VIS 120A: Greek Art Final Exam

Classical Greece (Historical Context)

Portrait of Pericles (Roman Copy) - Classical

- Commemorative statue; Romans just copied the head, original would've been nude & Bronze

- Expressionless: No individualism, just idealism

- Pericles' goal: Beautify Athens & Stimulate the Athenian Economy w/ money from the Delian League

Athenian Acropolis (Rebuilt) - Classical

Parthenon - Classical (from the Acropolis)

- Doric temple exterior with Ionic Elements on the Interior; Doric order columns form the Peristyle, Ionic continuous frieze along inner chamber cella

- Political Statement: Athenians lead all Greeks

- No straight lines; very slight curves -> Correct optical distortions

- Symbol to the birth of democracy

- Function: Temple to Athena, Treasury (hold money form Delian League)

Statue of Athena Parthenos - Classical (from the Parthenon)

- "Athena the Virgin"

- 40ft tall; ivory & gold

- Acts as an Emergency bank; gold is removable but must be replaced

West Pediment: Contest of Athena and Poseidon for Athens - Classical (from the Parthenon)

- Chariot Race? Athena wins & an olive tree grows; Poseidon strikes his triton into the ground in frustration

- Best gift to man-kind? Poseidon gives horse (Expensive: requires food & water) Athena gives Olive Tree (Provides: Shade, food, oil for cooking; Symbol for Democracy)

- Idea: Athens is such a wonderful city that these great gods are competing to represent it

East Pediment: Birth of Athena, Classical - (from the Parthenon)

- According to myth: Zeus had a headache because Athena was in his head (fully grown and wearing a full suit of Armor)

- Hestia (Hearth), Aphrodite (Love & Sex), and her mother Dione are present; Emphasis on family groupings b/c birth scene

- Drapery creates drama

Metopes: Battles of Lapiths and Centaurs (Largely destroyed: Gods vs Giants, Greeks vs Trojans, Greeks vs Amazons) - Classical (from the Parthenon)

- Good vs Evil

- Metaphor for the destruction caused by the Persians & their barbarism

- Centaurs represent the animalistic Persians; grotesque face: he is ruled by his emotions

- Centaur grabs lapith by his throat; lapith remains expressionless and calm & in control

Frieze: Panathenaic Procession (?), Seated Deities - Classical (from the Parthenon)

- Ionic continuous frieze; shallow relief carvings

- Was hidden in the inner chamber along the ceiling, behind Doric columns

- Panathenaic Procession: Every citizen (even women) could participate in celebration of Athena's birthday

- The procession guides you from the back to the front (where the East pediment shows the Birth of Athena)

- Eternal celebration of Athena

- Athenians mingling with the gods? Perhaps the first Athenians from the first Panathenaic Procession who deserve to be recognized on temple

Achilles Killing Penthesila - Classical

- Penthesila = "Queen of the Amazons"

- Penthesila pleading w/ Achilles

- Erotic vibe; the artist was familiar with the possibility that they were falling in love in her last moments of life

Slaughter of Niobe's Children, Heroes? - Classical

- Mixing bowl krater; red-figure

- Composition: scattered figures across field; sophisticated poses & showcase of depth

- Niobid = Granddaughter of Zeus; very fertile & wants to be worshipped because she has so many children opposed to Leo

- Leo is offended and sends her children (Apollo & Artemis) to Kill Niobe's children

- Niobid turns to stone from grieving

- Moral of the Story: do not offend the gods or compare yourself to the gods

Artemis and Aktaeon = Classical

- Artemis: virgin goddess of hunters

- Aktaeon: famous hunter w/ big pack of dogs

- Aktaeon transgresses against Artemis (compares himself to her, wants to marry her, or sees her naked)

- she turns him into an animal and his own dogs tear him apart & kill him

- do not offend the gods!

Poseidon and Amymone - Classical

- Princess Amymone's kingdom is in drought & her dad sends her out to get water

- Poseidon hunts her down & rapes her

- women compared to closed vessels in greek literature

- Amymone holds a closed vessel and points the opening toward Poseidon who is chasing behind her; this gestures that she is not completely opposed to his pursuit

- he turns her into a spring; drought solved

- story of a young woman who is sacrificed for the benefit of the community (Analogy for marriage as a deal between men for the benefit of the family)

- Made for Male enjoyment and viewing, probably in a symposium; images of women being receptive to their violence were appealing to men

Zeus Pursuing Ganymede - Classical

- Zeus Pursues Ganymede

- Ganymede becomes a god himself

Pan Pursuing Goatherd - Classical

- Pan: son of Hermes (god of travelers); half-goat half-man; he's a god

- goatherds have bad reputation for committing bestiality with their goats; this is like the goats revenge

- communicates the power of the gods in a whimsical and humorous way

Demeter and Return of Persephone - Classical

- meant for male view in symposium

- Hades wants to marry Persephone; drags her into underworld

- Demeter (Persephone's mother and goddess of agriculture) grieves and lets everything die

- Zeus sends Hermes to bring Persephone back

- Persephone ate pomegranate seeds (forcefully by Hades?) so she must return to underworld for 3 months every year; eating the pomegranate seeds symbolize her losing her virginity; Demeter grieves again (seasons & winter)

- Metaphor for how marriage is a deal between men; women are voiceless

- Analogous to how women are ripped from their families and homes to marry a random man they may have never met before

Group of Polygnotes, Birth of Pandora - Classical

- Pandora = "gift of all"

- before women: golden age; only men

- Zeus ordered Pandora's creation, the first woman

- She was sculpted of clay and given life by the gods who also bestowed traits to her.

- Aphrodite gave her beautiful looks and Hermes gave her a terrible personality

- She's given a vase and despite being told not to open it, she does, unleashing "death" and "suffering" into the world

- Portrays women as the plague of men

- Krater mixing bowl; likely for male view in a symposium

- Men are stuck with women because they want male heirs

Olynthos (houses) - Classical

- Grid planned cities

- Modest homes for locking away women & children

- Men are never home anyway to enjoy a nicer home

Houses Near Agora - Classical

- No grid, organic streets

- Symposium for men to lay

Vase paintings with bridal scenes - Classical

- Women can only take clothes and some personal items to her new home w/ husband

- Bridal procession: Women would be veiled until wedding

- morning after wedding night: portrayed as beautiful

- romanticized images of marriage as a constant reminder to women that marriage is beautiful, survival tactic? manipulation?

- women must weave cloth as a wedding gift for husband to prove she'll be useful

Vase paintings with domestic scenes, Classical

- When women aren't having babies, they're weaving

- Babies in art always male; female babies are unwanted bc dowry

- Female babies get left at trash dump & become slaves/prostitutes

- Women treated as a financial asset

- Men create these objects for female viewing, to show them what they should be doing (producing male heirs or weaving)

Vase paintings of hetaerai with customers, Classical

- Hetaerai = prostitutes

- Seen on many symposium vases for male enjoyment; men find these financial transactions exciting because its their only sexual interactions until age 30

- Depict the narrative that women love sex and enjoy it more than men

- Hetaerai are educated & skilled (musically); have more autonomy than other Athenian women can be financially independent

Late Classical Greece (Historical Context)

- Peloponnesian War: Athens VS Sparta, drag in neighboring cities

- Plague strikes Athens -> mass graves, cannot properly honor the dead, no individual monument grave markers

- Many men die; forced to give women more liberty (handle businesses and property)

- Anti-war movements: "Trojan Women" play; Mutilation of Herms

Grave Stele of Hegeso - Late Classical

- Tomb marker for a women; they were making grave markers for everyone now to make up for the lack of proper burials during Peloponnesian war & Plague

- Huge development: Woman's name out in public, although in relation to male (husband/father)

- Not stylistically different from classical, but this content would have never been seen prior to the plague

Temple of Athena Nike - Late Classical

- Prominent as you walk up Acropolis stairs

- "Athena Victorious"

- Athens fighting alongside Ionian Allies -> affirms their allyship & Athenians as the original Ionians

- Ionic temple (volutes on capital & continuous frieze); No peristyle

- Frieze: shows Greek victory over the Persians

- Theme Allyship with Ionian cities & victory; although there is no victory in this war (escapism; delusional)

Balustrade: Figures of Nike - Late Classical (from Temple of Athena Nike)

- Nike represents victory

- Nike figures bringing Athena offerings

- Nike adjusting her sandal; off balance pose dispays beautiful drapery hugging her figure; feet are sexually suggestive sometimes

Erechtheion with Caryatids - Late Classical

- Ionian temple @ Acropolis; only Ionians can enter

- right next to original Parthenon ruins; an attempt to replace?

- Erechtheion: snake that guards the Acropolis

- Composite shrine: very strange temple; tried to incorporate so many different elements

- Continuous Frieze: different color stone (blue/grey) from rest of structure; very ornate & was gilded

- Columns: Very ornate & gilded capitals

- Porch with Caryatids: 6 statues of women holding the roof on their heads; stand in contrapposto

- Wear peplos & beaded hair, old fashioned like Archaic

- Maybe the female prisoners of war taken and forced to serve the Athenians

- Irrationality reflects the chaos of the war

Temple of Apollo Epikourios (Bassae) - Late Classical

- Thanking Apollo for averting the Plague

- Doric exterior, Ionic interior

- 1st Corinthian column inside where you'd expect a cult statue -> something important happens here

- Mystery Religion (mystic religious experience): on summer solstice, a single ray of sun peaks thru the columns and illuminates a polished Bronze statue of Apollo as if he is manifesting himself in front of you

Frieze: Lapiths VS Centaurs, Amazonmachy - Late Classical (from Temple of Apollo Epikourios)

- Greeks vs Amazons: good vs evil

- Short & stocky figures; no necks

- Theatrical and dramatic poses, but ugly

- Continuous Ionic frieze

Eirene and Ploutos (Roman Copy) - Late Classical

- Eirene (Peace) and Ploutos (Wealth) : "With peace comes wealth"

- New type of god: a political idea; Athenians want peace

- Eirene has a kind and maternal expression

- Athens & Sparta endured great suffering from war/plague

Fourth Century Greece (Historical Context)

- Continuation of Late Classical Greece: instability and people questioning the gods

- Alexander the Great comes into power: uses art as political propaganda; very particular about his image

- He conquers the Persians and creates a multicultural empire

Temple of Asklepios (Epidauros) - Fourth Century

- People are disappointed in their traditional gods; want to believe in gods that help/care for them

- Asklepios: an ordinary person, physician said to be the son of Apollo because he cured ppl during the plague

- Health spa; patients sleep in stoa and wake up healed

"Asklepios Blacas" - Fourth Century

- Bends his neck down; looks down and makes content w/ viewer

- soft face with kind expression; he cares about you & can heal you

Theater and Tholos - Fourth Century (from Temple of Asklepios)

Theater

- Seats surround alter in the orchestra for wine (all plays in honor of Dionysis)

- Great acoustics

- Theater builds community and plays teach lessons

Tholos

- Round temple: Doric columns outside, Corinthian columns inside; very ornate with elaborate coffers

- Hole in center: Fountain house? Snake house (shed = rebirth/rejuvination)

Votive Relief of Arkhinos to Amphiaraos - Fourth Century

- Steele relief carving

- People want to believe in gods who help and care for them

- Content: Amphiaraos healing Arkhinos; ppl in back sleeping in temple to wake up healed (similar to cult of Asklepios)

Hermes and Dionysis (copy?) - Fourth Century

- Zeus gives Dionysis to Hermes (1/2 brother) to raise him far away so Hera can't hurt him

- Hermes stands in contrapposto; leans left arm (holding Dionysis) on tree trunk draped in fabric

- Hermes' gaze is focused on baby with a sweet/soft expression

- Hermes dangles grapes & Dionysis reaches for it; sweet image of older brother playing/teasing his baby brother

- Depicting 2 mighty gods in humanly form; questioning their power

Aphrodite of Knidos (Roman copy) - Fourth Century

- Nude Aphrodite holding her clothes in left hand draping over water vessel; she is about to bathe

- Stands in contrapposto; erotic & beautiful

- Significance of water: she was born of sea foam; goddesses renew their virginity by bathing

- Right hand covers genitals: modesty? protecting viewer (dangerous to see goddesses nude, ex. Artemis & Aktaeon)? Gesturing towards her fertility?

Apollo Lizard Slayer (Roman copy)

- Retelling of "Apollo and the Python"

- Apollo looks adolescent and effeminate; hair looks androgenous

- He leans on a tree trunk with a sharp object in his hand; tree has a little lizard he has to kill

- Doubt about the gods' power: no idealization; Apollo depicted in a more realistic human form

Farnese Herakles (Roman copy) - Fourth Century

- Large, powerful, muscular Herakles; but tired & worn out facial expression

- Holding golden apples of Hesparities from the 12 labors

- Exhausted from the 12 labors

- New perspective of Greek gods: human like faults

The "Azara Herm" (Roman Copy) - Fourth Century

- Deepset eyes with melting glance

- Inscribed with "Alexander son of Phillip"

Coins with portrait of Alexander - Fourth Century

- Persians are first people to mint currency with historical figures

- good way of getting his image out, political propaganda

- lion skin of Herakles on Greek currency

- elements of ram on Egyptian currency

Head of Alexander from Pergamon - Fourth Century

- Slightly turned neck; large eyes look up with raised eyebrows, in communication with the gods

- Doesn't rely on symbols of power, focuses on displaying his unique personality (impulsive, irrational)

Alexander Mosaic (Battle of Isis) (Roman Copy) - Fourth Century

- Battle between Alexander's army and the Persians @ battle of Isis

- King's guard disarms Alexander so Persian King can escape; king reaches out like he doesn't want to leave soldier behind

- bow w/ no arrows shows he's helpless; Persian soldier getting trampled w defeated expression -> Sympathy for opponent

- Sense of respect & sympathy for non-Greeks different from earlier depictions of non-Greeks in Greek art -> supports idea Alexander was trying to create a unified multicultural society

"Alexander Sarcophagus" - Fourth Century

- Very elaborate tomb for a local ruler appointed by Alexander (these people hated the Persians and wanted Alexander's help to drive them out)

- Shaped like a Greek temple: frieze, pediment, relief carving all around

- content: Battle of Isis (how this local ruler came into power), Hunting Scene (kill large animals to show power, persians & greeks working together)

Hellenistic Greece (Historical Context)

- From the Death of Alexander to the Death of the last of his Successors

- Alexander's Generals are his successors & try to present themselves similar to Alexander in art

- Rise om unique portrayals of individuality

"Hellenistic Ruler" - Hellenistic

- Powerful muscular body standing in contrapposto, heroic nudity

- similar to Alexander's portraiture: Tousled hair, leaning on a lance similar to alexander's pose in a previous work

- expressive face: furrowed forehead with open mouth

- shift away from idealized forms and expressionless faces

Demosthenes (Roman Copy) - Hellenistic

- Athenian politician devoted to democracy: warned about Macedonians, was exiled, tried to get Athens to resist Alexander's successors' rule, Athens failed, he flees and commits suicide

- His unique physical traits are portrayed: weak and couldn't train in gym -> skinny arms; looks frail

- elderly man looking down, lost in thought

- shift away from idealized forms and expressionless faces

Temple of Apollo (Didyma) - Hellenistic

- HUGE temple: double peristyle w/ Ionic columns, huge stairs, huge door leads to stage for Priest (oracle)

- Tunnel w/ barrel vault to descent & enter the temple

- Inside: garden of laurel trees sacred to Apollo; small Ionic temple within to house statue of Apollo, Corinthian columns

- Flat roof (no pediment) -> could go on roof & admire view

Priene - Hellenistic

- City built at foot of mountain w/ grid plan, city center, theater, temple

- Agora enclosed by stoa, mainly for government use

- Temple: Ionic, dedicated to Athena

Theater: elaborate stagehouse; would show simple stories bc diverse population w/ non-Greeks in audience

- Gymnasium: people would be Hellenized

- Houses: courtyard w mini temple, didnt separate men and women

Tanagra Figurines - Hellenistic

-Ceramic figures, made with mold (mass produced & inexpensive)

- wear little hats & hold pretty fans like they were out in public

- women shown in various roles

- shows how the status of women was slightly improved since Classical Greek, especially for wealthy women who could make financial decisions (buy slaves)

- Increase in social mobility makes it hard to control women

Pergamon Acropolis (model) - Hellenistic

-Attalus 1, ruler of Pergamon believes Pergamon's victory over Celts == Athen's victory over Persians -> will propel Pergamon into success; he declares Athena the Patron God

- Goal: Make Pergamon successful like Athens

Gallic chieftain killing himself and his wife - Hellenistic

- Gallic = Celtic: wears a torc, coarse blond hair, mustache (w/o beard)

- sculpture in the round

- Heroic nudity with big muscles & expressive face

- he stabbed his wife already & she is on the brink of losing consciousness; he holds the sword and is driving it into his chest

- they would rather die than be taken prisoner

- he is so dynamic and she is so slumped; lots of expression

- Portray their enemies beautifully to emphasize the significance of their victory

Dying Gaul - Hellenistic

- Celtic style shield & sword

- huge improvement in realism compared to archaic & early classical fallen warrior attempts

- used to dehumanize their enemies, now show sympathy

- Show the celts as impressive opponents which elevates their victory

- an increase in cultural diversity leads to more tolerance/acceptance/sympathy for non-greek opponents

Great Alter of Zeus (Pergamon) - Hellenistic

- Quotes important Greek artworks (supports idea that Attalus I wanted to build Pergamon into a great Greek city that would preserve Greek culture

- Maybe originally dedicated to Zeus and Athena?

- Structure: flipped traditional Greek temple: columns on top with huge frieze at bottom so viewers could see the detail

- Frieze: Battle of Gods and Giants, goes back to early Greek traditions (myth as metaphor)

--Zeus fighting

--Athena fighting giant with mother Gaia while Nike crowns her

--Serene, expressionless Nix, callback to civilized Greeks who show no emotion

--Giants run away from gods & come into our space by crawling up the stairs

Laocoon (found in Rome) - Hellenistic

- Laocoon warns the Trojans not to accept the horse; this is against the god's plan so they summon serpents to kill Laocoon and his sons

- very expressive and dynamic: expressive face, powerful muscular body is contorted and entangled in the serpents; you can see his struggle as he cries out to the gods

- Humans vs divine fate; you cannot escape your fate, trying to will be more painful

Nike of Samothrace - Hellenistic

- Nike == messenger god who delivers/announces victory

- stands on warship like she just landed; the fabric of her clothes clings to her body -> sense of windswept movement (on site you can feel those winds)

- maybe making a Greeting motion upon ships return

- maybe apart of a fountain w/ running water, sunlight reflecting creates additional movement

Seated Boxer - Hellenistic

- Sculpture in the round

- Very powerful muscular body; professional athlete

- older mature man

- slouched over w/ unhappy facial expression

- scars & bleeding & cauliflower ears; just got out of the ring w/ fresh wounds -> shows years of dedication to boxing but he looks defeated

- Emphasis on individual experience as a boxer, not idealized like Diskobolos

Aphrodite and Pan - Hellenistic

- Pan accosting Aphrodite with Eros pushing Pan away

- Aphrodite holding her slipper ready to slap Pan

- lighthearted & playful scene; playfulness and joyous emotion encapsulated by this sculpture make it distinctively Hellenistic

Sleeping Satyr - Hellenistic

- Satyr with human features & a small tail sleeping on a rock

- Looks like he fell asleep drunk; satyrs = followers of Dionysus so they're always getting wine drunk

- powerful & beautiful figure, slightly erotic with legs spread and showing genitals

- his body is contorted in a way that follows stylistic trends of Hellenistic art

Sleeping Hermaphrodite (Roman copy) - Hellenistic

- Sleeping on a rock; serene face

- Son of Hermes + Aphrodite = Hermaphroditus

- Hermaphroditus + Nymph = Hermaphrodite (Forever united)

- Myth: humans were originally Hermaphrodites, but too powerful to Zeus split us. Go through life feeling incomplete. Temporarily feel complete during sex