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The ancient Greeks perceived the human body as an object of sensory delight and its depiction as the expression of an intelligent mind. This sumptuous photographic book explores ancient Greek sculptures of the body from every angle..The ancient Greeks perceived the human body as an object of sensory delight and its depiction as the expression of an intelligent mind. This sumptuous photographic book explores ancient Greek sculptures of the body from every angle. With an introduction outlining the use of the body in Greek art from the prehistoric simplicity of Cycladic figurines to the realism of the Hellenistic age, seven thematic sections then feature stunning photographs of close ups taken from the British Museum’s outstanding collection of marble, bronze and terracotta sculpture. The gods and heroes of Greek religion and mythology are conceived in the image of mankind, as supermen and superwomen, while other supernatural beings such as centaurs and satyrs combine human with animal parts as symbols of their otherworldliness. Human shape is also given to the inanimate phenomena of nature, such as wind and moon, as well as intangible human experiences such as sleep and death. A salient feature of Greek art is human nudity, which was celebrated rather than considered shameful. The great majority of female nudes that have come down to us are representations of Aphrodite, goddess of erotic love. In the Hellenistic age, Alexander’s conquest and hellenisation of the peoples formerly included in the Persian empire created a new and cosmopolitan world. Greek artists were made more aware than ever before of the social and ethnic diversity of humanity. They delighted in classifying humankind in all its variety, representing a range of ages, beauty standards, physical capabilities, body sizes and social classes. The Hellenistic period, more than any previous, was also truly an age of portraiture, reflecting love in compelling and unusual images.
I know nothing about art of ancient Greece, so this book was a godsend for me. It’s clearly written, comprehensive without being overwhelming, and full of gorgeous reproductions. The seductively beautiful photography of Greek sculpture is shown to great advantage on heavy silky paper. The book itself is a work of art and makes the study of Greek art a sensuous pleasure.The book draws on the British Museum’s rich collection of Greek and Greco-Roman sculpture and is written by two curators of the museum. The aesthetic delights of the book rest on impeccable scholarship.We feast our eyes on early Greek male bodies, inspired by the civic need to keep fit for battle. Later male bodies soften to cater to more effeminate tastes. And even later, under the cosmopolitan influence of Alexander the Great, bodies exhibit diversity and ethnicity. The authors are subtly training the reader’s eye to recognize characteristics of different periods.Women’s bodies are beautifully represented too. But unless they are entertainers or victims of rape, they are fully clothed. Their diaphanous drapery is so revealing, however, they might as well be nude. The cleverness of Greek sculptors in the handling of fabric is a marvel.There are many unforgettable images in these pages — a bronze head of the otherworldly god of sleep; the imposing heads of philosophers; the statue of Herekles, his face reflecting his long battle with adversity and his body hardened by his trials; the idealized head of Alexander, who kept tight control of all images of himself in the interest of propaganda; fetching bronze figures of female athletes; and lovely sculptures of Aphrodite in classic poses.I learned a lot from this book, and I suspect even readers much more knowledgeable than me would be captivated by its and compelling images, and interested by its authoritative content.
