In the Ancient Near East, the society of Susa in Iran used the human form in the Victory Steele of Naram-Sim (Gardner, 2-13). From the 23rd century b.c.e., this piece shows many people of varying sizes in a stacked composition. The figures on top are larger, showing that they have more importance. This is a hierarchy of scale, in which the least important members of the culture and the image are

Another type of figurative work deals with religious history. In Christianity, the Pieta was moment defined in sculpture that was not a recorded part of biblical history. It is of Mary holding Christ after being crucified. This has been translated by many different artists. In Gothic Germany, the Roettgen Pieta (Gardner, 18-53) from 1300-1325 has a very graphic portrayal of the event, with elongated forms and gruesome detail. This is to evoke sympathy and appreciation within that religion for Jesus.

Classical Greece spawned a rush of figurative work that portrayed warriors, gods, and mythological creatures. The art from this period used idealized figures with general features and grand poses. A more realistic approach to the body gives a more life like quality to the creations, and are truly something to admire. The Spear Bearer (Gardner, 5-34) sculpture by Polykleitos from 450 b.c.e. shows a walking man holding a weapon, with ideal proportion and balanced position

Some topics in this essay:
, Primaporta Gardner10-25, Predynastic Egypt, Naram-Sim Gardner, Pieta Gardner, Roman Republic, Classical Greece, Bearer Gardner, Christianity Pieta, Torlonia Gardner, human form, hierarchy scale, roman republic,