"Doryphorus" or "spearbearer" a marble statue by Polyclitus from a little before 400 BC. Statue of a dying Gaul

During the Hellenistic era Greek sculptures were spread throughout vast territories due to the continuing expansion of Greek territories and colonies, but despite this expansion, Greek sculpture continued to become more Greek. The tides of culture had turned. Rather than being greatly influenced by other cultures, the Greeks were influencing other cultures, in the arts and in other ways. A dramatically different character of sculpture can be noted during this period, more victorious and stately, reflecting the pride the Greeks had begun to feel in their accomplishments. This was done by placing a greater emphasis on pathos as well as greater spontaneity and a greater variety of poses.

"Aspasia" "Venus de Milo"

The sculptors of this era begin to challenge the set patterns of standing sculptures and displayed more expressiveness and greater variety. The sculptures develop a heavier quality. More weight and balance can be felt, especially in the structure of the Pergamum altar. From about 180 BC the most impressive part of the Pergamum altar is the great frieze that confronts the viewer. It is bold. The subject is the battle of the Gods and the Giants, which was seen as a symbol of the Greeks' victories in their own wars. The alta,r however, abandons subtlety and relies instead on the dramatic muscular bodies and extreme poses that almost break out of their swirling garments. Even as the figures fall wounded, they threaten to come off the surface. Done in tremendous dynamic movement the entire design is overwhelming. Playing through the throes of combat, the pathos on the faces shows the violence of struggle in battle and in unity with the strain and emotion of the body.

The Nike of Samothrace 200 BC

The Nike of Samothrace has been called "the greatest masterpiece of Hellenistic sculpture" because of its feeling of movement. The wind and air whip around and through the folds in her clothing. You can feel the atmosphere as it ruffles the feathers of the wings thrown back behind her body as the goddess lands on the prow of a ship. In all its amazing fantasy and fantastic realism it moves through the space around it with forceful animated action and advancement.

Another aspect of Hellenistic sculpture are the small scale statuettes often called "Tanagra figurines" produced in shops for private ownership. These are an exception to the otherwise mythological themes. Even though they do include some of them in the beginning, they begin to represent everyday people and rarely do we find the monumental public sculpture qualities. Instead, most of the figures simply lean or walk, or sit, and the subjects are just everyday people, street beggars, entertainers, dancers, fashionable ladies, and gymnasts, among others.

Before we can leave Hellenistic sculpture we should give some credit to the Laocoon Group which was found in Rome in 1506 AD. It has been identified as a Roman copy of a Greek original. It shows the tragic death of Laocoon and his two sons when they were punished by the gods for warning the Trojans not to admit the Greeks' wooden horse into their city. It has been said that the death of Laocoon was the first in a chain of events leading to the founding of Rome, and therefore an important myth. It is also an incredibly important piece because when it was unearthed in Rome, it influenced many Renaissance artists. Among those was Michelangelo who must have been impressed by the bulging, straining musculature and the vigorous triad of the figures. It also seems hard to imagine that he would forget the extreme sense of pathos on the faces of the figures as they are caught in the serpents' writhing forms, struggling to the death.

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