Laocoon and His Sons (Late Hellenistic)

The transition from the Classical to Hellenistic period started near the end of the 4^th century and lasted until the Roman invasion in the 1^st century. During this time, the Greek sculpture and statues spread throughout the world along with the conquests of Alexander the Great (336 BC - 323 BC). On the other hand, Greek art became more diverse as it was influenced by the cultures of the occupied territories.

Wealthy families commissioned sculptured figures of common people, women, children, animals and domestic scenes for the adornment of their homes. As architects no longer felt obliged to endow people with ideals of beauty or physical perfection and produced realistic portraits of men and women of all ages, sculpture became more naturalistic.

At the same time, with the growth of the new cities as far as Egypt, Syria, and Anatolia new statues depicting the gods and heroes of Greece were required for their temples and public squares. Thus sculpture was made an industry, which explains why there are much more statues that survived during this period.

Some of the best-known Hellenistic sculptures are:

· the Winged Victory of Samothrace;

· the statue of Aphrodite, better known as the Venus de Milo;

· the Dying Gaul;

· Laocoon and his Son;

· the Colossus of Rhodes.

The statue of the Winged Victory of Samothrace is regarded the masterpiece of the Hellenistic period due to its dynamic movement. One can sense the gust of the wind blowing the folds of the clothing as if pushing back the feathers of the wings which are still beating. Her now missing right arm was originally raised high in a gesture of victory. The artist “breathed” strength, weight, and airy grace into the sculptured figure.

Another masterpiece of the Hellenistic period in Ancient Greece is the statue of the Aphrodite of Milos, better known as the Venus de Milo. It is considered to depict the Greek goddess of love and beauty, called Venus by the Romans.

Although it was made of marble, the statue looks as if it were the soft, warm substance of the living flesh. Only an artist with brilliant facility could produce from stone such vision of beauty, manifestation of the human form which appeals to our senses. As we can see, the ideal is again taken out of the world of reasoned proportions. The arms and the original plinth of the statue were lost. The Louver Museum in Paris houses the masterpiece today giving visitors the chance to admire its beauty.

Task I.