Idealism to Realism

In the Hellenistic period, the Hellenic value of idealism gave way to realism. This change is well represented in sculpture. In fact, we can just look at sculptures of athletes.

Discobolus is one of the best examples of the Hellenic goal to "rise above transitory sensations and capture the permanent, the essential, the complete." Hellenic sculptors avoided representations that would imply incompleteness or imperfection. In Discobolus, the facial expression is one of calmness rather than physical strain. Everything is perfect—the posture, the muscle, and even the delicate curled toes that press on the ground.

The Boxer at Rest shows a dramatic shift from idealized heroic depictions of the body and youth to greater realism. In Hellenistic art, "men and women find themselves beset by natural and social forces and are inevitably conditioned by them." What I love about this bronze sculpture is its subtle and lifelike details.

Look at that cauliflower ear! That looks so real. The over-muscled torso is top-heavy, and the belly has folds. The face has bruises, the nose is bent, and the expression is one of fatigue. The boxer kind of looks like McGregor.

Look at these gloves as well.

Another sculpture that shows Hellenistic realism is The Uffizi Wrestlers, which depicts two young men engaged in the pankration, a kind of ancient Greek wrestling in which the only things not acceptable were biting and gouging out the opponent's eyes.

The sculpture looks dynamic, and the athlete below looks in pain from the body lock.

Confronted with different cultures and civilizations, Hellenistic people looked to variety rather than unity and took into account individual experiences and characteristics. This shift toward realism is clear in sculptures, especially those of athletes.