CLAS241 - Archaic Period (600-480 BCE)

Doric Order

• Mainland Greece and Greeks in the West; first Greek order

• Mimics old wooden temples from previous periods

• Bottom: base = 3 steps, 1-3 stereobate; stylobate = block columns rest on

• Column sits directly on stylobate, no base

• Top of column: capital (simple, undercoated, round)

• Frieze:
  - triglyph (3 cuttings meant to mimic carpentry marks
  - metope (blank space, mimics end of wooden beam, sometimes decorated

• Cornice:
  - roof
  - area b/w roof and beginning of slope is called a pediment
  - pediment: where decoration was often seen, at first in relief

• Very Mathematical

Ionic Order

• Decorative

• Column has a base

• Column capital have fancy volute (swirly)
  - These motifs appeared at a small scale in wood and bronze in the Near East

• No triglyph and metope in the frieze, unlike Doric order
  - allows for more decoration
  - frieze is continuous, sometimes carved w/ figures

• Same roof style as Doric order

• Popular style among the Greeks in the East (Asia Minor) and islands

Typical Doric Temple Plan

• Temple building located inside; surrounded by columns

• Columns around = Peristyle Temple

• Building: 2-3 rooms (similar to megaron; evolution of megaron)

• Main building has a naos (room), Pronaos (porch)

• A naos is where statues of Gods/Goddesses were kept

• Outside is where sacrificial alter would be; inside mostly had priest/priestess 

• Opsithodomos: treasury (normally), where donations were kept (located in back)

Temple of Artemis, Plan — Corfu

• CA. 580 BCE

• Doric Order

• Style: Pseudo-dipteral 

• Columns: 8 × 17 
  - Formula: 2x + 1

• Column Height: 4.15 - 4.40 x d

• Usually 6.5 x d OR 2x intercolumniation 

• Intercolumniation: space b/w 2 columns (centre → centre of columns)

Temple of Artemis, Sculpture — Corfu

• Gorgon, Pegasus, Chrysoara; children born at her death (“golden boy” apotropaic)

• Zeus vs Giant (gigantomachy)

• King Priam of Troy?

• Body looks symmetrical

• Starting to round off body
  - shows growing interest in human anatomy

• Running-kneeling position (same thing as the Bull Leaping Fresco)

• Meant to be a scary img (apotropaic, in Greek, “to turn away”)

• Gorgons meant to act as anti-evil figures; meant to scare away evil spirits (think evil eye)

• Gorgon in the middle = Medusa

Treasury of the Siphnians — Delphi

• Caryatid column — carved females/priestesses 

• Ionian Order

• Securely dates; acts as a valuable chronological marker for the development of Greek sculpture

• Relief sculpture on the running frieze

• Sits beside the treasury of the Athenians (Doric Order) representing their hero

• Each gable end o the Siphnian treasury was decorated w/ pedimental sculptures

• Building faced West; Sacred Way = N/S

Treasury of the Siphnians, Sculpture — Delphi

• Mythologic fighting scene

• Timeless imagery, not depicting a specific historical event

• Bodies look like Kouros statues, but wearing clothes
  - Rounded forms, geometric, similar to old relief
  - Giants depicted as humans, Dionysus wearing panther skin

• Shows twin figures (Apollo + Artemis) → important in sanctuary

• Mixed perspective; new technique = overlapped shields showing depth

• Inscriptions showing artists’ names

• Lion attacking giant
  - Note body position → ¾ frontal view, arms strangling lion
  - Note musculature → 3D roundness of body, somewhat flattened forms
  - Note facial expressions → open mouth = in pain, nose scrunch on lion 

New York Kouros

• Kouros = Young Boy

• CA. 600 BCE (beginning of tradition) 

• Life size, usually placed in sanctuaries (as thanks) or cemeteries (grave markers)
  - Comes from Daedalic tradition

• Similar to Matiklos Bronze from Orientalizing period

• Rounding body → shows evolution of art styles

1) ~80% of statues placed in thanks to Apollo

2) Becomes a grave marker, and a projection of the person that had passed (labelled w/ name on bottom)

• Defining feature = nudity 
  - Defines heroism (can see muscles, etc)

• Smaller penis = don’t give into lustful urges, more focused on being a hero

Kleobis and Biton

• The Dioskouri? […]medes ← inscription, first part lost

• Disoskouri: twin heroes of ancient Greece

• Lifesize (1.97m), like NY Kouros

• Note boots
  - Represents they were travelling

• Smile theories → can’t be proven
  - Engage more muscles w/ smiling → shows muscles more easily
  - Rich people used these statues (referred to as laughing ones)

• Technically not a Kouros statues b/c they are not nude

• Likely votive offerings from Delphi (grave markers)

Anavysos Kouros

• Also life size (1.94m)

• More natural proportions and contours; more 3D

• Evolved to look more naturalistic (ideal)

• Differences from NY Kouros:
  - Muscles and details rounded → more undercuts of pectorals, six pack and kneecaps defined
  - Biomechanics are more accurate → the torso is more centred, one butt cheek is higher than the other

• Similarities to the NY Kouros:
  - Symmetrical, equal cleats
  - Smooth face, archaic smile — represents ideal young male

Phrasiklea

• Athens

• Painted version has patterns like the starburst, meander

• Holding a flower (uncertain meaning), maybe a flower of death

• Arm @ side like Kouros statues, but more natural and holding her dress

• Inscription:
  - Suggests she dies before marriage
  - Poetic
  - Artist signature — “Aristion of Paros made me”; like the statue is conversing w/ viewer; relationship b/w art and text

Peplos Kore

• Kore: Maden (girl)
  - Statue of women in ideal form
  - Younger

• Peplos: garment she’s wearing

• Body form under clothing
  - Visible breast and nipples

• Difference from Kouros:
  - Not nude
  - Emphasize the interplay b/w the body and clothing; while Kouros emphasizes the body
  - Might represent Artemis/Priestess; Kouros usually represent Apollo
  - Painted features; pupils, red makeup, coloured dress
  - Attachment holes; to insert jewelry

• Similarities to Kouros:
  - Votive offerings/grave markers

Polyxena Sarcophagus

• Oldest figured sarcophagus in Asian Minor (Persia)

• Women in gestures of mourning/dismay → rich people hired professional mourners for funerals to emphasize how important/influential they were

• Isocephalic arrangement of figures
  - Iso: equal, Cephalos: head

• Most figures have heads @ same level
  - Creates a sense of order, a sense of equality among figures (designs)

• On the right: four men carry Polyxena, daughter of Priam, King of Troy; one is thrusting a sword into her throat; showing the sacrifice of Polyxena
  - One end has a tumulus and tripod, which are allusions to the death of Achilles

Francois Vase

• Signed: Ergotimos and Keleitias

1) Funeral games of patroklos
- Homer’s iliad

2) The dance of theseus

3) The calydonian boar hunt

4) The battle of Lapiths vs Centaurs

5) The marriage of Peleus and Thetis
- Main story
- Any child Thetis had will be greater than his father(?)

• Attic Black Figure
  - Type of painting technique used during this era

• All mythological stories

• All semi-related to e/o

Achilles killing Penthesilea Amphora — Exekias

• Exekias = artist

• Intense emotion and drama

• “The Moment In-Between”

• Note their eyes locking right before Achilles kills her → hints that they may have fallen in love since Achilles found Penthesilea as a worthy opponent 

• Attic Black Figure

Achilles and Ajax Playing Dice Amphora — Exekias

• Very Detailed

• Very symmetrical

• Becomes a very popular subject

• Warriors are playing armed, with spears and shields at the ready

• They are at Troy

• Achilles’ anger has taken him out of combat, but he will return, and the viewer knows what’s to come 

• Scene full of foreboding, ominous w/ pent-up rage shortly to be released

Bilingual Amphora — Workshop of Andokides

• “Bilingual” = one side decorated w/ old-fashioned technique and new on the other

• Hercules fighting/driving a bull → bulls still important?

• L: Red Figure Amphora
  - Allows for more (and different kinds of) detail in the figures → you can see eye colour and body definition better
  - Body definition is a major interest in Greek art at this time

• R: Black Figure

Ajax committing Suicide Amphora — Exekias

• Very rare depiction
  - Suicide taboo

• Depicts sadness and resignation of Ajax as he prepares his suicide
  - Emptiness of background/sky
  - Tree drooping down?

Herakles wrestling Anataios — Euphronios

• Pot/drinking vessel — mix of wine and water

• Used for parties

• The image makes sense for the context

• Red figure techniques that can’t be achieved w/ black figure
  - Shows more body definition 

• Subtleties like wild hair, moustache, unibrow, individual teeth

• Like gigantomachy — open mouth, new: grinning teeth

• Shows how they want to advance w/ red figure