Greek Statues - Pieta

Greek Statues - Pieta

Ancient Greek sculpture represents one of the most influential artistic movements in the history of art. The statues created by the ancient Greeks in the Classical and Hellinistic ages provided the foundation not only for Roman sculpture, but also for western sculpture as we know it today. Of course Greek sculpture is not necessarily a movement, but rather an art form that developed over 1000 years.

Archaic period (8th to early 5th century BC)

The first period of Greek sculpture was heavily influenced by the works of the ancient Egyptians. There was an emphasis on creating perfection in human form. However, most of the statues created during this time period appear very rigid and unnatural. They reflected a body being assembled in pieces much in the way a mannequin might be created today. Referred to as kouros and kore, these statues typically stood very erect with their feet together and a blank stare on their face. Despite the shortcomings, the Greeks were the first to create free-standing statues during this period.