Ancient Greek Art

1. Ancient Greek Art

2. 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

3. 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.

4. The Dorian Dark Age • No significant art produced. • City states too busy fighting. • No writing or records existed.

5. 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

6. 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

7. Orientalizing Krater

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. 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. • .

12. 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.

14. 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

15. 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.

16. 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.

17. I am wearing a Peplos….this makes me a PeplosKore Comparing the Kouros (male nude) and Kore (draped maiden) I used to have an arm to carry gifts to Athena

18. Egyptian vs. Archaic Greek

19. 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

20. 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 sanctuarybuilt to a god was independent, integrated to the site.

21. 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 Siphniansto protect their offerings to Apollo.

22. 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

23. A Closer Look Friezes Architrave Caryatids Pedestals

24. 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 statueplacedin the main room or naos • Portico in front (Egypt)

25. 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

26. 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.

27. 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.

28. 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 Entablature Capital Stylobate Stereobate

29. Doric Order Architecture

30. 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.

31. 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.

32. 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.

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

35. Persian Wars: Famous Battles • Marathon (490 BCE) • 26 miles from Athens • Thermopylae (480 BCE) • 300 Spartans at the Mountain pass • Salamis (480 BCE) • Athenian navy victorious

36. 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”

37. 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.

38. 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.

39. 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

40. 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

41. 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.

42. The RiaceWarrios,460-450 B.C.E • Ideal athletic form and standards. • Perfected anatomy (more human than human) • Realistic natural form: veins, toenails, etc.

43. 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

44. 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.

46. 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.

47. 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.

48. 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

49. 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.”

50. 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)