Shaping space: facial asymmetries in fifth-century Greek sculpture

The phenomenon of optical correction in Classical Greek sculpture has been attested by both ancient authors and modern scholars. Despite the apparent normalcy of optical correction in sculpture, however, there are no obvious reasons for it and how such correction worked in statues is a question which has rarely been examined systematically. Among the possible explanations are conscious application of philosophical or optical theories by sculptors, or subconscious influence of human visual perception on the carving process. In this study, asymmetries (as one possible method of achieving optical correction) in the heads of extant fifth-century Greek sculpture have been analysed in relation to the ideal view and the pose of statues. All heads that were measured were asymmetrical, but statistical analysis showed no systematic pattern in the data that could be considered representative for sculpture from Classical Greece in general. The lack of a statistically significant pattern means that (subconscious) correction of visual perception is not at the root of the asymmetries, undermining the notion of systematic application of contemporary optical theory by sculptors or the influence of their own visual perception. However, a practical explanation for the unsystematic asymmetries presented itself through interviews with seven sculptors, who pointed out technical reasons why asymmetries would occur naturally during carving, without influence of theoretical designs or visual perception.