1. Vocabulary Terms

• Caryatid: A sculpted female figure used as a column in architecture, often seen in the Erechtheion.

• Contrapposto: An Italian term meaning "counterpose," referring to a stance in sculpture where the figure’s weight is shifted onto one leg, creating a more naturalistic, relaxed posture.

• Encaustic: A painting technique where pigments are mixed with hot wax and applied to a surface. It was commonly used in Greek art.

• Isocephalism: The practice of arranging figures so that their heads are all at the same height, typically used in frieze compositions.

• Kiln: A furnace or oven used for firing pottery or sculptures.

• Kouros: An early Greek statue of a young man, often shown in a standing, rigid pose.

• Krater: A large, ancient Greek vessel used for mixing wine and water, often decorated with detailed scenes.

• Mosaic: Art created by arranging small pieces of colored stone, glass, or other materials to form an image, commonly seen in floors or walls.

• Palaestra: A public place for athletic training in ancient Greece, typically part of a larger gymnasium complex.

• Peplos: A simple, draped garment worn by women in ancient Greece.

• Portico: A structure consisting of a roof supported by columns, typically at the entrance of a building.

• Stele: An upright stone slab or pillar, often used as a grave marker or to commemorate an event.

2. Figures (Know their key features, style, and significance)

• Anavysos Kouros: A more naturalistic representation of the male form, reflecting the transition from Archaic to Classical style.

• Peplos Kore: A statue of a young woman, originally painted, wearing a peplos. This piece showcases the development of the female form in Greek art.

• Polykleitos, Spear Bearer: A famous example of the Classical Greek canon of proportions, demonstrating balance, symmetry, and idealized human anatomy.

• Helios, Horses, and Dionysos (Parthenon Frieze): Part of the Parthenon’s sculptural decoration, representing mythological figures in a dynamic and realistic style.

• Plaque of Ergastines: A relief from the Parthenon depicting the Panathenaic procession, showing the idealization of the human form and the importance of civic ritual.

• Victory Adjusting her Sandal: A Hellenistic sculpture of Nike (Victory) demonstrating dramatic movement and the use of the “wet drapery” style.

• Kallimachos, Grave Stele of Hegeso: A funerary stele showing a moment of personal reflection, with a focus on domestic life.

• Winged Victory of Samothrace: A dramatic sculpture of Nike in motion, often seen as a masterpiece of Hellenistic art, emphasizing movement and emotion.

• Athena from the Pergamon Altar: Part of the Altar of Zeus, showing the battle between gods and giants, with an intense narrative and emotional expression.

• Seated Boxer: A Hellenistic bronze sculpture showing a defeated boxer in a moment of reflection, capturing emotion and realism.

3. Architecture (Know the terms, key structures, and their features)

• Erechtheion: Famous for its asymmetrical design and use of Caryatids (columns in the shape of women). The temple housed sacred relics.

• Iktinos & Kallikrates, Parthenon: The most famous Greek temple, built for Athena, showcasing the Doric order and embodying Greek ideals of harmony and proportion.

• Propylaea: The monumental gateway to the Acropolis, designed by Mnesicles.

• Kallikrates, Temple of Athena Nike: A small, Ionic temple on the Acropolis, famous for its elegance and its sculptural reliefs depicting Nike.

• Altar of Zeus and Athena at Pergamon: A monumental Hellenistic structure with dramatic friezes showing the battle between gods and giants (Gigantomachy).

4. Pottery & Mosaic (Key works and their significance)

• Niobid Painter, Niobides Krater: This krater depicts the myth of Niobe, showing the transition from the earlier, stiff style of painting to a more dynamic and narrative style.

• Alexander Mosaic from the House of Faun: A famous Hellenistic mosaic depicting the Battle of Issus, showing Alexander the Great and Darius in a highly dramatic and detailed scene.

5. Greek Orders (Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian)

• Doric Order: The simplest column style, with no base and a plain, round capital.

• Ionic Order: Features a base and more ornate capitals with volutes (spiral scrolls).

• Corinthian Order: The most elaborate, with a capital decorated with acanthus leaves.

Know the parts of a column:

• Capital: The topmost part of the column.

• Shaft: The vertical, cylindrical part of the column.

• Base: The bottom part of the column that rests on the floor or stylobate (in Ionic and Corinthian orders).

• Entablature: The horizontal section above the columns, including the architrave, frieze, and cornice.