Dionysius And Pan Essay

During the Late Classical Period, there is a shift from idealism, and a push towards emphasizing strong naturalism. Sculptures become less conservative, and athletes are no longer the quintessential muse. Alternatively, ordinary people are depicted, in addition to softer representations of Gods and Goddesses. The Roman sculpture, Dionysius and Pan, ca AD 50-150, (1) a is a quality example of Gods and Goddesses being rendered in a less idealistic and more humanized manner. Dionysius and Pan portray the shift of the Late Classical Period while also still holding onto a few High Classical motifs such as idealistic representations of the ideal. Dionysius and Pan, is a free standing sculpture made of marble with a few notable idealized and stylistic characteristics such as his hair. Dionysius, has well groomed hair, adorned with a crown of clustered grapes and thick leaves. The majority of his hair is short and blends with the ornaments, however, onto his shoulders fall four ringlets. Each ringlet has its own character, though they do look strikingly similar to one another, the strands are loose curls and exude a slight sense of movement. Dionysius clearly has idealized hair, however, it is far more humanized than for instance, the tightly curled uniform hair of an Assyrian King. Pan has simple hair, with no

Dionysius has thick human legs, there is no gap in-between the thighs. Pan shows more movement in his stance, with open legs and no overtly apparent weight bearer other than the tree stump. His front leg is strong and stable. Pans legs are that of a goat, with a thick thigh and thin calves, the hair looking just as the hair on his head, soft and groomed but not perfect. Just below the waist, Dionysius hips curve, invoking an air of femininity and movement. Representative of the new push towards a less conservative