Lecture 10- Classical Greek Art

Timeline: Mycenaean

• Beginning of greek culture

• Developed the first greek language

• Established the greek religious traditions, common in greek mythology

• Original forms of art and architecture

• Victim of bronze age collapse→ dark ages

Timeline: Dark Ages

Began w bronze age collapse until 800 BCE

Timeline: Archaic

• 800-480 BCE

• Transition from monarchical to republican system bc of Polis- city states

  1. Poleis = indp from each other but maintained diplomatic relations with each other and other non-greek countries

  2. Over 100 poleis

Timeline: Classical

480-323 BCE

Alliance of poleis against Achamenid empire

Greco persian wars

Early Classical

High Classical

Late Classical→ Hellenistic

Timeline: Hellenistic

323-31 BCE

General facts abt ancient greek art

• contains some visual traditions of which go all the way back to the minoans

• by the end of the archaic period, greek artists can build architectural decoration if required to sculpt realistic human figures with naturalistic body language and movements and to paint pottery with equally convincing figures moving in the illusion of a 3D space

Ancient Greek Art: Archaic Art and Architecture- Three Revelers

• Naturalistically posed bodies

• Movement 

• vessel - looks like a vase

• Figures are in proportion

  • even tho it looks like the figures are in movement, they are still in proportion, indicating a high level of skill

Ancient Greek Art: Archaic Art and Architecture- Anavysos Kouros, from Anavysos, Attica, c. 530 BCE

• kouros

  • predominant large scale free standing sculpture type

• one of the most naturalistic looking kouros figures that we have

  • looks like a real human body

• smirking, archaic smile

• Made towards the end of the archaic period

• High degree of naturalism

  • Anatomy and musculature of human body

  • Art is beginning to imitate nature

• Posture is stiff but still hint of movement

  • Looks like he’s about to take a step forward

Ancient Greek Art: Archaic Art and Architecture- Kouros

• young, nude male that were made to serve as grave markers or votive figures for the gods

Ancient Greek Art: Archaic Art and Architecture- Aim of greek art

• art = imitates nature

• greater move towards naturalism

Ancient Greek Art: Archaic Art and Architecture- First Temple of Hera, Poseidonia, Italy, c. 540 BCE

• Greek colony in Italy: Poseidonia

• Hera: greek goddess

Ancient Greek Art: Early Classical Period

• 480 to 450: Transitional Period from archaic period, peak of archaic art AJA early classical period

Ancient Greek Art: Three Orders of Ancient Greek Architecture- Doric

• archaic period

• most simple

• chunky column

  • rests on the stylobate, which rests on the stereobate

• capital

  • 2 parts: echinus and abacus

  • joins column to the entablature

• entablature

  • architrave

  • frieze

  • metope

  • triglyph

  • cornice

• pediment

Ancient Greek Art: Three Orders of Ancient Greek Architecture- Orders

a design system that governs every aspect of a building’s plan, elevation, and decoration

• distinguished based on the columns’ capitals

Ancient Greek Art: Three Orders of Ancient Greek Architecture- Ionic

• archaic period

Ancient Greek Art: Three Orders of Ancient Greek Architecture- Corinthian

• more depiction of nature

• most complex

Ancient Greek Art: Three Orders of Ancient Greek Architecture- External Elevation

• plan for the appearance, construction, and proportion of the building’s exterior facade

Ancient Greek Art: Three Orders of Ancient Greek Architecture- Echinus

• part of the capital

• circular base

Ancient Greek Art: Three Orders of Ancient Greek Architecture- Abacus

• part of the capital

• square top part

Ancient Greek Art: Three Orders of Ancient Greek Architecture- Architrave

• beam that lies on top of the column

Ancient Greek Art: Three Orders of Ancient Greek Architecture- Cornice

• upper most strip of molding that lies on the entablature

Ancient Greek Art: Three Orders of Ancient Greek Architecture- Frieze

• almost always consists of alternating triglyphs

• between the triglyphs are the metopes

  • metopes usually contain sculptural relief

Ancient Greek Art: Three Orders of Ancient Greek Architecture- Pediment

• triangular space

• usually contains more depictions of sculptural relief decorations

Ancient Greek Art: Early Classical Period- Temple of Aphaia

• doric columns

• East and west pediments contain sculptures from the Sacking of Troy

  • Center: sculpture of the goddess of athena

    • Each side of her are sculptures of decreasing size

  • Crouching archer

  • Dying warrior

  • Hierarchical scale used

    • Athena, goddess, is slightly bigger than the others

  • Originally painted

    • Pristine whiteness we associate w greek art is actually false

    • Polychrome

    • Visual impact

    • Allows ppl to see the level of detail carved into the figures

    • Why significant?

      • Gives scholars more technical insight on how colors were applied→ preservation treatments

      • In addition to form, colored was valued as a way to convey meaning for greeks

        • Harmony and simplicity in greek art 

        • Showed visual drama and realism through color 

      • Corrects centuries old bias of art misconceptions associated with pristine whiteness x purity in greek art

Ancient Greek Art: Early Classical Period- Temple of Aphaia- Polychrome

• Polychrome: painted, printed, or decorated in several colors for a decorative effect

  • Symbolism

  • Distinguished gods from mortals

  • Making ppl stand out via patterns and levels of details

  • Tells a narrative

Ancient Greek Art: Early Classical Period- Kritios Boy, from Acropolis, Athens

• Contrapposto

• Represents last of kouros tradition and leads way to art displaying new movement of body

• New form of posture compared to archaic art

  • Right hip slightly lowered

  • weight = mostly shifted onto left leg

  • Shoulders are slightly lowered

  • Human looking pose

    • Physics of human body is detailed in this pose

    • realism

• Still nude male, but more relaxed pose

• Subtle rounded transitions instead of hard planes

  • More lifelike and naturalistic visual

• Greater degree of naturalism → hallmark of development of sculpture

• Mimesis

• Modeling

• Humanism

Ancient Greek Art: Early Classical Period- Contrapposto

italian for counterpoise, a posture of the human body that shift most weight onto one leg, suggesting ease and potential for movement

Ancient Greek Art: Early Classical Period- Mimesis

Imitation of reality in art

Emphasized humanism

Ancient Greek Art: Early Classical Period- Modeling

sculptural treatment of the figure’s form— how the artist shapes and transitions the surfaces to create volume and the illusion of flesh, bone, and muscle beneath the skin

Ancient Greek Art: Early Classical Period- Humanism

• Man is the measure of all things

• Central emphasis of human reasoning, individuality, and potential rather than the gods and supernatural forces

• Celebrated for its beauty

Ancient Greek Art: Early Classical Period- Artemision Zeus, or Poseidon, from the Sea near Cape Artemision, c. 460-450 BCE

• Looks like he’s doing yoga

  • Weight slightly shifted towards front leg

  • Moment right before poseidon/zeus throws a weapon

  • Moment of the most potential→ gives the sculpture a pent up energy

  • Empty eyesockets

    • Originally inset with bone

• Bronze became favored medium for sculpture

  • Allowed for greater naturalistic detail in sculptures cuz it is less fragile

  • Freedom came with the use of bronze

    • better depiction of human body and humanism

  • Bronze sculpture also commonly painted

    • Color is used to aliven the artwork

  • greater strength and versality allowed humans to be depicted in greater detail

• Inset

• Keypoint of bronze sculpture

  • Allowed new exploration of human form

  • Human forms are now depicted in greater detail

    • More naturalistic and better representation of greek humans

    • Now bronze is now the new medium of sculpture

Ancient Greek Art: Early Classical Period- Inset

• Inset: technique where a separate object, material, or section is set into a larger surface or framework

Ancient Greek Art: High Classical Art and Architecture

• alliance of greek poleis AKA city states defeated the invading Persian Achaemenid army in decisive battles

  • athens emerged as the leader of the greek world

    • center of greek art and culture

• restoration and rebuilding of athens, which had been sacked by the persians in 480 BCE, embody the spirit of humanism:

  • emphasis on order, symmetry, and balance

  • consideration of the veiwer’s experience

  • the use of naturalism, mathematical proportions, and idealized figures to represent harmony and perfection

Ancient Greek Art: High Classical Art and Architecture- Age of Pericles

• named after the powerful statesman, Pericles, who came to power in Athens around 461 BCE

  • promoted arts, literature, and philosophy in Athenian culture

• Pericles = proponent of democracy (only for male citizens)

• most important project he took on was the rebuilding of the parthenon on the athenian acropolis

Ancient Greek Art: High Classical Art and Architecture- Age of Pericles: The Acropolis and Parthenon

• manifests the importance of humanism

• ritual center of Athens that was devoted to Athena

• rebuilt by Pericles

• central piece = parthenon

  • designed by Iktinos and Kallikrates

  • project overseen by Phidias

  • doric temple w some elements of the ionic order also incorporated

  • ionic elements that we see

    • continuous inner frieze

    • opisthodomos

  • rectangular temple surrounded by a peristyle

    • within peristyle, you have rooms of the temple

    • main space = cella

    • smaller space that flanks it= opisthodomos

  • cella contained a massive statue of Athena made out of ivory and gold

• topped by a marble tiled wooden roof

• highly advanced mathematical measurements of the parthenon’s architecture

  • emphasis on balance, order, and symmetry

  • humanism

• barely any straight 90 degree angles or lines because Iktinos and Kallikrates wanted to make the parthenon seem like it was perfectly made; optical illusion

• each column has a slight bulging in the middle called entasis

  • gives the impression that the structure is rising above the ground rather than sitting static or worse, drooping

• 3 main sculptural groups- more geared towards exemplifying athenian power and dominance and hegemony (dominance of one group over others)

  • metopes

    • depicted scenes from Greek mythology

    • common portrayal of greeks or their divine allies like Athena, overcoming peoples that they perceive to be barbaric or uncivilized

    • thought to be a rep of the greco-persian wars

  • pediments

    • west side:

      • mythological contest btwn the god Poseidon and the goddess Athena who were competing to see who would become the patron god of athens

      • this contest was said to taken place on the Acropolis where it’s then celebrated in the west pediment

    • east side:

      • birth of athena

      • popped out of zeus’ head in full armor and fully grown

    • each pediment celebrates athena

    • her approval was important for continued prosperity

  • ionic frieze

    • continuous scene

    • depicts pan Athenaeia, which was thought to be the most important event because it’s a festival that celebrates Athena’s bday

    • dated all the way back to the Archaic period

    • most sacred point: pan-athenaic procession

      • large number of people walking in procession bringing offering and gifts to athena

    • emphasizes athenian dominance

      • most powerful of the city states

      • celebration of the height of athenian power

Ancient Greek Art: High Classical Art and Architecture- Age of Pericles: The Acropolis and Parthenon, Opisthodomos

• ionic

• set of inner columns

• used as a treasury for the remainder of the gold that he plundered from the alliance of city states

Ancient Greek Art: High Classical Art and Architecture- Age of Pericles: The Acropolis and Parthenon, Peristyle

peristyle: row of columns

Ancient Greek Art: High Classical Art and Architecture- Age of Pericles: The Acropolis and Parthenon, Entasis

bulging center of a column, constructed to correct the optical illusion that may otherwise make the column’s shaft appear to curve inward