nt to incise humans into the fired slip and not paint with slip. The people in the pictures needed light colored skin, which was the color beneath the slip, because Greeks wanted to make their art as realistic as possible. Much like Egyptian art, the Greeks idealized the bodies of the people in their works. As the Archaic Period evolved, Greek sculptures were almost identical to the Egyptians'. Unlike Egyptians, the Greeks refined their techniques. Greeks used marble to construct their sculptures. It was considered more valuable and beautiful than any material available. They softened the lines of the body. Greek sculptors slowly perfected every contour in the human figure. Greek people viewed the human body as something beautiful and so they depicted nude men. Women were eventually nude but only when there was a reason, they needed to be bathing or something where they would be naked. They people that are sculpted are always young and their bodies are still idealized. The Greeks invented contrapposto, the relaxed natural stance of a sculpture. A figure that is standing in contrapposto becomes a sculpture in the round, meaning that the emphasis is not only on a frontal view but also from all angles.The Hellenistic Period emerged as the Romans began to produce some of the finest art in history. This new revolutionary style was incredible. Figures weren't confined to the unnatural or boring positions they had for centuries. All body parts were in perfect proportion. These statues came alive as their limbs reached out into space. Vacant stares evolved into human emotions, which were easily recognized on their faces. I think this renaissance portrayed the way people were thinking. They were exploring philosophy, religion, and politics. This was a time for rebirth. Christian art was introduced during the middle of the second century. In many cases the only difference between Christian art and Hellenistic art is the religious subject matter. ...
