Transcript Greek and Roman Art

Man as God and God as Man
the rise of Greek and Roman cultures
Apollo Belverdere, (original, c. 320 BCE,
currently at the Vatican), as he was first
found in the 15th century. Fig leaf and arms
added in the 18th century. Michelangelo
would have seen this sculpture---does it
bear a resemblance to any of his works?
Greek Art---where gods and humans meet
700-30 BCE
• Focus on the human body
(mostly male)—a kouros is a
statue of a young man, both
human and godlike
• Idealized view of perfection
• Beauty and calm
• Developed proportions of
human figure
• Rising status of the artist
(first names)
• Strong artistic influence for
many cultures
• Pantheon of deities, with
mythology mixing human
and god-like traits
What
makes this
statue
appear to be
so lifelike?
Discus Thrower
Myron,
c. 485 BCE,
Roman copy of
Greek bronze;
Marble statue at
British Museum
Ancient Greece
3 historical artistic
periods:
Archaic (700-480 BCE) to the
conquering of Persia
Classical (480-323 BCE) to the
death of Alexander the Great
Hellenistic (323-31 BCE) to the
death of Cleopatra
Parthenon in Athens, 447-432 BCE
•
•
•
•
•
Athens seat of power
Democratic society (for men with
property)
Polytheistic (but no organized
priesthood or church)
Rise of humanism-man is the
measure of all things
Studied the world around them-astronomy and other sciences,
philosophy, mathematics
Greek Temples–
Do they resemble any buildings in our area?
Were they places of worship?
Temple to Athena
Nike,
Goddess of victory
427 BCE
Classical Period
Spear Bearer, c. 440 BCE
Polyklettos, bronze original,
Roman copy in marble
Do you see
differences in
these
idealized
men?
Kritios, c. 500 BCE
Roman copy in marble of Greek original
-- was it an offering to the gods?
Archaic Period
Praxiteles and the S-curve
Hermes with baby Dionysus,
340 BCE, Roman copy of
bronze original
The Greek Ideal
women finally get some recognition
Caryatids hold up the structure
Parthenon in Athens, 438 BCE
Praxiteles,
Aphrodite, 340 BCE
His courtesan was
his real-life goddess
of love, Phyme
Athena was 38
feet tall and
made of gold,
stone, bronze
and ivory
Hellenistic Art
Bust of
Alexander the
Great, Pella
Museum,
Greece
•
•
•
•
•
Winged Victory,
Pythokritos,
marble, 8’,
c 200-190 BCE
(Louvre, Paris)
•
323 – 31 BCE
Rationalism and calm gave way to emotional
expression
Scenes of misfortune and suffering
Asia Minor
Cosmopolitan empire of many cultures emerges
Alexander the Great (Macedonia, whose father has
conquered Greece), conquers Persia, the Holy Lands
and Asia Minor (Turkey)
Athens
Spread Greek ideas; vigor, action and pragmatism
replace idealism
Period lasts from death of Alexander the Great to the
death of Cleopatra
“Beware of Greeks bearing gifts….”
What makes this statue active? Emotional?
Laocoon Group
original, c. 160 BCE
marble—perhaps copy of
an earlier bronze statue--now at the Vatican
Depicts priest who has warned his
countrymen of the Trojan horse,
but they did not believe him; he
and his sons are getting
swallowed by an angry sea god,
favored by Athena
How do these statues represent the
themes of pathos and action of
Hellenistic art?
Old Market Woman,
now at the Met in NYC
Dying Gaul,
now found in Rome
Greek culture is copied by the Romans
•
•
•
•
Greek statues of idealized men fit Roman ideas of
democracy
Greek bronzes made into Roman marble copies; need to be
reinforced with supports
valuable metal from ancient Greek statues is melted down
Same gods---new names:
GREEK
Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty=
Zeus, god of the sky
=
Ares, god of war
=
Dionysus, god of wine
=
Poseidon, god of the sea
=
Athena, goddess of agriculture
=
Eros, god of love
=
Hades, god of the underworld
=
Apollo, god of light and truth
=
Hermes, god of messengers
=
Nike, goddess of victory
=
ROMAN
Venus
Jupiter
Mars
Bacchus
Neptune
Minerva
Cupid
Pluto
Apollo
Mercury
Victoria
Roman statue
of Mercury in
marble, 1st
century CE,
now at the
Vatican; copy
of Greek
bronze of
Hermes, 4th
century BCE
Romans (753 BCE-476 CE)
• Hellenistic rule ended by Romans who defeat last empress,
Cleopatra in 30 BCE.
• Rome under rule of Augustus Caesar in 30 BCE--great
conqueror who admired Alexander the Great
• Ruled during a time of Pax Romana (Roman Peace)
• Roman Empire ruled by emperors
• Worshipped pantheon of gods
• Women gained some rights--could manage family
investments and become artisans
• 1st century CE--Rome became the western center of
Christianity
• Rome fell to the Goths in 476 CE
Etruscan Art—
the peoples of Northern Italy,
prior to the dominance of the
Roman Empire
Sarcophagus lid from
Vulci, Italy. 4th century,
BCE, volcanic stone
Describe the line, mass and
expressions of these figures. What
might the choices made in crafting
this sculpture be saying about their
lives? The values of the Etruscan
society?
Roman Art
•
•
•
•
Great temples and
secular building
projects initiated by the
emperors--show of
power
Art depicted people-emperors, statesmen,
family portraits
Sculpture was prized;
many copies made of
Greek statues
Julius Caesar Augustus
(the revered one) was
the first ruler of the
Roman Empire,
63 BCE – 14 CE
also known as
Octavius,
declared a god upon his
death by Roman senate
Augustus of Prima Porta, 15 CE., marble, perhaps a copy of a
bronze original from 20 BCE, Vatican, polychrome
The Roman general is the embodiment of god Apollo, in
contrapposto stance. What idealistic values are implied? Cupid,
son of Venus, is at his feet. Why, do you think?
Colosseum, 72-80 CE
Three levels of seating… doric, ionic and
corinthian columns
Used as: gladiator stadium, killing 8,000 wild
animals; a church and cemetery; a wool factory
for prostitutes; a political monument to protect
the death penalty
Pantheon, 120 CE
Oculus acts as a sundial; perfect proportions
of a sphere inside a cube
Roman architectural advancements
columns, arches, vaults and cement
Greek/Roman
Columns and
Capitals--orders to know
Doric
Ionic
Corinthian