Considered the seminal culture in the foundation of Western civilization, the ancient Greeks flourished for millennia and were known for their advances in art, poetry, and technology.

Ancient Greece is renowned for producing breathtaking art grounded in committed study of human anatomy during the Classical Period (ca. 480 to 323 BCE), developing remarkable sculpture and painted vases that emphasized this naturalistic focus but at the same time showcased idealized nude renderings of gods, goddesses, heroes, and warriors. However, earlier examples from the Orientalizing Period (ca. 700 to 600 BCE) and Archaic Period (ca. 600 to 480 BCE) presented a more schematic understanding of the figure, the rigid stances of kouroi for example displaying immense Egyptian influence, and vase paintings from this period presenting an emphasis on geometry and abstract figural imagery. During the Hellenistic Period and beyond (323 BCE to 31 BCE), following the death of Alexander the Great, when the Greeks’ influence spread far and wide, with culturally rich colonies in coastal areas of Southern Italy, some artists modeled their creations on the Classical style; however, others explored more dramatic representations of emotion and motion.