Human Body in Archaic and Classical Art
Notably, the classical art that was between 450 and 323 BC idealized the human form. The sculpted figures in these arts were young and had no traces of defects physically. The sculpt were symmetrical and well-proportioned in their form; however, they lacked expression and personality. The figures were mostly inspired by highly ranked athletes in social status. One of the examples of this art is one by Myron, known as Discobolus. It consists of a statue of an athlete that is freestanding ready to throw a disc. Its body is well balanced, conveying the essence of action. The sculptures in classical art have their own mind; hence they do not look for the audience as they think. They also have a sense of movement and weight, as seen in contrapposto, where the figure is seen standing at rest, and the weight is placed on one leg.
In archaic art, which was between 660 and 480 BC, there was an ideology that the human body is an expression of their inner being where the body was connected directly to their mind. There is also the Archaic smile or grin that is present in most of the sculptures despite the activity, be it a battle, standing, or everyday activities. The male figures were nude completely, while those of females were fully clothed. An example is the Charioteer of Delphi, a sculpture that had a character standing in a bronze chariot as it was controlling four bronze horses. This shows that the sculptures had to look for an audience.
Reference
Banchich, T. (2017). A Gag at the Bottom of a Bowl? Perceptions of Playfulness in Archaic and Classical Greece. American Journal of Play, 9(3), 323-340.