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Chapter 5

Ancient Greece

Gardner’s Art Through the Ages,

13e

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The Greek World

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Greek Artistic Development

• Understand the diverse cultural influences on Greek

artistic development.

• Identify the artistic elements and influences in the

Geometric (9th – 8th centuries BCE) and

Orientalizing styles (7th century BCE).

• Observe the values of religion, military valor,

heroism, and athleticism as they emerge in Greek art

during these periods.

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Figure 5-2 Geometric krater, from the Dipylon

cemetery, Athens, Greece, ca. 740 BCE. 3’ 4

1/2” high. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New

York.

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Figure 5-3 Hero and centaur (Herakles and

Nessos?), from Olympia,Greece, ca. 750–730 BCE.

Bronze, 4 1/2” high. Metropolitan Museum of Art,

New York (gift of J. Pierpont).

Orientalizing Period (7th century BCE)

• The pace and scope of Greek trade and colonization

increased in the near East and Egypt during this period.

• What Egyptian and/or near Eastern qualities can be

observed in the works of Greek art during this period?

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Figure 5-4 Mantiklos Apollo, statuette of a youth dedicated by

Mantiklos to Apollo, from Thebes, Greece, ca. 700–680 BCE. Bronze,

8” high. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

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Figure 5.5 Corinthian black-figure amphora with

animal friezes, from Rhodes, Greece, ca. 625–600

BCE. 1’ 2” high. British Museum, London.

Observe the creatures

on this black-figure

amphora. Are there

any precedents for

such composite

creatures?

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Figure 5-7 Lady of Auxerre, ca. 650–625 BCE. Limestone, 2’ 1 1/2”

high. Louvre, Paris.

5.2 Archaic Period (6th century BCE)

• Notice how representation of the human figure changes

• Recognize the emergence of the Doric and Ionic orders

of architecture

• Realize the refinement of Greek vase painting and

differentiate between black-figure and red-figure vases

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Figure 5-8 Kouros, ca. 600 BCE. Marble, 6’ 1/2” high. Metropolitan

Museum of Art, New York.

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Figure 5-9 Calf Bearer, dedicated by Rhonbos on the Acropolis,

Athens, Greece, ca. 560 BCE. Marble, restored height 5’ 5”;

fragment 3’ 11 1/2” high. Acropolis Museum, Athens.

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Figure 5-10 Kroisos, from Anavysos, Greece, ca. 530 BCE. Marble, 6’ 4”

high. National Archaeological Museum, Athens.

Why did Greek artists render the

male form in the nude?

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Figure 5-11 Peplos Kore, from the Acropolis, Athens, Greece, ca.

530 BCE. Marble, 4’ high. Acropolis Museum, Athens.

Notice traces of encaustic

paint on the Peplos Kore. Most

Greek stone statues were

painted.

Notice also that the Peplos Kore

is clothed.

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Greek Architectural Development

• Observe the development of Greek architectural

structures in accordance with their purposes

• Identify the orders of Greek architecture and

compare and contrast their appearances

• What is a common support element that Greek

temples share with structures with other historical

periods even Stonehenge?

Figure 5-13 Plan of a typical peripteral Greek temple.

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Peripteral Greek Temple

Figure 5-14 Elevations of the Doric and Ionic orders.

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Compare Doric and Ionic Orders

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Figure 5-15 Temple of Hera I (“Basilica”), Paestum, Italy, ca. 550 BCE.

Where have you seen these

columns before?

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Figure 5-16 Plan of the Temple of Hera I, Paestum, Italy, ca. 550 BCE.

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Figure 5-17 West pediment from the Temple of Artemis, Corfu, Greece, ca. 600–580 BCE. Limestone,

greatest height 9’ 4”. Archaeological Museum, Corfu.

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Figure 5-18 Reconstruction drawing of the Siphnian Treasury, Delphi, Greece, ca. 530 BCE (John Burge).

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Figure 5-19 Gigantomachy, detail of the north frieze of the Siphnian Treasury, Delphi, Greece, ca. 530 BCE.

Marble, 2’ 1” high. Archaeological Museum, Delphi.

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Greek Vase Painting

• Observe the representation of the human form on

Archaic vases. What similarities do figures on these

vases share with figural art of other ancient cultures?

• Differentiate between black-figure and red-figure

vases in terms of appearance, tools used, and

technique.

• Identify individual painters and potters who signed

their vases.

• Identify common subject matter in the paintings

• Realize the importance of Greek vases as the main

surviving repositories of Greek painting.

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Figure5-20 KLEITIAS and ERGOTIMOS, François Vase (Athenian black-figure volute krater), from Chiusi, Italy, ca. 570 BCE.

General view (top) and detail of centauromachy on other side of vase (bottom). 2’ 2” high. Museo Archeologico, Florence.

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Figure 5-21 EXEKIAS, Achilles and Ajax playing a dice game (detail from an Athenian black-figure amphora), from Vulci, Italy,

ca. 540–530 BCE. Whole vessel 2’ high; detail 8 1/2” high. Musei Vaticani, Rome.