DSST Art of the Western World | 1 | Classical Greek/Roman

Greek

Typically humanistic in expression, focused on man as a whole

Kouros

Nude striding model. Began appearing in ~650 BC. Faces viewer directly, weight evenly distributed between the two legs.

Kore

Female sculptures, generally not nude.

Law of Frontality

Common aspect of Greek sculpture; statue faces viewer directly

Doric

Large, fluted columns extending up to a triglyph/metope entablature, which may include a continuous narrative frieze. Originated among the Peloponnese in the Dorian colonies.

Ionic

May display narratives along bases of columns, often larger than Doric counterparts, narrative frieze. Includes scrolls on column capitals

Corinthian

Essentially Ionic in style, with the addition of flowers, leaves, and crowns in the capital.

Black figure style

A style in which the artist painted black figures onto the natural reddish brown of the clay, fired the vase, and then incised details into the black paint, revealing the reddish clay underneath

Red figure style

A style in which the artist painted the entirety of the vase in black paint, fired the vase, and incised figures and details.

Kritian boy

First beautiful nude. Stark departure from the Archaic style and began the Severe phase of Greek sculpture

Kritios

Sculptor of Kritian boy

Doryphoros

6.5 ft bronze sculpture of a young spear-bearing man, notable for use of contrapposto

Polykleitos

Sculptor of Doryphoros, author of The Canon

Hippodamus

Credited with developing the grid system of town planning

Perikles

Leader of Athens, rebuilt many destroyed Athenian temples and such after the Persian War

Pheidias

Sculptor of missing Athena statue from the Parthenon. Notable for the use of chryselephantine.

Chryselephantine

Combination of gold and ivory

Parthenon

Temple of Athena

Kallikrates, Iktinos, Karpion

Designers of Parthenon

Propylaea

Designed by Mnesikles, gateway to the Akropolis

Erechtheion

Crowning achievement of the Doric order

Aphrodite at Knidos

Sculpted by Praxiteles. First nude of a goddess. Began the trend of nude female statues.

Auctoritas

Personal authority

Constantia

Capacity to endure

Dignitas

Dignity

Gravitas

Seriousness

Simplicitas

Candor

Pergamon Baroque

Highly emotive, overly dramatic style of Greek art. Example: The Great Altar

Roman art

Primarily concerned with realism, honoring the virtues, experience, and symmetry.

Golden House

Designed for Emperor Nero by Severus. Architectural implements include arches, vaults, domes, hydraulic systems, and moving parts

Trajan's Column

Celebrates military victories of Roman Emperor at the time.

Triglyph

Projecting member of entablature that consists of three carved bars, found on Doric friezes.

Contrapposto

"Weight shift", means that the sculpture is in a relaxed pose, with weight unevenly distributed between the legs

Peripteral

Single row of columns surrounding a building

Cella

Main body of a temple

Architrave

Lowest of the three levels on entablature. Also called a lintel

Ara Pacis

Altar celebrating the current emperor's success. Depicts scenes of Roman history, imperial figures, an an obelisk to commemorate Egypt's annexation

Severus

Architect of the Golden House