I've reading a bit more on this subject. and I found this article really informative:
https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/no-ms-dos-games-weren-t-widescreen-tips-on-correcting-aspect-ratio
And this particular comparison image encapsulates the issues being discussed:
The article mentions this:
So, how do we fix this? Well, we cannot stretch pixels like the analog monitors did. And since a pixel is the smallest graphical unit we have, you cannot "borrow" 1/5 of a nearby pixel either. What we can do is multiply an image's width by 5 and height by 6, so that every pixel becomes a 5x6 "mega-pixel", and thus proportionally 20% taller:
And this 5 x 6 ration is the exact same ration between width and heigh of 1 x 1 LEGO brick. So @Laserschwertis indeed right. If I rebuild these statues using a simple, studs up, technique, I would actually get much closer to the pixel artists intentions than I did before.
This is fascinating and a really enticing prospect going forward, but in a way, kinda puts me off from sharing the other sculptures I've finished, since they now very much feel like imperfect visual representations of these characters