Aristotle coined the term catharsis—which comes from the Greek kathairein meaning "to cleanse or purge"—to describe the release of emotional tension that he believed spectators experienced while watching dramatic tragedy. Today, the word "catharsis" can be used in reference to any experience of emotional release...
Celebrated for its unprecedented naturalism, this movement introduced a skillful sculptural approach that artists would emulate for years to come. Today, Hellenistic antiquities can be found in top collections across the globe, with world-famous works like the Winged Victory of Samothrace leading the way.
What is Hellenistic sculpture? Hellenistic art was created in Ancient Greece between 323 BCE to 31 CE. During the Hellenistic period, sculptors pursued and perfected naturalism through expressive movement, lifelike anatomy, and a striking attention to detail.
Shakespeare's tragedies are some of the most famous examples of art that produce catharsis in audiences. Some authors—such as Chinua Achebe who wrote Things Fall Apart —have modeled their own work after classical Greek or Shakespearean tragedy, in an effort to create contemporary works that create cathartic experiences for readers.
Sculptors opted to adorn their figures with “fabric” for three main reasons: to accentuate the suggested movement of the figure, emphasize the contours of its lifelike anatomy , and to showcase their sculpting skills. Known as “wet drapery,” this technique first appeared during the Classical period and was adopted and adapted by Hellenistic artists.
In order to achieve this lifelike aesthetic, Hellenistic sculptors skillfully incorporated three characteristics into their work: expressive movement, realistic anatomy, and ornate details.
This emphasis on expressive and exaggerated movement is particularly apparent in Laocoön and His Sons, one of the period's most famous masterpieces.
Hellenistic sculpture is one of art history's most prized practices. Celebrated for its unprecedented naturalism, this movement introduced a skillful sculptural approach that artists would emulate for years to come. Today, Hellenistic antiquities can be found in top collections across the globe, with world-famous works like the Winged Victory ...
Similarly, Archaic sculptors typically stuck to two types of figures: “the male kouros, or standing nude youth, and the female kore, or standing draped maiden” ( the Metropolitan Museum of Art ). This changed in 500 BCE, however, when the Classical period emerged.
This approach was taken a step further in 323 BCE. At this time, sculptors adapted Classical techniques to render realistic figures. This trend lasted for nearly 200 years and culminated in what is now known as the Hellenistic period.
Boethos of Chalcedon, “Boy with Goose,” 2nd century BCE ( (Stock Photos from time4studio/Shutterstock)
Typology primarily helped Christians come to terms with their Jewish roots by
commemorate Titus's sack of the Second Temple of Jerusalem
Socrates differs from the sophists, most notably, in his emphasis on
in visual art, the term naturalism refers to representations that
As early as 10,000 years ago, pottery was made by artisans in present-day
Han Emperor Wu supported the arts by
myths have little or no relation to observed experience
o The so-called genre sculpture of the Hellenistic period shows old people or hard working persons of the lowest social strata (peasants and fishermen), topics that were never before rendered in this medium and were known only from vase painting. They represent an exaggerated and yet "ideal" version of such people that captured the imagination of the wealthy elite of the Hellenistic period
eclecticism dominates with images following the traditions of the 5th and 4th centuries (divine images) or of the High Hellenistic period (complicated groups exploring the boundaries of the material). The common features are a renewed emphasis of the frontality that leads to rather flat images, and an academic dryness in the use of former styles or iconographic tendencies
Catharsis in Shakespeare's Othello. In Othello, an ambitious, resentful, and just plain malicious soldier named Iago brings about the down fall of his capta in, Othello, by making it look as though Othello's wife is cheating on him. Othello goes mad with jealousy and eventually kills his own wife.
Some writers, like the German playwright Bertolt Brecht, have taken a less optimistic view of the benefits of catharsis. Brecht was a twentieth-century writer and a Marxist who believed that the highest purpose of theater was to serve as a forum for political ideas and to inspire spectators to take political action.
Shakespeare's tragedies are some of the most famous examples of art that produce catharsis in audiences. Some authors—such as Chinua Achebe who wrote Things Fall Apart —have modeled their own work after classical Greek or Shakespearean tragedy, in an effort to create contemporary works that create cathartic experiences for readers.
Catharsis is the process of releasing strong or pent-up emotions through art. Aristotle coined the term catharsis— which comes from the Greek kathairein meaning "to cleanse or purge"—to describe the release of emotional tension that he believed spectators experienced while watching dramatic tragedy. Today, the word "catharsis" can be used in ...
After learning his wife was in fact faithful, Othello then delivers this monologue in Act 5 Scene 2 after learning the truth, just before taking his own life: I pray you, in your letters, When you shall these unlucky deeds relate, Speak of me as I am.
You may have heard the word "catharsis" used to describe emotional release outside the realm of art. For instance, people often speak of psychological or social catharsis. While these additional meanings do exist, this guide will focus specifically on catharsis in literature.
Here's how to pronounce catharsis: kuh- thar -sis