Катцонопулу Дора
Институт археологии Пароса и Кикладских островов, Греция
The 4th century BC although coupled together with the 5th century under the term Classical, is both historically and artistically a different era. Especially in art, particularly the sculpture, new traits are seen already in the early years of the century tending to divert from the Classical harmonious forms and ideal faces of the 5th century. Intensity and vital feelings become now the main tendency expressed in body forms and faces of sculptured figures. This tendency, first clearly seen as early as ca 380 BC in the Epidauros sculptures, becomes dominant around the middle of the century when the new style of expressing the inner feelings of the soul, the “pathos”, is well established.
The evident departure of the art in the 4th century BC from the Classical ideal and its turn to the expression of strong emotions seem to reflect new attitudes prevailing in the political and social life of the Greeks, perhaps affected, above all, by the abandonment of the polis system (as it had been formulated in the previous period) in favor of the imperial system which appeared already in the beginnings of the century and soon completely prevailed.
The sculptor, who is mainly associated with the new style and became its real master, is Skopas from the island of Paros, active between 370–330 BC. Skopas travelled and worked in many places of the ancient world including two of the Seven Wonders in Asia Minor, the Maussolleion at Halikarnassos
and the temple of the Ephesian Artemis. However, it seems that his prolific career both as architect and sculptor began in Paros, where he executed probably the first of his major artistic projects, namely the sanctuary of Hestia and the cult statue for her temple located in the capital city of Paros.
With regard to the issue of the beginnings and origins of the style of “pathos”, highly expressed in Skopas’ creations and continued into the late years of the century and further beyond into the Hellenistic period — although with some modifications, certain works of art pre-dating Skopas’ time especially from two specific places of the Greek world, Epidauros and Paros, will be discussed
and examined.