Ancient Greece (pt. 5)

The Classical Period is distinguished from the Archaic as artists showed a little more boldness and skill.  The straight, stiff poses were abandoned, and the new figures appeared to move in space.  Myron's Discobulus (Discuss Thrower) doesn't show any more blocky or rigid poses.  It is a life-sized statue of an athlete in action.  The Classical Period wanted perfection in motion.

Sadly, when the Romans took power, the Greeks' bronze works were melted down, and the marble sculptures were also ruined.  The Romans themselves copied much of Greek art.  Few surviving Greek statues today are originals; most are Roman copies.