ART and ARCHITECTURE

GREECE

Art and Architecture

Greek art: works of art produced in the Aegean basin. This PowerPoint is a brief overview of art of Greece from its early styles through the Hellenistic period.

Greek architecture: the art of building that arose on the shores of the Aegean Sea and flourished in the ancient world.

LEGACY Greek art influenced the culture of many countries

Simplicity and rationality Imitation of nature Nude human figure in sculpture Roman Empire art largely derived from Greek models Greco-Buddhist art blended Greek, central Asian, and Indian

cultures Humanist standards inspired European artists

Another Greek legacy the West inherited is architecture Many structural elements, decorative motifs, and building types

that were established in Ancient Greece are used in architecture today

Greek ART

Early Greek Styles [Minoan and Mycenaean]

Archaic Period [700 – 480 BCE]

Classical Period [480 -323 BCE]

Hellenistic Period [323 – 30 BCE]

Early Greek Civilizations

Early Greek Styles: Minoan Influenced by Eastern Mediterranean cultures

Subjects of Minoan works of art include: Vivid images of nature Images of court and religious life Large frescoes [wall/ceiling painting on fresh

plaster] Ceramics Small figurines of terracotta and stone

Minoan FrescoFlying Fish Fresco

Scene from nature at Palace at Knossos

Minoan Fresco  Bull-Vaulting Fresco

Religious ritual culminating in the sacrifice of the bull

Minoan Fresco Woman known as La Parisienne

From processional scene located at the palace at Knossos Minoan style of depicting humans

Minoan Ceramics

In the Early Minoan period ceramics were characterized by linear patterns of spirals, triangles, curved lines, crosses, and fishbone motifs.

Minoan Ceramics

In the Middle Minoan period naturalistic designs such as fish, squid, birds, and lilies were common.

Minoan Figurine

Snake Goddess

Two female figurines of faience were found at Knossos. Faience is earthenware decorated with colored opaque metallic glazes consisting of crushed quartz. The figurines were probably used as votive offerings in the Minoan religion. Most were made of terracotta.

The women wear the typical skirts and apron of the Minoans along with a bare-breasted bodice. They are shown with snakes, which may be symbolic of household divinities.

Early Greek Styles: Mycenaean Subjects of Mycenaean works of art

include: Tomb and palace murals and frescoes Military and mythology themes Painting, sculpture, and metalwork glorified

rulers Ornamental weapons Precious jewelry Geometric patterns on ceramics and pottery Glass ornaments

Mycenaean Fresco

"Lady of Mycenae" accepts a gift of a necklace.

Mycenaean Pottery

Mycenaean vase in terracotta with chariot scene.

When two horses are meant to be represented, the painter, in an attempt to show perspective, depicts only one body, with two tails, two pairs of hind legs and forelegs, as well as two heads.

Mycenaean Clay Figurines

Most clay figurines are female and seem to represent goddesses. Some were placed in sanctuaries, where they were used as votive offerings, or in tombs, where they may have served as protective goddesses.

Like these three figurines, many of them are crowned, wear long dresses, and stand in conventional poses with hands raised, resting on hips, held between the breasts, or with elbows raised and fists brought against the top of the chest.

Mycenaean Geometric

Geometric belly-handled amphora used to hold the cremated remains of the woman from the “Tomb of a Rich Lady” in the Athenian Agora.

An amphora was a two-handled vessel used for carrying , transporting, and storing commodities, such as grapes, olive oil, and wine.

Mycenaean Tomb Mask

Agamemnon was the mythical leader of Greek forces during the Trojan War. Agamemnon led the Greek expedition to Troy to take back his brother's wife, Helen.

The Mask of Agamemnon is an artifact discovered in 1876. The artifact is a funeral mask hewn in gold. It was found over the face of a body.

Modern archaeological research suggests that the mask is from 1550–1500 BCE [before the legendary life of Agamemnon].

Mask of Agamemnon

Archaic Period [700 – 480 BCE]

Life-sized statues expressed idealization of human figure: kouros and kore statues (young men and maidens) show Egyptian influence Draped female sculptures suggest Middle Eastern influence

The art of vase painting reached artistic and technical excellence Vase painters depicted mythological and contemporary scenes

Assimilation of foreign styles and motifs from Egypt and Near East Egyptian-like stance (left-foot forward), smile, and helmet hair (patterned) Black-figure pottery originated in Corinth Pottery shifted from geometric style to oriental style

Eastern pictorial motifs were introduced Palm and lotus compositions Animal hunts Beasts such as griffins (part bird, part lion) Sphinxes (part woman, part bird)

 

Archaic Black-figure Pottery

Volute-krater (vase for mixing wine and water)

Attributed to Sophilos

Sophilos is the first known artist from the Athenian potters' quarter to have signed his name on his work.

Archaic Geometric

The geometric style features a variety of patterns, including checkers, repeated shapes, and meanders. [A meander is a pattern formed by a single continuous line]

Archaic Orientalizing

Dinos [bowl for mixing wine and water]

This period of Greek painting is referred to as "orientalizing", due to the adoption of images from the east.

Vase from the region of Corinth is decorated with panthers, sphinxes, goats, and lions.

Archaic FrescoTomb of the Diver

Fresco painting of the Archaic period is flat and sharply outlined

Flat frescos

Archaic Sculpture

Marble tomb statue

Berlin GoddessKore with the pomegranateKore is a female youth

Archaic Sculpture

Standing Youth 

Statue of a kouros [male youth] characteristically depicted nude with the left leg striding forward and hands clenched at the side.

Most kouroi served as grave markers or as dedications in the sanctuary of a god.

Archaic Bronze Statuette

Statuette of Herakles

The Greek god Herakles is presented as a hero of extraordinary strength and as a beautifully groomed and civilized individual. This aspect is emphasized in Archaic art.

The bronze statuette was probably commissioned for dedication in a sanctuary.

Archaic SmileThe Archaic smile was used by Greek Archaic sculptors possibly to suggest that their subject was alive. The smile is flat and quite unnatural looking. It has been theorized that artists felt it either represents that they were blessed by the gods in their actions or that it is similar to fake smiles in modern photos.

Archaic Sphinx

Classical Period [480 -323 BCE]

Sculptors sought to represent the ideal human figure

Works were characterized by elegance of proportion and graceful beauty

Increased emphasis on the expression of emotion in art

New feeling for individualization

Three-dimensional movement appeared

Classical Red-figure Pottery

Red-figure amphora

Red-figure vase painting replaced the previous style of black-figure painting. Its name is based on the figures depicted in red color on a black background, in contrast to the previous black-figure style with black figures on a red background.

The red-figure technique allowed the artist to draw contours and details of anatomy.

Early Classical Sculpture

The Charioteer of Delphi

The style is more natural than the Archaic period, but the pose is still very rigid when compared with later works of the Classical period.

One departure from the Archaic style is that the head is inclined slightly to one side. The naturalistic rendering of his feet was greatly admired in ancient times.

This sculpture displays several advancements on Archaic style - the introverted expression does away with the old 'Archaic smile' and he would not have been clothed in the Archaic period.

Classical Statue

Discobolos [The Discus Thrower] The best example showing freedom of movement is the Discobolos by Myron.

This is one of the most famous classic Greek statues from this period.

Classical Contrapposto

Doryphoros [Spear-Bearer]

This figure was the absolute ideal in the eyes of the Greeks.

Contrapposto means counter-pose. It is used to describe a human figure standing with most of its weight on one foot so that its shoulders and arms twist off-axis from the hips and legs. The stance communicates movement and great strength. The muscles are carefully modeled and the proportions are mathematically perfect.

Classical Marble Relief

Grave stele of a little girl

Grave stele erected in Greek cemetery in memory of the deceased.

Children often appear with their pets on Classical grave reliefs, and these doves must be the little girl's favorites.

Classical FrescoAbduction of Persephone

A fresco in a Macedonian tomb painted by a Greek artistRealistic frescoes

Classical Sculpture

Athena Parthenos [Athena the Virgin]

Sculpture made of gold and ivory by Phidias and housed in the Parthenon. The Parthenon is a temple on the Athenian Acropolis dedicated to the Greek goddess Athena.

Classical Sculpture

Statue of Zeus at Olympia 

Sculpture made by Phidias and housed at the Temple of Zeus, Olympia, Greece. It was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

Roman copy inspired by Greek ivory and gold statue of Zeus at Olympia by Phidias

Hellenistic Period [323-30 BCE]

Hellenistic art sought to portray the inner emotions and details of everyday life instead of the heroic beauty

The style changed from dramatic to melodramatic, using dramatic poses and theatrical contrasts of light

Sculptures showed extreme expressions of pain, stress, wild anger, fear, and despair

Tendency toward heightening spatial illusionism

Hellenistic Marble Sculpture

Winged Victory of Samothrace also called Nike of Samothrace

It was created to honor Nike, the goddess of victory. It also celebrated a naval victory by Rhodes, a powerful state in the Aegean.

Hellenistic Marble Sculpture

Aphrodite of Milos [Venus de Milo]

Marble sculpture that is believed to depict Aphrodite [Venus to the Romans], the Greek goddess of love and beauty.

Hellenistic: Group Composition

Laocoön and his Sonswith the Sea Dragon

This monumental sculpture in marble depicts an event in Vergil's Aeneid 

The Trojan priest Laocoön was strangled by sea snakes, sent by the gods who favored the Greeks. Because Laocoön had tried to warn the Trojan citizens of the danger of bringing in the wooden horse, he incurred the wrath of the gods.

Hellenistic Mosaic

Alexander Mosaic Shows confrontation of the young conqueror and King Darius III

Greek ARCHITECTURE Origins Orders [styles] The Greek Temple Other Structures

Parthenon

Origins: Minoan

Palace at Knossos on Crete

Artist’s Impression

Origins: Mycenaean

The Lion Gate of Mycenae was the entrance to the city.

Orders [styles] of Architecture: Doric

Doric columns are the simplest.

Earliest of the three column styles found in Greece, the Doric order is very plain.

The capital [top or crown] is made of a circle topped by a square.

The shaft [tall part of the column] is plain and has 20 sides.

There is no base in the Doric order.

Doric Order

Parthenon in Athens

Doric Order

Temple of Zeus at Olympia

Model

Orders [styles] of Architecture: Ionic

The Ionic style is a little more decorative than the Doric.

The Ionic order developed in the Greek colonies of the Asia Minor coast and demonstrates Asian influences. This style has slender proportioned columns and carved enrichments.

Ionic capitals consist of a scroll above the shaft.

Ionic shafts were taller than Doric ones. This makes the columns look slender. They also had flutes, which are lines carved into them from top to bottom.

The bases were large and looked like a set of stacked rings.

Ionic Order

The Erechtheum is an ancient Greek temple on the north side of the Acropolis of Athens.

Ionic Order

Temple of Athena Nike in Athens was the first Ionic structure to be built on the Acropolis.

Orders [styles] of Architecture: Corinthian

The Corinthian order is the most decorative.

Although little used in Greece, the Romans used the Corinthian style extensively.

The Corinthian capitals have flowers and leaves below a small scroll.

The shaft has flutes and the base is like the Ionian.

Unlike the Doric and Ionian cornices, which are at a slant, the Corinthian roofs are flat.

Corinthian Order

Temple of Zeus at Athens

Greek Temple

The most important and widespread building type in ancient Greece was the temple.

The purpose of a Greek temple was usually to house a statue. The temples were primarily monuments to the gods. Religion did not require people to gather inside the temple to worship.

The Temple of Hephaisteion is probably the best preserved of Greek temples.

Other Structure: Agora

Ancient Agora [public meeting place] with Acropolis on top

Other Structure: Stoa

The Greek stoa was a colonnaded shelter surrounding a temple. Later, they were used in the front of civic buildings, where public business was conducted in them.

Other Structure: Stadium

Entrance to stadium at site of Ancient Olympic Games [Olympia, Greece]

Stadium ruins at Delphi

Other Structure: Amphitheater

The Theatre and Temple of Apollo in mountainous country at Delphi