Ancient Greece

Ancient Greece Overview 900-600 BCE Geometric and Orientalizing 400- 323 BCE Late Classical ● Greek artists revive figure painting during the Geometric Period ● Praxiteles and other sculptors humanize the Greek gods and ● Eastern motifs enter Greek art during the Orientalizing goddesses period ● Corinthian capitals are introduced to Greek Architecture ● Lysippos is appointed the official court artist of Alexander 600-480 BCE Archaic the Great

● Greek Architects erect the first peripteral Doric and Ionic 323-30BCE Hellenistic temples ● Greek sculptors carve life size stone statues with Archaic ● Hellenistic kingdoms replace Athens as the leading cultural Smiles center ● Greek ceramicists perfect black and later red vase painting ● Artists explore new subjects in sculpture and painting ● Architects break the rules of classical orders 480-400 BCE Early and High Classical

● Sculptors introse contrapposto in Greek Statuary ● Polykleitos formulates his canon of proportions ● Pericles rebuilds the Athenian Acropolis after the Persian Sack Ancient Greece

● Ideas fostered in Ancient Greco civilizations formed the basis of western civilization up to the present day. ● Humanistic in approach, That Humans “are the measure of all things”, led to the concept of democracy, (Aristotle) cracy- greek government, rule. Demos people. Rule of the people. ● Groundbreaking innovations of writing, art and science. The first scientists came from greek civilization GODS

● Greeks and Romans shared gods and narratives, they were called by different names. ● Egyptian (except Akenaton, Test question??), Mesopotamian, Greek, Etruscan, and Roman Civilizations believed in Polytheism, Poly-Many, Theism-belief in god(s). ● God's names were slightly different, but the same in narrative. ● Gods differed from mortal man only by being immortal, forming the notion of the Greek ideal, such as Heracles, he was a mortal that became a god ● The greek ideal projected the human form as idealized beauty, beautiful people. The portrayal of beautiful people became the focus of Greek artists. GODS

● MT Olympus was the palace of the Gods. ● Philosophers of note, Socrates (founder of western philosophy), Plato Ideal form of government was the republic (allegory of the cave) Aristotle Government (tutored Alexander the Great) ● Despite the rich culture, and talk of idealizing humanity, slavery still existed, democracy was only available to those who owned land. Geometric and Orientalizing Periods

● From Prehistoric Aegean Chapter. in 1200 BCE Mycenaean civilization was destroyed, leading to disintegration across the Aegean islands. ● Knowledge of processes were lost, such as how to cut stone, construct citadels, ● Depopulation, poverty, and total loss of contact with outside cultures created a Greco dark age. ● 800 BCE conditions improved, with population growth, Greek Olympic games were established, and Homer’s epic poems the Iliad and Odyssey were written heroizing the Greco prehistory. ● Ceramics and Bronze figurines made a comeback. Remember from Cycladic Pottery was renowned. as a traded commodity. Geometric and Orientalizing Periods

● Geometric Krater, from the Dipylon Cemetery, Athens 740 BCE. ● Earliest example of greek figure paintings were on Kraters. ● This Krater marked a grave, but were used for many things, collecting water, storage, wine, etc. ● at 3ft tall, this early example showed a technical achievement in its scale and detail. ● Geometric “meander” pattern at the rim of the crater, Ceramics of the period displayed abstract geometric motifs. Geometric and Orientalizing Periods

● Dipylon Painter, Geometric funerary amphora, 750 bce ● Dipylon painter was a 5 ft tall amphora. ● Amphora is a particular shaped pot. Used for transportation, or in this case decorative versions were used for ceremony. ● Note near absence of human figures used other than a geometric motif, similar to prehistoric aegean sculpture. Note Meander motif and lines. Geometric and Orientalizing Periods

● Hero and centaur, (Herakles and Nessos?) Bronze, 4.5” height, 750 BCE ● Bronze, small, Geometric ● Beginning of Polytheistic narrative of greek god figures, Herakles ● both figures are simplified geometric forms but display gender. ● Commemorates the Greek fable Herakles and Nessos, a religious story. ● Artist is trying to figure out how depict a centaur a half horse half man figure, he decided on a man in the front with legs and horse backside, a unconvincing first attempt. ● Geometric and Orientalizing Periods

● Mantiklos Apollo, Statuette of a youth dedicated by Mantiklos to Apollo, from Thebes, 700BCE ● By 7th century BCE, Trade and colonization accelerated. ● Trade meant Greeks were see artwork and culture from other surrounding civilizations. Eastern artworks, notably small portable objects like syrian ivory carvings ● 'Orientalizing' is a complex term that was coined in reference to the spread of Near Eastern and Egyptian ideas, motifs, and other cultural elements to Greece and to the rest of the Mediterranean. More important to the study of Greek vases, it suggests the adoption of those themes into Greek art. Geometric and Orientalizing Periods

● Mantiklos Apollo, Statuette of a youth dedicated by Mantiklos to Apollo, from Thebes, 700 BCE ● Small bronze statue dedicated to apollo. ● In the thigh, a message to the deity, (Mantiklos dedicated me as a tithe to the far shooting lord of the silver bow; you, Apollo, might give some pleasing favor in return.) ● Don’t know if this is apollo or Mantiklos, if the arm that's missing held a bow or arrow this was apollo. ● Greek artists at this time began thinking about the human form in sculpture. Geometric and Orientalizing Periods

● Corinthian black figure amphora with animal friezes, Rhodes Greece, 625 BCE ● Black Figure painting. a specific process that the greeks employed in their firing process turned the color. the Black portions were painted in a slip, or a finely sifted liquid clay that fired black. then glazed. ● The red color formed with a oxidation process by specifically firing the clay at a temperature for length of time. ● Research, and development of the process made these vases incredibly traded commodities. Object is left with a characteristic red and black pattern. Geometric and Orientalizing Periods

● Lady of Auxerre, Crete, 650 BCE ● Crete was a trading colony between Greece and Egypt. ● Greek Builders began to erect stone figures ● Stone figures were more natural than earlier geometric examples and mimicked some egyptian sculptural components, notably the face, rigid bodies. and stiff and hand gestures. ● Figure’s dress contained pure geometric formations rather than glyphics. Archaic Period

● The legend of Daedalus and Icarus, Daedalus worked in Egypt ● Egypt had a strong influence on Greek architecture and art during the Archaic Period and the Geometric and Orientalizing period, ● Daedalus used the same compositional patterns for his statues as the Egyptians Did. ● Kouros figures (Youth in Greek)

Kouros from Attica, Greece 600bce. Metropolitan Museum New York. Archaic Period

Calf bearer, Acropolis, Athens, 560 BCE.

● Found in fragments at the Acropolis and pieced back together. ● Smile is more pronounced than New York Kouros ● Bearer is bringing a calf to honor the gods. ● Left foot forward manner ● Bearded, Not a youth. So not a Kuros ● Pattern is recognizable in this sculpture, with the way the calves legs and bearer’s arms form a strong x form along the chest ● Sculptures of this period smile, even the figures in near death. This is known as an Archaic Smile. ● This portrayed the figure still being alive. Archaic Period

Kroisos, from Anavysos, Greece, 530 bce.

Kroisos was a young man who died in battle.

● His family erected a Kouros sculpture in his honor. ● Some of the paint is still on the figure ● On the base of the sculpture is inscribed “stay and mourn at the tomb of dead Kroisos, whom raging Ares destroyed one day as he fought in the foremost ranks,” ● Ares, God of War. ● Far more naturalistic than new york kouros and even that of Egyptian sculptures. Archaic Period

Peplos Kore, From Acropolis, Athens, 530 bce

Kore, sister

Earlier Korai will have harder, more muscular bodies, here, these women were portrayed soft, draped in fabric with body hidden other than arms and head.

These sculptures found at the Acropolis were knocked over by the invading persian empire, when they sacked athens in 480 bce. Archaic Period

Kore in Ionian dress, from Acropolis, ca 510 bce.

● Dress changed with the style of the time ● Artist added variety by having the fabric on one side be clutched and separated by the arms. ● Kore figures were as fixed as the male Kouros counterparts Architecture

● The Greek Canon. ● Greek architects conceived of the building itself with its finely carved capitals and moldings as sculpture and able to evoke human responses. ● The usually erected their temples on elevated sites ● Acropolis means High City ● https://youtu.be/nrRJkzXl4a4 ● NOTE: WATCH THIS VIDEO FOR THE TEST. ITS THE BEST EXPLANATION OF THE GREEK ARCHITECTURAL ORDER. ● Archaic Architecture

● Temple of Hera I, Paestum, Italy, ca.550 bce. ● Temple of Hera 1&2 are not and greece but were Roman copies ● It was believed that both structures were Hera Temples. honoring her. ● Plan differed from Archaic temple plans that instead of a large timber being placed under the gable roof ridge, a row of columns supported the ridge. ● 1:2 ratio length to width. ● Doric Columns, seemed compressed, pancake like over the massive entablature which is now missing. Archaic Architecture

● West Pediment, Temple of Artemis, Corfu, Greece ● Pediments regularly had frieze reliefs ● Depicts Medusa with two Lions, (Felines) ● Friezes depict gigantomachy ( battles between gods and giants) ● This theme was popular and was a metaphor for reason and order over chaos. Archaic Architecture

● Siphnian Treasury, Sanctuary of Apollo, Delphi, Greece, ca 530BCE ● North Frieze, Gigantomachy, ● Frieze depicting battle between gods and giants. Would be placed in the pediment. It acts as a ceiling molding that frames the roof/ceiling. ● Archaic Architecture

● Siphnian Treasury, Sanctuary of Apollo, Delphi, Greece, ca 530BCE ● Caryatid column. Columns that had figures carved in them ● Treasuries in greece were erected to hold votive offerings (money dedicated to gods) ● Delphi had gold and silver mines and was a wealthy city. Caryatids are rare, and required lavish wealth to use. ● Ionic architecture Example. It refers to the column with placements and spacing. ● Archaic Ceramics

● Kleitias and Ergotimos, Francois Vase, Athenian black figure volute krater, 570BCE. ● Black figure painting. ● Firing technique that produced black figures on a red background. ● Depicting of a wedding ceremony ● Archaic Ceramics

● Achilles and Ajax Playing a dice game. 540 BCE ● The artist Exekias was known as the master of the black figure technique. Achilles was used frequently in his vases. ● This is an amphora, note the shapes, shapes implied different uses for ceramics. ● Playing a game but spears and shields are nearby at a moment's notice. This is calm before the storm depiction is common in Greek Classical Art. Archaic Ceramics

● Exekias, Achilles killing Penthesilea 540 bce ● The artist Exekias was known as the master of the black figure technique. Achilles was used frequently in his vases. ● This is an amphora, note the shapes, shapes implied different uses for ceramics. ● Playing a game but spears and shields are nearby at a moment's notice. This is calm before the storm depiction is common in Greek Classical Art. ● Achilles in this vase is killing Penthesilea. Tension in static forms is common. Archaic Ceramics

● Herakles wrestling Antaios, 510 BCE ● This artist Euphronios was the master of Red figure painting. ● This vase shows the possibilities of this new technique. Thinner lines are possible. Human anatomy was more accurately rendered with this technique. ● The composite figure is being ignored for foreshortened figures. ¾ views, and more focus is made rendering as per optical representation ● Archaic Ceramics

● Three revelers, red vase amphora, 510bce. ● A wine storage jar is depicted with the celebration of 3 drunk men. ● Artist is experimenting with figurative views ● Archaic Architecture

● Temple of Aphaia 500-490BCE ● Doric architecture ● Columns are more tapered, thinner, and widely spaced. ● More refined, lighter looking. ● Interior as per the models are more resolved ● Sculptures were placed on a center axis along the pediment frizes. Archaic Architecture

● Frieze sculpture dying warrior, 490bce ● From temple of Aphaia ● Archaic Smile ● These sculptures fit within the pediments, ● The theme of statuary was the battle of the greeks and Trojans, (trojan war) ● The artist kept the same scale by changing body poses of the figures. to fit within the pediment triangle. ● Archaic Architecture

● Temple of Hera II or Apollo. Italy 460BCE ● Date of the classical era is from the defeat of the persian invaders of Greece by the allied Hellenic city states. ● https://youtu.be/Q-mkVSasZIM ● ● Early/High Classical Architecture

● East Pediment, Temple of Zeus. 470- 456BCE ● First great monument of classical art and architecture is temple of Zeus ● Ruins now. ● It would be of same scale of Temple of Aphia ● It was more lavishly decorated, with many examples of high quality stone sculptures. ● Depiction of figures display a serenity of dress and facial expression gone are the smiles of the archaic period, Known as this classical phase of greek art having a severe style. ● Figures are calm, even in battle. Early/High Classical Architecture ● Seer, east pediment of Temple of zeus, Olympia, Greece, 470bce ● East Pediment, Temple of Zeus. 470- 456BCE ● First great monument of classical art and architecture is temple of Zeus ● Ruins now. ● It would be of same scale of Temple of Aphia ● It was more lavishly decorated, with many examples of high quality stone sculptures. ● Depiction of figures display a serenity of dress and facial expression gone are the smiles of the archaic period, Known as this classical phase of greek art having a severe style. ● Figures are calm, even in battle. Early/High Classical Architecture

● Apollo from the west pediment, Temple of Zeus, Olympus. ● Apollo is a model of calm rationality ● His arm exposed attempting to bring order to the chaos of the battle. ● Early/High Classical Sculpture

● Kritos Boy, Acropolis, Athens 480 BCE ● Notable, though it is well under life size. this is one of the first examples of Standing Contrapposto in figurative sculpture. ● People do not stand stiff legged, like in Egyptian or Mesopotamian statutory. This is the first example of trying to represent that in a sculpture ● Early/High Classical Sculpture

● Warrior, from the sea off Riace, Italy ca 460-450 BCE ● Lost wax casting or Investment Casting ● https://youtu.be/GWVli5iY8BI ● Hollow bronzes are a hallmark of Classical greek sculpture, Many examples coming, Were orignally Bronzes but were lost, replicated by later Roman Sculptures. ● A spear would have been in his hand and a shield in the other Early/High Classical Sculpture

● Zeus, Or Poseidon, 460 BCE ● High Bronze Cast, depicting the Human Form in motion/action ● ● Early/High Classical Sculpture

● Discobolus, Roman Copy. 450 BCE ● This was originally a bronze, completed 450 BCE, later copied by Roman Artists ● Roman industry was developed replicating Greek Statuary. Lots of stone sculpture examples of this work ● ● Acropolis, Athens

● Acropolis, Athens, Greece. ● Was reconstructed commemorating the defeat of the persians, in a new glory. ● Acropolis, elevated city. ● Parthenon, was the central building within the plan, depicted center. Dedicated to the God Athena ● https://youtu.be/xP-FsX0QW88 ● ● Acropolis, Athens

● Centauromachy, Metope from south side Parthenon 447 BCE ● Acropolis, Athens

● Panathenaic Festival, Procession Frieze, from Parthenon, Acropolis. ● Acropolis, Athens

● Propylaea Acropolis, Athens, 437 BCE ● Served as an entry gate to the acropolis ● Acropolis, Athens

● Erechtheion Acropolis, Athens, Greece 421 BCE ● New temple to replace the Archaic Athena temple destroyed by the persians. ● Caryatid Porch. ● Acropolis, Athens

● Temple of Athena Nike, Acropolis, Athens. ● Ionic temple plan. ● On a sharp slope, it had a parapet, or a railing with friezes oriented to be seen from the outside. Acropolis, Athens

● Temple of Athena Nike, 410 BCE ● Depicting the Decisive victory of the battle of the persians at Marathon. ● ● https://youtu.be/B4HXrb8cPQI ● Nike, victory figure ● Very revealing, drapery, following the form of the female body. almost transparent with a nude body. ● Chain fold drapery, a convention showing nude figure through drapery. ● White Ground Painting

● Achilles Painter, Warrior taking leave of his wife, white ground painter. 440 BCE ● White ground painting, white slip is used to produce the background, they were heavily colored but were delicate, showing why there are few examples. Red figure Painting

● Niobid painter, artemis and apollo slaying the children. 450 BCE ● Red figure Krater ● Showing the massacre of the Niobids, the children of Niobe. ● ● Late Classical Sculpture.

● The end of the Peloponnesian war with Sparta conquered Athens started the Late Classical Period. 404 BCE ● Both athens and sparta came together to fight a common enemy Macedonian king philip II. ● Phillip II was assassinated replaced Alexander III, better known as Alexander the Great. 336-323BCE. ● https://youtu.be/0LsrkWDCvxg

Praxiteles, Aphrodite of Knidos, Roman Copy of a marble sculpture. 350 BCE.

Humanizing attempts at the gods.

Aphrodite completely nude, no drapery implying the nude female form. She is in a trivial human action, taking her clothes off to have a bath. Late Classical Sculpture.

● Hermes and infant Dionysos, from the Temple of Hera, 340 BCE ● The Praxiteles touch, a modest softness is depicted in this work ● In the missing hand was dangling a bunch a grapes to the infant god of wine. ● The interaction of child and adult was absent in greek sculpture until this point. ● Late Classical Sculpture.

● Grave stele of a young hunter, Athens Greece 340 BCE ● Depicts Mourning of the deceased, hanging brow of the main figure with the lower person and dogs low, sad. ● Hunter figure looks out at viewer for sympathy. ● Late Classical Sculpture.

● Lysippos, Apoxyomenos(scraper), 330 BCE ● Lysippos, another great sculptor is Late classical greece, had alexander the great select him to create his portrait ● Originally bronze, this is a roman copy ● Shows a new canon of proportions, of nervous shifting energy. These sculptures look like they can move, shift in space. ● https://youtu.be/REeBUSYRzRo ● Late Classical Sculpture.

● Weary Herakles, Roman Statue from Bronze, 320 BCE original ● During this period, Greek sculptors rejected balance, without the pedestal on the side, the figure would topple over. ● Late Classical Sculpture.

● Head of Alexander the Great from Pella Greece ● Alexander the great is a huge figure that shaped not only greece but the territories that made up the persian empire. ● Lysippos did not make this portrait, rather these were copied from Lysippos portraits made of the leader ● ● Late Classical Architecture

● Theodoros of Phokaia, Tholos 375 BCE ● Corinthian Capitals made their introduction during this time period. The style of this temple had doric columns on the outside and corinthian inside ● Late Classical Architecture

● Polykleitos the Younger, Corinthian capital. a more refined capital, used as a substitute for the Ionic column, volute scroll shape. ● Took about 100 years for the capital to be used, due to the conservative nature of Greek architecture. Late Classical Architecture

● Choragic Monument of Lysikrates, Athens, 334 bce ● Not a building, a commemorative monument for a victory of Lysikrates, a wealthy patron of music, he was bragging over a victory. ● The monument depicts a corinthian tholos on a pedestal, with a winged nike figure on top. ● Hellenistic Period

● Temple of Apollo, didyma, Turkey, 300 BCE ● Alexander the Great’s conquest of the Persians ushers in the Hellenistic period, beginning during the splitting up of his conquered territory at his death in 323 bce ● Cultural centers moved away from greece to the far flung reaches of alexander’s conquest. ● Antioch, Syria ● Alexandria, Egypt ● Pergamon ● Architecture, A complete willingness to break rules of greek architecture. ● dipteral plan, two rows of columns instead of one ● It had no roof, it was hypaethral open to the sky, no closed structure in the center, rather a massive courtyard ● Helenizing the world, making it greek Hellenistic Architecture

● City Planning Hippodamus. ● Model of Priene, Turkey, 300 bce ● https://youtu.be/F9JmPejLa3Y ● City planning became a hallmark of architectural organization during the hellenistic period. Hellenistic Architecture

● Stoa of attalos II, Athens Greece, 150 BCE. ● Stoa was a civic building that housed shops, offices, were ideal for shaping urban spaces. ● Hippodamus used these in his ideal city plans. ● This athens stoa was reconstructed in the 20th century and is now a museum housing more than 70 years of finds from the athenian agora. ● Hellenistic Architecture

● Reconstructed west front of the altar of Zeus, Pergamon, Turkey, 175 BCE ● https://youtu.be/L3SIooVHV8E ● Hellenistic Sculpture

● Reconstructed west front of the altar of Zeus, Pergamon, Turkey, 175 BCE ● https://youtu.be/L3SIooVHV8E ● ● Hellenistic Sculpture

● Gallic chieftain killing himself and his wife 230 bce

Example of expressive force in hellenistic sculpture. moody. Hellenistic Sculpture

● dying gaul, roman copy of a bronze statue. 230 BCE marble. ● https://youtu.be/3M4pu6YtzJU ● a greek sculpture that would have come from perignon ● gaul were “less than the greeks, Barbarians” ● rough hair, rough nose, not ideal. ● He is in pain. ● No archaic smile. ● We are seeing a lesser being, so there is a willingness to show the emotion of pain. ● Hellenistic Sculpture

● Nike of Samothrace, Samothrace Greece 190 BCE ● https://youtu.be/TPM1LuW3Y5w ● Windswept, not reserved like classical architecture. ● voluptuous, energetic, environmental, the wind sweeping around the figure, Moody. Hallmarks of Hellenistic Sculpture. ● Hellenistic Sculpture

● Seated Boxer, from the baths of constantine, 100 CE ● https://youtu.be/FvsSPJoJB3k ● athletic, but not young, not beautiful. His suffering, the beatings he took. ● Emotional ● Sympathetic ● inlaid copper in the wounds to show blood, cuts. ● . ● Hellenistic Sculpture

● Old market woman, Roman copy, 150 ce. ● showing the empathy of an old struggling woman, not ideal, not young. ● the musculature is stringy. ● Hellenistic Sculpture

● Polyeuktos, Demosthenes, roman copy of a bronze. 280 BCE ● Roman copies were in marble ● Bronze was a highly expensive and reusable material. Very few greek sculptures are around because the 2000 years of opportunity to melt the material down for another use. ● ● Hellenistic Sculpture

● Laocoon and his sons, from rome italy, 100ce ● https://youtu.be/C3cwGCezgSQ ● Full of dynamism ● Energy, is hellenistic style not calm like classical period sculpture. not restrained ● complicated, serpentine in movement Hellenistic Sculpture

● Head of Odysseus, 100 CE ● Rome inherited the Greco influences, art, and architecture, passing it on to the rest of europe in the medieval and modern worlds. Between greece and rome, think of Greece as the inventor, and Rome as the Amplifier. ● ●