Ancient Greek Art

Major Periods of Greek Art:• Geometric: 900-700

B.C.E• Orientalizing: 700-600

B.C.E• Archaic Art: 600-480

B.C.E– Early Greece -- sacking

of Athens by Persia.• Classical Art: 480-400

B.C.E– Defeat of Persia, Golden

Age• Late Classical: 400-320

B.C.E• Hellenistic: 320-30

B.C.E– Alexander the Great

through Roman invasion

No More Mycenaeans• After the Trojan War (c. 1200

B.C.E), Mycenaean culture collapsed.– Dorians from Sparta invaded.– Fought with iron against

Mycenaean stone weapons. – Left no written language, began a

dark age. – History and epic poems were told

orally by poets, like Homer.– Storytellers traveling through

Greece developed a common language.

The Dorian Dark Age• No significant art

produced.• City states too

busy fighting. • No writing or

records existed.

Geometric Period 900-700 BCE

• Decoration in Geometric bands or registers

• Often show narratives

• Simplified forms• This is a dyplon vase, or

grave marker, wine flowed through holes in the bottom as an offering

Opening Up to “Others” in the Orientalizing Period

• 8th century B.C.E: Orientalizing Period:– Influence of trading with

Egypt and Mesopotamia seen in art.

– Stick figures, flowers, animals included in bands.

– Humans, chariots seen in funeral processions.

– More narrative scenes– Mythological creatures,

exotic landscapes

Orientalizing Krater

Other Important Pottery Pieces

• Form followed function in Greek pottery: Function was first, form and decoration were based around the need.

• Kylix: A Greek drinking cup.– Flat bottom allowed

for images to be painted.

Becoming Greek • 750 B.C.E- City

states began to form (Athens, Sparta, Corinth. – Very independent,

separated by Greek geography.

– Shared common language and fear of invasion.

– Dorians occupied mainland, Ionians occupied the East Coast, Aegean and Turkey.

Entering the Archaic (old) Period

• Shows great influence from trading with Egypt and Mesopotamia. – Becomes more

relaxed overtime.

– More natural than previous periods.

– Emphasis on pottery, sculpture and temples.

From A to B: Archaic Black Figure Pottery

• Archaic period = golden age of vase painting

• Black Figure Painting: – Black figures drawn

using Slip on red terra-cotta clay.

– Details made with sharp tool cutting into the clay.

– Vases baked in a kiln in three stages.

– Narrative scenes. – .

Ajax and Achilles Playing Diceand Achilles and Penthesilia• Terracotta clay• Done by

Athenian painter Exekias

• Drew subjects from Greek mythology.

• Portray dramatic scenes, previewing later Greek Theater.

The Earliest Autographs?

• In Greece, talent of the artists became as important as the subject.

• Artists began to sign work as accomplishment and advertising.

• Francois Vase, c. 570 B.C.E, by Kletias– Signed by potter and

painter– Every Greek

god/goddess on the vase

Seeing Red in the Late Archaic Period

• As Archaic art progressed, pottery became more natural.

• Red Figure painting was reverse of black.

• Closer appearance to actual skin color of Greeks. – More fluid movement,

clearer emotions due to painting, rather than cutting into black clay.

Archaic Sculpture: Kouros, 530 B.C.E.

• Mainly used as grave markers or for god worship

• Strong Egyptian influence

• Primarily made of marble

• Painted, especially if in the temple.

• Figures typically shown with Archaic smile, showing life, health.

Comparing the Kouros (male nude) and Kore (draped maiden)

I am wearing a Peplos….this makes me a Peplos Kore

I used to have an arm to carry gifts

to Athena

Egyptian vs. Archaic Greek

Why is Everyone Naked? • Ancient Greeks

believed that humans were perfect, loved perfection of the human body.

• Different from Egypt and Mesopotamia:– Only slaves/lower

class/children were shown in the buff.

– Calf Bearer, c. 560 B.C.E.• Marble

Getting into the Gods• According to Greek

legend…– The world was created

during a battle between the Titans and the sky gods (Olympians)

– Like Egypt, gods were immortal and supernatural.

– Greeks visualized their gods as human with human characteristics (weaknesses and emotions)

– Each temple or sanctuary built to a god was independent, integrated to the site.

Archaic Architecture: The Sanctuary at Delphi• Site where two eagles

released by Zeus met at the sanctuary of Apollo, his son.

• Believed to be an Oracle, place where Apollo could communicate prophesies/ advice to a medium.

• Contained The Treasury of the Siphnians to protect their offerings to Apollo.

Treasury of Siphnians

• Used Caryatids: Columns in the form of clothed women on Pedestals.

• Capitals support an Entablature: Upper story of the temple.

• Architrave: Plain, unornamented lintel on the entablature.

• Pediments and Frieze with relief sculpture

A Closer Look

Caryatids

Pedestals

FriezesArchitrave

Houses on the Hills

• Like other civilizations, Greeks viewed temples as houses for the gods.

• Think: If gods are like humans…don’t they need a house?– Modeled after

Megaron plan of Mycenae

– Cult statue placed in the main room or naos

– Portico in front (Egypt)

Typical Greek Temples• Rectangular• Organized based

on geometric principles

• Post and lintel system, using columns

• Pediments: project over top of columns

• Cornice: Separates upper and lower parts of the temple.

Pediment

FRIEZE! • A Frieze is a

horizontal band of relief sculpture.

• The Frieze at the Siphnian treasury shows a battle between gods and Titans.

• Originally painted with color for effect.

Standardized Structures• During the Archaic period,

two architectural designs or orders emerged:– Doric– Ionic– Corinthian would be

developed later.• Each was a system of

interdependent parts based on mathematical ratios.– No element of an order

could be changed without changing all the other elements.

Basic Elements of the Orders:• Column +

Entablature = post and lintel

• Stylobate: Floor of the temple

• Stereobate: Steps forming temple base

• All columns have:– Shaft (formed by

round drums)– Capital

Stereobate

Entablature

Stylobate

Capital

Doric Order Architecture

Classicicism Later Comes to America• 19th century America adopted the

Doric style of architecture.– Period called Classicism – Appeared on government buildings to

represent governments of Greece and Rome, the basis for our Democratic Republic.

• If America is founded as a Christian nation, why did we use Greek architecture?– To demonstrate separation of Church and

state, secularism.– Designed to look like civic, government

buildings of Greece and Rome.

An Archaic Temple• Temple of Aphaia

– Doric Temple– 6 columns on façade

(front)– 12 columns on the side– porch on each side– Columns and walls hid

doors from public view, limiting access to the deity.

– Identical front and back. – Worship took place

outside the temple.

The Problem with Pediments• Triangle shape of

pediments made sculpture challenging.

• Scale of figures couldn’t change, only their poses.

• Temple of Aphaia solved this problem.– 3-D figures in poses

that fit the shape of the pediment.

And then…..the Persian Wars 490 BCE – 480 BCE

Persian Wars: Famous BattlesMarathon (490 BCE)

26 miles from AthensThermopylae (480 BCE)

300 Spartans at the Mountain pass

Salamis (480 BCE) Athenian navy

victorious

The Impact of the Persians• 5th Century: Persians

(Modern Iran) threatened to take over Greece.

• Athens united the city-states together to defeat Persia during the Persian war. – 480 B.C.E Athens was burnt

to the ground by the Persians.

– After war, Greeks (Athens especially) viewed themselves as the most civilized culture.

– Everyone else was “barbaric”

Three Classical Periods:• Early Classical

Period:480-450– Post Persian War– Moving away from Archaic

• High Classical Period: 450-400– Artistic refinement– Heart of the “golden age”

• Late Classical Period: 400-323– Post Peloponnesian War– Movement away from

traditional classic.– Nude women, sensitive

figures.

The Greek Golden Age• After the defeat of the

Persians, Athens experienced a time of peace and prosperity. – Philosophers began to

theorize about everything. – Early forms of democracy

developed.– Philosophies regarding

humans, perfection, standards began to be seen in art.

Standing In a Way that Makes Sense: Early Classical• Forms and stance of Greek

sculpture became more real and ideal.

• Contraposto: Counter-posture– Fluid body movement– Separates archaic from classical– Relaxed stance– Weight shift– Calm expression, no Archaic

smile.– Far off gaze inspires viewer to

follow his gaze and inspect him from all sides.

– Symmetrical body, asymmetrical stance.

Kritios Boy, 480 B.C.E

Standing In a Way that Makes Sense: Early Classical• Forms and stance of Greek

sculpture became more real and ideal.

• Contraposto: Counter-posture– Fluid body movement– Separates archaic from classical– Relaxed stance– Weight shift– Calm expression, no Archaic

smile.– Far off gaze inspires viewer to

follow his gaze and inspect him from all sides.

– Symmetrical body, asymmetrical stance.

Kritios Boy, 480 B.C.E

Beautiful Bodies in Bronze

• Bronze allowed for more complex action poses, outstretched arms and legs.

• Easier to balance and keep up than marble

• The Charioteer, 470 B.C.E, Sanctuary of Apollo at Delphi. – Shows Greek value of

sports heroes, cast in bronze.

The Riace Warrios, 460-450 B.C.E• Ideal athletic

form and standards.

• Perfected anatomy (more human than human)

• Realistic natural form: veins, toenails, etc.

High Classical Period• Only lasts 50 years• Considered the “high

point” of achievement.

• Major event: Peloponnesian War (conflicts between Athens vs. Sparta)

• Development of Athenian society under Pericles

Perfection Under Pericles• Established system

of Athenian democracy.

• Great military and political leader

• Huge patron of the arts– Believed money

should be spent on art to promote a good, powerful public image of Athens.

The High Point of Greek Sculpture

• Greek sculptors looked for an ideal representation of the human body. – Selected

characteristics most desirable.

– Smooth skin– Relaxed facial features– Standard body

proportion.

A Moment in Motion• The Discus Thrower, c.

450 B.C.E, National Roman Museum, Rome.– Myron– Impossible pose but

optically works. – Idealized hero body– Faraway gaze contrasts

with activity of motion. – New incorporation of

movement into sculpture.

Classical Art: Body and Mind• Polykleitos: 450 B.C.E

– Developed the canon for the ideal human figure.

– Created a larger-than life statue, “The Spear Bearer,” to illustrate the canon.

– Used specific measurements, ratios and symmetry

– Defined the concept of contrapposto: a balance of tense/support with relaxation/ease

The Canon-Polykleitos

• “Beauty consists in the proportions, not of the elements, but of the parts, that is to say, of finger to finger, and of all the fingers to the palm and the wrist, and of these to the forearm, and of the forearm to the upper arm, and of all the other parts to each other.”

Civic Architecture• Being a democracy,

Greeks didn’t build elaborate palaces or homes.

• Focus was on structures that benefited all people (sports, theater, etc).

• Spent more on public projects than any modern state. – Meeting halls– Agoras (market place/public

square)

Aphrodite of Knidos, Praxiteles, 350-340 B.C.E• Sensual nudity, not

erotic• Original missing hand,

would have covered her.• Modestly averts eye

contact• S-shaped, curves• Once placed in a round

temple, only viewed peeking through columns.

A Big Fat Greek Civil War

• 431 B.C.E-404 B.C.E: Athens and Sparta began fighting in the Peloponnesian War. – Athens was viewed as

arrogant, spending alliance money.

– Sparta defeated Athens with Persian Help

Civil War…followed by Alexander the Great

– 359 B.C.E: Philip of Macedon invades and unites all of Greece.

– 357 B.C.E: His son, Alexander took the throne.

• Freed Egypt from Persians.• Declared by priests of Amen as a descendent of the

god.– Created library at Alexandria

• Expanded to Pakistan. • Embraced cultures of those he conquered.• Spread Greek culture throughout the empire.

– Tutored by Aristotle

Alexander’s Empire

What is Hellenism?• Began after death of

Alexander the Great.– Hellenized= to make

Greek– Fused other cultures with

Greek• Very distinct from Classical

art.– Classical- General idea– Hellenistic- subject specific,

individualized• Less heroic, more

everyday mortal focus. – Individual emotion, dramatic– Effect heart as well as head.

Hellenistic Architecture:Here Comes Corinthian• Dramatic flair, characteristic of

Hellenism.• Ionic-like tall slender columns.

– Continuous frieze on entablature.– Stepped out architrave– Also bands of carved moldings

• Elaborate foliage on capitals.• Previously used only for

interiors.• Named by the Romans.• Elegant, refined

Temple of the Olympian Zeus, Athens

The Dying Gaul

• Victory art of Pergamon didn’t just show victory, it showed suffering of the defeated.

• Attempted Expressionism: to get a response from the viewer.

• Dying Gaul, c. 230-220 B.C.E, Pergamon, marble

Altar of Zeus, Pergamon, 175 BCE

• Frieze shows battle of Zeus & Gods against Giants

• Larger than life-size, epic scale• Figures emerge from stone• Built to celebrate victory against

barbarian invasion in Pergamon

Let’s Look at the Laocoon• Story from the Aenid • Priest warns Trojans to

fear the wooden horse, but he destroyed by the gods with snakes

• Very emotional• Negative space• Twisting, hard for the

eye to stop.

Nike of Samothrace, c. 190 B.C.E, marble, Louvre, Paris• Originally for a

fountain• Meant to look like the

figurehead of a boat.• Wet drapery look• Built to show a naval

victory• Contrapposto,

dramatic twist• Balanced by forward

and backward movement.

Aphrodite of Milos (Venus de Milo), c. 150-125 B.C.E, Louvre• Elegance, s-shaped, • Light and shadow play

on the surface• Shows influence and

appreciation of classical styles.

• Resembles Praxiteles• Dreamy gaze• Twisting stance is

Hellenistic

Important Ideas to Remember• Greek art shows many influences from

Egypt, but greatly moves away over time.

• “Man is the measure of all things” is the basis for Greek inspiration.

• Greece invents the male nude, overtime incorporates women.

• The term “classical” today is meant to describe the Greek art which set the standard of perfection for later periods.