Ancient American sculpture was primarily concentrated in Mexico, the Maya region, and the Andes Mountains. During the period from the 3rd to the late 15th centuries, ancient America witnessed remarkable achievements in painting, architecture, sculpture, and crafts. Over a thousand years, the cultures of Mexico and the Maya experienced the Classical and Postclassic periods, while the Andes Mountains went through the Expansion Period, the City-State Period, and the Inca Period.
European Classical art emerged as a new art form born from abject poverty, profoundly influencing the development of Western art as a whole. Ancient Greek sculptors strived to imbue their works with vitality. They diligently and rapidly learned and mastered human anatomy, gradually replacing earlier geometric styles and establishing the most important principle of the human form: placing the center of gravity on one leg while keeping the other relaxed. Utilizing this dynamic visual illusion, they expressed the external tension and internal movement of the form on the unfeeling stone. This marked the true arrival of the Classical period in sculpture. Simultaneously, Classical relief sculpture also achieved great artistic heights. Ancient Rome was deeply influenced by ancient Greece in art, but it still had its own characteristics. For example, in portrait sculpture, it paid more attention to the objective subject and pursued individuality, rather than the idealization of ancient Greece.
