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Health and wellbeing in the ancient world
Health and wellbeing in the ancient world

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1.1 Discovering ancient bodies

Four images of ancient statues in various stances and in various states of repair.
Figure 5 Four ancient statues: Apollo Belvedere, the Belvedere Torso, Laocoon and His Sons, and the Medici Venus
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Image consisting of a composite of four photographs of classical statues, all nudes, shown in various stances and in various states of repair. Moving from left to right, the photographs are of: a young man standing and looking to the left with his arms gesturing outwards; the torso only of a well-muscled man, clearly the result of damage; a bearded older man and two younger men struggling in the grip of sea serpents; and a young woman with her hair bound up, standing with her right leg bent and looking to the left.

Figure 5 Four ancient statues: Apollo Belvedere, the Belvedere Torso, Laocoon and His Sons, and the Medici Venus

Activity 1 will give you the opportunity to spend some time researching an ancient statue for yourself.

Activity 1

Look on the internet or in magazines and newspapers to find out more about one of the following ancient statues found in the Renaissance:

  • Apollo Belvedere
  • The Belvedere Torso
  • The Laocoon
  • The Medici Venus

Then write a summary of your findings and ideas in the space below. Keeping your piece to no more than 200 words, for your chosen statue do one of the following:

  • explain how artists have subsequently used the statue
  • show what ideals of the body it demonstrates
  • find a modern reuse of the image in a news story or in advertising.

Imagine you are writing for a general audience to show them that the ideal body of the ancient world is still a powerful image used today.

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