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The Severe style roughly covers the first 50 - 80 years of the early classical period. It is marked by the abandonment of the Archaic smile and more interest and concentration on representing human nature and form in art. Overall, most of the sculptures are markedly more somber and realistic. The poses and action of the sculptures begin to loosen up in this short period but still remain rather stiff. Opening up is mostly due to the "contrapposto"pose. This is an Italian word meaning "counterpoise" which describes the stance of one leg held back as it supports the weight of the body while the other leg remains loose and free. This adds an amount of realism to the statues. The realism is in the way it brings a sway to the hips and body and engages the viewer easier by this new animation and expression.
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Another notable development that begins is the increasing use of bronze in sculpture. They began to use bronze as an artistic medium because it is stronger than marble and doesn't need supports for open poses with outstretched arms or wide stances. These facts helped artists explore more daring poses without as much fear of damage or breakage. It is from this that sculpture develops "in the round", which means that the sculpture wasn't meant to be seen from just one angle but was able to be seen from all sides. This led to an increasing of action-oriented themes and confident mastery of anatomy.
