Final answer:
Classical statues being idealized means they embody a perfected, enhanced version of the human form, often using harmonious proportions and dynamic poses like contrapposto to achieve a lifelike yet perfect representation.
Step-by-step explanation:
When it is said that Classical statues are idealized, it means that they represent an enhanced version of reality, where the human form is depicted with an emphasis on perfection and beauty, rather than a strictly realistic portrayal. Greek sculptors of the Classical period, for example, sought to create works that depicted the ideal human form, taking inspiration from live models and combining the most attractive features of each to achieve a perfected representation. These sculptures, such as those by Polykleitos, illustrated the Greek concept of symmetria, meaning the harmonious proportions of the body, often using the contrapposto stance to create a more lifelike and dynamic figure.
Neoclassical sculpture, while sometimes featuring veristic portrayals, also frequently presented subjects in an idealized manner, hearkening back to the themes of heroism and virtue found in Classicism and influenced by the Enlightenment and archaeological discoveries such as Pompeii.