Hellenistic portraiture

Hellenistic portraiture was one of the most innovative features of Hellenistic art. Spurred on by an increased interest in realism, Hellenistic sculptors sought to produce true-to-life portraits defined by the individualism of their subjects.[1] Emergent at this time is a focus on a range of states of mind such as inebriation and concentration, as well as physical characteristics like senescence and anatomical abnormality - in great contrast with the idealised forms of the Classical period[2][1]

Lysippos

Development of physiognomy

Official portraiture

Notes

  1. ^ a b Griffiths Pedley, John (1993). Greek Art & Archaeology. Laurence King. p. 350.
  2. ^ Barringer, Judith M. (2014). The Art and Archaeology of Ancient Greece. Cambridge University Press. p. 342.

Bibliography

  • (in Italian) Ranuccio Bianchi Bandinelli, Il problema del ritratto, in L'arte classica, Editori Riuniti, Rome 1984.
  • Buschor, Ernst (1971). Das hellenistische Bildnis [The Hellenistic portrait]. 2nd edition. Munich: Beck, ISBN 3-406-00859-3.
  • (in Italian) Pierluigi De Vecchi and Elda Cerchiari, I tempi dell'arte, volume 1, Bompiani, Milano 1999.
  • Seilheimer, Horst (2003). Form- und kopienkritische Untersuchungen zum hellenistischen Porträt. Saarbrücken: COD-Verlag, ISBN 3-9807096-7-1.
  • Smith, R. R. R. (1988). Hellenistic royal portraits. Oxford: Clarendon Press, ISBN 0-19-813224-7.