2

• Greek Art Forms


  • Greek Art
  • Roman Art
• Greek Art


  • Emphasized the importance and accomplishments of human beings
  • Even though much of Greek art was meant to honor the gods, those very gods were created in the image of humans
  • Developed naturalistic but idealized depictions of the beauty of the human body
• Significance of Greek Art

  The ideals of Greek art are considered by historians to be the foundation of Western civilization and to have touched literally all aspects of modern western culture
• Periods of Ancient Greek Art

  • Geometric
  • Archaic
  • Classical
  • Hellenistic
• Geometric Period (900-650 BC)


  • Abstract and outline art
  • Characterized by linear motifs such as spirals, diamonds, and cross-hatching
  • Used abstract forms to represent human figures, flora and fauna

  
• Geometric Period


  Came from Minoan art influence
• Geometric Period


  • Athenian potters introduced the full Geometric style by abandoning circular for rectilinear ornament
  • Prime industry in this period was utilitarian pottery art
• Greek used ceramic vessels in every aspect of their daily lives: for storage, carrying, mixing, serving, and drinking, and as cosmetic and perfume containers
• Elaborately formed and decorated vases were considered worthy gifts for dedication to the gods and funerary vessel

  
• Common material was clay
• Minoan and Mycenaean Influence

  • Minoans occupied the Greek islands mainly living on Crete
  • Mycenaeans lived on mainland Greece and the Peloponnesia
  • Minoans were mainly farmers and traders while the Mycenaeans were a warlike society
• Minoan Influence


  • Floral Pattern
  • Octopus Pattern
  • Bee Pendant Pattern
• Notable Pottery Art


  • The Vasiliki Ware Teapot: The First Luxury Pottery In Ancient Greece
  • The Minoan Octopus Vase, 1200-1100BCE: Pinnacle Of Bronze Age Pottery Design
  • The Panathenaic Prize Amphora, 4th Century BCE: A Celebration Of Athletic Prowess
  • The Lion Aryballos, 700BCE: A Celebration Of The Rise Of Corinth

  
• Archaic Period (650-480 BC)


  • Artisans took a turn away from the geometric designs of the past and began to focus more fully on figures and elements of the natural world
  • Artists were into more mystical and fantastical subjects such as combined beasts like the Sphinx or Satyr-like creatures
  • These new artistic ideas were assimilated into producing images from their own religion and culture
• Archaic Period Sculptures


  • The 'Kouros' and 'Kore'
  • The Calf Bearer: Moschophoros
• Archaic Period Pottery


  • Bilingual Amphora Red on one side and black on the other side
  • Geometric-style krater with funeral scenes from Attica, Greece, with funeral scenes, 8th century BCE
  • Achilles slaying Penthesilea, the queen of the Amazons, Attic black-figure amphora signed by Exekias, c. 530–525 BCE

  
• Classical Period (480-323 BC)

  • Greek artists achieved a more realistic likeness in depicting human figure
  • Statues show the influence of Egyptian art in its stiffness, gracefulness, idealization, and achieving naturalism by portraying them in a lifelike forms
  • Most statues were commissioned for public display by the rich, noble and influential people

  
• Contrapposto


  An Italian term that means "counterpoise". It is used in the visual arts 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 in the axial plane
• Classical Period Sculpture


  • Emphasis on people of unusual beauty, or moments of high and noble drama
  • Reveals the human body, in movement or repose, exactly as it appears to the eye

  
• Classical Period Sculptures


  • Artemision Bronze
  • Hermes of Praxiteles
• Hellenistic Period (323 BCE - 31 CE)


  • The word 'Hellenistic' comes from the word 'Hellazein', which means 'to speak Greek' or 'identify with the Greeks'
  • The overlapping of Classical and Hellenistic period paved the way for realism in as much as sculpture is concerned
• Hellenistic Art vs Classical Art


  • Hellenistic period saw emotions, movement of figures whereas in the Classical period there is more focus on the perfect realistic figures, the sculptures are static
• Hellenistic Period Sculptures


  • The Farnese Hercules
  • Boxer at Rest
  • Statue of crouching goddess Aphrodite
  • Replica statue of Venus of Knidos
  • Youthful symbol statue of Kore

  
• Hellenistic Period


  • Sculptors pursued and perfected naturalism, an interest that Greek artists had been developing over hundreds of years
  • In addition to natural poses, Hellenistic artists sought to gradually depart from depicting gods and mythological subjects and started replicating the bodies of real humans
• Hellenistic Period Sculptures


  • The Winged Victory of Samothrace
  • Lacoon and his Sons
  • Three Goddesses from the east pediment of the Parthenon
  • Pergamon Altar Athena Battling with Alcyoneus
• Hellenistic Period


  323 BCE - 31 CE
• Three Goddesses from the east pediment of the Parthenon 432 BCE

  Sitting and reclining in graceful unison, these goddesses carved in marble for the Parthenon in Athens are among the most beautiful and mysterious images of the human form ever created. Incredibly, the artist makes the draperies that cover their bodies as real and richly textured
• The three goddesses carved in marble for the Parthenon in Athens

  • From left, Hestia, goddess of the hearth and home, Dione, and her daughter Aphrodite
• Athena Battling with Alcyoneus, 175-150 BCE


  • From the East Frieze, Altar of Zeus, Pergamon
• Gaul and his wife, group of Gaul frieze 220 BCE


  • Pergamon Altar
• Dying Gaul (Trumpeter), Gaul frieze group, 220 BCE


  • Pergamon Altar
• Figure reliefs in Ancient Greek sculpture

  • Used a very "high" version of high relief, with elements often fully free of the background, and parts of figures crossing over each other to indicate depth

  
• Altar of Zeus, Marble, reconstructed and restored


  • (Staatliche Museun, Berlin)
• Giant Agrios being clubbed to death

  • Detail from the North Frieze (The Pergamon Altar)
• Klytios, Hekate and Artemis

  • Detail from East Frieze (The Pergamon Altar)
• Greek architecture


  • Known for tall columns, intricate detail, symmetry, harmony, and balance
• The Greeks built all sorts of buildings, the main examples that survive today are the large temples that they built to their gods
• Simplicity, harmony, and perspective in Greek architecture

  • Was the foundation of Roman architecture as well
• Ancient Greek architects strove for excellence and precision which indeed are the hallmarks of Greek art
• Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian

  The three distinct orders of ancient Greek architecture, the latter were modified and adopted by the Romans in the 1st century BCE and have been used ever since in Western architecture