Constructing realism: the contemporary gaze in Hellenistic art and poetry

This paper explores the relationship between Hellenistic ekphrasis and contemporary sculpture. It posits that Hellenistic artists working in both media used references to Archaic and Classical sources alongside references to contemporary events and situations to turn the gaze of the viewer back onto contemporary society. By orienting the gaze of the viewer in this way, the artist created a deeper understanding of Hellenistic culture and society through a mixing of the old and the new.