Faves: Greek Sculpture

Besides their other contributions to Western Civilization, it is worth noting that Classical Greek sculptors were the best anywhere anytime.  Other civilizations have produced great sculputre, like the Assyrians, India, various Chinese eras.  But nobody ever came close to the ancient Greeks.  Even during the height of the Roman era, when portrait busts became supernatuarally realistic, the actual artists were all imported from Greece.

      You could recognize Augustus on the street from his busts.
Scientists have established that these sculptures were painted in gaudy colors.  However, their reconstructions seem unconvincing.  Possibly because they are scientists, not artists.  In any case, the modern eye is used to the bleached look in classical sculptures.  It gives them a pure, abstract look reinforced by missing pieces.  But the real magic is in the detail.  Has cloth or muscle ever looked so real in stone?  Has any other statue such casual naturalness as the goddess above?  Most of all, there is nothing forced, no irony whatsoever.