Greece: Architectural Statuary

Though many sculptors were paid by the temples to decorate the detailed columns and archways with renderings of the gods of old, as the period came to a close, it became more common for sculptors to portray ordinary people as well mainly because many of Greeks had started to think of their religion as superstitious rather than sacred. Portraiture, which would be recognized by the Romans upon their annexation of Greek civilization became customary as well, and thriving families would at times commission from this source a portrayal of their forebears to be situated in immense familial tombs. A time of aesthetic enhancement, the use of sculpture and other art forms morphed throughout the Greek Classical period, so it is not entirely accurate to assume that the arts served only one function. It may possibly be the advanced quality of Greek sculpture that grabs our eye today; it was on a leading-edge practice of the ancient world regardless of whether it was established for religious purposes or artistic pleasure.