Hero in Greek Art

Paper Summary:

In this article, the writer explains that canon is a term used to describe the standard of a genre, or what exists to which other art pieces must adhere. Polycleitus created the canon for Greek art with his work Doryphorus. The writer discusses that Myron, also an artist during Polycleitus' time with his marble statue Discobolus also rendered itself towards a definition of being a canon. The concept of hero in this essay as it applies to both of these works is discussed. Furthermore, Vitruvius' aspects and principles of art and what makes art are introduced. In the concept of Greek Art and creating statues resembling heroes, the definitions of how these statues are considered to be 'classical' and why in these statues artists try to achieve the ideal human form is also presented and dissected with references to Vitruvius' "De Architectura".

From the Paper:

"Myron's statue brought forth fluidity of movement and spaciousness. Myron's statue focuses on breaking down a series of movements into one moment represented by the statue. The conquest was to create movement in something that was frozen in a specific time. The single pose in a series of motions was complex in its endeavor to represent.
"The torso of Myron's sculpture is twisted dramatically which brings the discus thrower's arms into the same plane as the movement of the legs. The contorted figure conveys a sense of action as well as balance. The face of this hero is still composed of the classical Greek stoicism despite the hero being in full motion and exerting a plethora of strength and power."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Vitruvius, Pollio. De Architectura. Trans. Morris Hicky Morgan. Dover Publications, New York. 1960.

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