Late+Classical+Period

Late Classical Period
 * c. 400-323 BCE**

Starting in the fourth-century BCE, sculptures began to change the standard, ideal proportions of the human figure seen in earlier periods. The new canon of proportions had a standard of eight or more heads tall, as compared to six or seven heads tall. Another change during this period was the sensitive, dreamy, wistful looks given to the figures. Finally, the first figures of fully nude women were seen during this period.

**Hermes and the Infant Dionysus** was carved by sculptor Praxiteles for the Temple of Hera. It is easy to see the subtle characteristics that differentiate this from earlier Classical styles. Hermes is in a slightly curved, off-balance pose, requiring him to lean against a post (this was most likely a Roman or Hellenistic copy of the original). This is very different from earlier sculptures, where figures were more likely to be seen in a very balanced posture (see Early Classical and High Classical periods). Another interesting feature of this artwork is the contrast of the surface of the figures: the smooth skin versus the crumpled drapery. l

Another famous work of Praxiteles' during the Late Classical Period is **Aphrodite of Knidos**. This statue is important because it was the first depiction of a fully nude woman. Nudity in women had been hinted at before (see //Nike Adjusting her Sandal// from the High Classical Period), but //Aphrodite of Knidos// was what really started the gradual acceptance of female nudity. In this sculpture, Aphodite is seen discarding her drapery as she prepared for a ritual bath. The casual placement of her hand is seen as an act of modesty, but, at the same ime, only draws attention to her nudity.

**Apoxyomenos**, carved by Lysippos, also shows the shift in the stance of figures from earlier periods. In this sculpture, the legs are wider than usual and he is more slender than most (probably due to Lysippos' ideal proportions that differed from other artists'). Most noticably, however, his arms break out into the surrounding space, giving the viewers a chance to feel like they are a part of the artwork. The figure shown is probably a male athlete, but he is not engaged in a sport- he is actually scraping himself to remove oil and dirt from his body with a tool called a //strigil.//

Lysippos was well known for monumental statues of Hercules and Zeus. **The Weary Herakles**, a Roman copy, was greaty admired during the Renaissance. It shows Herakles (Hercules) resting after completing his Twelve Labors. The heroic figure and use of the drapery begin to show the characteristics that will define Hellenistic sculpture.

All in all, the Late Classical Period was a time of change in Greece, and that is reflected in the sculpture. Artists experimented with different proportions and poses for their figures. Foreign patrons became more common in this time of Philip II and Alexander the Great, and this helped to relax the strict rules of composition that sculpture had been following before this period. With the death of Alexander the Great came the end of the Late Classical Period.