Defining Beautiful

Greeksculptureisfullofbreathingvitalityandyet,atthesametime,itreachesbeyondmereimitationofnaturetogiveformtothoughtinworksoftimelessbeauty.Forover2000yearstheGreeksexperimentedwithrepresentingthehumanbodyinworksthatrangefromprehistoricabstractsimplicitytothefull-blownrealismoftheageofAlexandertheGreat.TheancientGreeksinventedthemodernideaofthehumanbodyinartasanobjectofsensorydelightandasabearerofmeaning.Theirvisionhashadaprofoundinfluenceonthewaythewesternworldseesitself.DrawingontheBritishMuseumsoutstandingcollectionofGreeksculptureincludingextraordinarypiecesfromtheParthenonandthecelebratedrepresentationofadiscusthrowerandthroughanumberofthemedsections,thisrichlyillustratedbookexplorestheGreekportrayalofhumancharacterinsculpture,alongwithsexualandsocialidentity.Inathletics,themalebodywasdisplayedasifitwasalivingsculpture,andvictorswerecommemoratedbyactualstatues.Inart,notonlyweremortalmenandwomenrepresentedinhumanformbutalsothegodsandotherbeingsofmythandthesupernaturalworld.Inaseriesoflivelyintroductorychapters,writtenbyaselectionofacademics,historiansandartists,itisrevealedhowtheGreeksthemselvesviewedthesculpture(whichwasvividlyenhancedwithcolour),andhowitwasregardedandtreatedinlaterpaganantiquity.TherevivaloftheGreekbodyinthemoderneraisalsodiscussed,includingtheshockoftheneweffectofthearrivaloftheParthenonsculpturesinLondonatthebeginningofthenineteenthcentury.