The Heroic Body

This past week I went to the San Carlos Museum to see a couple of special exhibits on display there.  The first was called "The Heroic Body".  It deals with the ancient Greek concept of the ideal human form... a mixture of athleticism, proportion and symmetry which was employed in their depiction of gods and heroes in their art.  It also shows how neo-classical artists centuries later followed those classical ideals.

The core of the exhibit consists of a number of plaster copies of ancient sculptures.  These copies were shipped from Europe to Mexico's foremost art school, the Academy of San Carlos, in the 18th century to be used as models for the students.

A copy of "The Spear Bearer" by the sculptor Polycletus who lived in the 5th century B.C.

Copy of "The Discus Bearer" by Polycletus

Copy of "The Idol of Pesaro" from 30 B.C.

Copy of Myron's famous statue "The Discus Thrower", 450 B.C.

Copy of "The Runner" 1st century B.C.

Head of Mercury

Sketch of a statue of Apollo by Gerónimo Antonio Gil, 1780

Plaster carving by Tomás Pérez, 1855

Anatomical study by an unknown student at the Academy of San Carlos

Masculine nude by an unknown 19th century sculptor

Manuel Vilar did this monumental bronze statue in 1851.  It portrays Tlahuicole, a warrior of the Tlaxcalan tribe who was famed for his valor fighting against the Aztecs.

Although the subject is pre-Hispanic, the sculptor obviously studied and was inspired by the work of the ancient Greeks.