body always looks the best (Davidson 4). For the last two and a half centuries, people recognized Greek statues through heroic nudity since the nudity symbolized the comparison to the costumes and perfection of the gods (“The Problems with Dexileos: Heroic and Other Nudities in Greek Art” 46-47). However, other sculptures represented the idea of weakness and defeat in the state of nudity, and some of the ancient culture associated the exposed figurines with defeat and dishonor (“The Nude Western Art and Its Beginning in Antiquity” 1-2). According to “The Problems with Dexileos: Heroic and Other Nudities in Greek Art”, Homer believed naked statues represented a defeated, dead-like, or severely hurt person (Hurwit 47-48). For example on the …show more content…
Under the Ancient Greek traditions, the idea of sculpting statues naked established certain moral values that citizens of Ancient Greece believed in. In the Odyssey, Homer reinforces the idea of nudity in the Greek culture by showing Nausicaa standing her ground when facing a nude Odysseus (VI 149-150). This idea of nudity appeared when the citizens of the Ancient Western civilization devised the idea. The rarity of nudity in all forms established disputing view concerning nudity in victims and heroes since the Ancient Greeks rarely spotted naked people in the streets. The Ancient Greeks’ tradition formed a whole world of new open doors for people to study and discover. All through the world’s development to modern culture, the Ancient Greeks produced naked statues in which the current society steers away