Transcript Archaic Period - HCC Learning Web

Ancient Greece
In a relatively short 800 year span (from 900 – 100 BCE) the Greeks made a huge body of
innovative artwork across every medium. Unlike previous cultures that maintained similar styles
throughout their existence, the Greeks constantly strove to improve and explore new ideas.
Periods of Greek Art:
900 – 700 BCE; “Geometric” period
700 – 600 BCE; “Orientalizing” period
600 – 480 BCE; “Archaic” period
480 – 323 BCE; “Classical” period, divided into 3 sub-periods:
480 – 450 BCE; “Early Classical”
450 – 400 BCE; “High Classical”
400 – 323 BCE; “Late Classical”
323 – 30 BCE; “Hellenistic” period
By 900 BCE, Greeks created independent “city-states” (polis) in Athens, Corinth and Sparta—autonomous regions
that based their political, economic and cultural centers at one of each of these 3 cities
Corinth: oldest and originally most powerful city-state
c. 600 BCE: Athens becomes commercially and culturally stronger; developed representational government;
origin of our ideas of citizenship
Ancient Greek Religion:
-World created through battle between Titans (earth gods) and Sky gods (Olympians, because
they were believed to live on Mt. Olympus)
-Viewed gods as immortal, but in human form, with human emotions and weaknesses
-Built sanctuaries, which were places believed to be important or sacred to the gods; fit these
structures into the surrounding natural environment (as opposed to the massive intimidating
structures of the Near East and Egypt)
Delphi: Apollo’s sanctuary
built c. 530 BCE on the
site of an earlier temple
From this spot, Apollo was
thought to give cryptic
prophecies to humans
through intermediaries,
or mediums (the Pythia)
Greek god Family Tree:
Earth + Sky = ZEUS (Supreme deity) = ATHENA (goddess of wisdom; born of Zeus’ head)
+ Hera = ARES (god of war)
+ Maia = HERMES (messenger)
+ Leto = APOLLO (god of the sun) and ARTEMIS (goddess of the
hunt)
+ Dione = APHRODITE (goddess of love) [sometimes said to be born
of sea foam]
HERA (Zeus’ wife) = HEPHAISTOS (god of forge)
HESTIA (goddess of the Hearth)
POSEIDON (god of the sea)
HADES (god of the underworld)
DEMETER (goddess of agriculture) = PERSEPHONE (Hades’ wife; return to
Greece brings spring)
Others: DIONYSUS (god of wine)
EROS (cupid—sometimes said to be Aphrodite’s son)
PAN (god of wilderness)
NIKE (victory)
Primary source of information about Greek art prior to 700
BCE is pottery
Geometric Period (c. 900-700 BCE) in Greek art derives its
name from the geometric designs used to decorate pottery
and ceramics prior to 700 BCE
c. 1050 BCE; first evidence of a vase painting style separate
from Mycenaean and Minoan in the Aegean—
“Proto-Geometric”, because it precedes the Greek
Geometric Period; simple, geometric painted decoration and
simplified body shapes (seen on centaur to right)
Official geometric style is much more complex
Geometric style: c. 900 – 700 BCE
-widespread and used in all types of art
-very complicated and elaborate
designs
-use abstract shapes to represent
people (reminiscent of shallow-cave
paintings from Neolithic era in Europe,
but more graphic and space is filled
with pattern)
-show people in full-frontal, or fullprofile views for easy recognition
- large vases like this were funerary
markers in ancient Greece
-unlike Egyptian art that focuses on the
dead in the afterlife, Greek funerary art
focuses on the reactions of the
survivors (mourners surrounding the
dead raise their hands to their heads;
no depiction of deities)
Funerary Vase (Krater)
Man and Centaur; c 750 BCE, bronze, ~5” high
-Theme of man battling centaurs common in
Greek art
-simple, geometric body shapes
Orientalizing Period: c. 700 – 600 BCE
-began in Corinth; port city
-artists moved away from dense backgrounds of
geometric style
-influenced by work of Near East and Egypt
Front Panel of the Great
Lyre; c. 2550-2400 BCE;
Near East
Greek Pitcher (Olpe)
height 11 ½”; c.600 BCE
Archaic Period: c. 600 – 480 BCE
-Athens begins to move to forefront artistically, commercially and politically
-Greek arts, both visual and literary, develop rapidly during this time
-potters and vase painters begin to sign their work (first time we can start to attribute works to
individual artists, or artist’s workshops)
-temple design expands:
-pre-Archaic period temples were outdoor altars within sanctuaries where a temple
sheltered the statue of a god
-temples grew in size and complexity throughout the rest of Greek history
Temple Design:
-standardized plans developed ranging from one-room structures with columned porches to
buildings with double porches surrounding by columns
-essentially elaborate post and lintel structures; the columns are the posts, the lintels become
heavily sculpted entablatures
-2 styles of elevation (the appearance of the columns and lintels) develop during Archaic; Doric and
Ionic
entablature
(think “tablet”)
Columns surrounding
the main room (cella)
called peristyle
Colums; Doric order
shaft
Temples of Hera I and Hera II,
c. 550–540 BCE (Hera I); c. 470460 BCE (Hera II) foreground
pediment
triglyphs
metope
frieze
architrave
pediment
dying warriors
Temple of Artemis, Gorgon Medusa; c. 600–580 BCE
-one of earliest surviving examples of Greek pediment
sculpture
Battle Between The Gods and the Giants; the
Treasury of the Siphnians; Marble; height 26“; c.
530–525 BCE
frieze
-early example of Greek trend toward naturalistic
space
-compare artistic style to Persian
Darius and Xerxes Receiving Tribute;
491–486 BCE
Dying Warrior; East Pediment of The
Temple of Aphaia; Marble; length (warrior)
6‘; c. 500–490 BCE
-fully 3-D pediment sculpture
-some of first successful method for
dealing with awkward space of triangular
pediment
In addition to pediment sculpture, Archaic
period artists developed large, free-standing
figural work, usually standing or walking
Probably commissioned by individuals (based
on inscriptions) and have been found as
grave markers
male = kouros; female = kore
male statues; always nude
females; always clothed
Peplos Kore; Marble;
height 4‘; c. 530 BCE
Standing Youth (Kouros);
Marble; height 6‘; c. 600 BCE
Archaic Koroi initially very
comparable to older
Egyptian-style figures
Menkaure and a Queen; height 54
½”; ruled c. 2490 – 2472 BCE
Within just 70 years, we see Archaic figures become
much more naturalistic (like the pediment sculpture
from the Temple of Aphaia, c. 500-490 BCE)
Archaic smile: term used to describe the closed-lip
smile characteristic of archaic figures
Anavysos Kouros; Marble with
remnants of paint; height 6'4“; c. 530
BCE
Archaic Pottery: broke with dense decoration of Geometric period and focused on single scenes designed to
fit the pot shape
-Greek pots had specific shapes for specific purposes
-2 styles: Black-figure; older
Red-figure; newer
Red-figure
Painter’s signature; Amasis
Black-figure
Classical Period; c. 480-323 BCE
-framed by 2 events; 1. Begins with Greek defeat of the Persians in 480 BCE (which prevents
their spread into Europe)
2. Ends with death of Alexander the Great in 323 BCE (he defeated the
Persians in the Near East in 332 BCE; also the approx. end date of
Late Egyptian art)
-term “Classical” used to describe the era because classical refers to things of “universal
importance and lasting quality”—this period in Greece saw major cultural/societal changes
that informed centuries of Western culture
-defined by 3 concepts: humanism; “man is the measure of all things”—make the human form
the ideal
rationalism; “know thyself”—look for the inner significance of forms
idealism; “nothing in excess”—reproduce only essential elements
-all aspects of life have meaning and pattern-nothing happens by accident
-art is based on close observation of the natural world (informed by 3 concepts above)—then
idealized (differs from Egypt and Near East cultures that create based on memory images)
Three Subdivisions of Classical Period:
Early Classical; c. 480 – 450 BCE
High Classical; c. 450 – 400 BCE (traditionally thought of as the best)
Late Classical; c. 400 – 323 BCE
Early Classical: Begins with end of the Greek-Persian wars; Athens emerges as dominant city-state
-rapid transition away from stiffness of the Archaic period to more naturalism in sculpture
-some argue Greek success in the war fostered a confidence that led to the creation of a
new artistic style
Anavysos Kouros;
c. 530 BCE
Kritian Boy; Marble; height 3'10“; c. 480 BCE; From
Acropolis,
Pediment sculpture and Metope relief; Temple of
Zeus; Olympia; c. 460 BCE
Charioteer; from sactuary of Apollo at Delphi; c. 470 BCE,
Bronze. 5’ 11” high.
-hollow casting bronze perfected during Early Classical period,
allowed for more active sculptural poses
-most were melted down, even in Greek times
but many survive as Roman copies
-critical moment
Discus Thrower (Diskobolos);
Marble; height 5'11“; Roman
copy after the original bronze of
c. 450 BCE
High Classical; c. 450-400 BCE
-Athens (in the Aegean) and Sparta (in the Peloponnesus) dominate Greece
c. 450 BCE; Greek sculptor and theorist, Polykleitos, developed a set of rules for constructing the ideal
human figure—wrote it down in The Canon (kanon is Greek for “measure, rule or law”)
-included a system of ideal ratios for figuring the proportions of a figure, and how one part of the
body should relate to another
-created a larger than life-size bronze statue of a standing man carrying a spear to illustrate his
theory
-neither the actual treatise, or the original statue survived, but both were written about widely by
his Greek contemporaries and the sculpture was copied by the Romans
-scholars continue to try to figure out what the ratios were
Contrapposto: cross-balancing of supporting and free elements in a
figure
originally held the
spear; tension
weight of the figure
Polykleitos; Spear Bearer ; Marble (tree trunk and brace
strut are Roman additions): height 6'11“; Roman copy after
the original bronze of c. 450–440 BCE
Perikles; dominant political figure in Athens from 462 – 429 BCE, considered to have brought “Golden Age” to
Athens
-brought new splendor to sanctuaries of Athens
-made the citadel of Athens, the Acropolis, into the center of civic and religious life
Acropolis; located on the original Neolithic location that later became Athens—at the “city on top of the hill”
-was destroyed by Persian troops in 480 BCE
-Perikles convinced Athenians to rebuild it
-rebuilt as a “visual expression of Athenian values and civic pride”
-Pheidias, sculptor, in charge of the rebuilding
-religious buildings and votive statues filled the acropolis site
-temple to Athena Parthenos (the virgin) begun prior to Persian war, and destroyed by Persians
-new Parthenon commissioned by Perikles in 447 BCE
-Regular civic, commercial and social Athenian life (as in other Greek cities), centered around the agora, or
marketplace
Aerial view and Model of the Acropolis; the Parthenon is the big building
Parthenon, Acropolis, Athens. View from the northwest; marble;
447–432 BCE
-designed by architect Iktinos; wrote a book about the proportions of this masterpiece
Parthenon; East Pediment sculpture; Acropolis, c. 447-432
-east Pediment sculpture together; shows birth of Athena; figure of Zeus and Athena
(most likely) missing
-better preserved than West pediment
-expertly rendered fabric over the shapes of the body
-dramatic, life-like scene
Lapith Fighting A Centaur
Marble
height 56"
c. 447–432 BCE
Metope relief from the Doric frieze on
the south side of the Parthenon
Horsemen; Marble; height 41¾“; c. 447–432 BCE
Detail of the Procession, from the Ionic frieze on the north side of the Parthenon –skilled riders
controlling powerful animals
Marshals and Young Women; from Ionic frieze;
-graceful and healthy people
Nike (victory) Adjusting Her Sandal;
from relief decoration of Temple of
Athena Nike; Acropolis, c. 410 – 405
BCE
-famous for its beautiful drapery and suggestive pose
Late Classical: c. 400 – 323 BCE
-Sparta defeats Athens in 404 BCE; establishes oppressive pro-Spartan government
-Athenians rebel one year later and re-establish democracy
-Athens recovers economically, but never regains its dominance in the region
-retained its reputation as the artistic and intellectual center of Greece
-Alexander the Great (from Macedonia; to the north of Greece):
-338 BCE, Phillip II of Macedonia conquers Athens
-Phillip II assassinated two years later and 20 year old son, Alexander (the Great) takes the
throne
-Alexander had been educated by Aristotle outside Athens
-Alexander rapidly united Greece in a war of revenge against the Persians
-conquered Persia, Syria and Phoenicia in the Near East by 334 BCE
-331 BCE, his army occupied Egypt
-continued east to area now called Pakistan (India’s west border) until 326 BCE when his
troops refused to go further
-died of fever on the return home in 323 BCE; he was 33
Late Classical
-artists continue to experiment with new styles and subjects
-no longer follow the conventions of Classical style so closely
-innovations supported by new wealthy patrons from Alexander’s many new conquered
regions, including Macedonia and the Near East
Late Classical Architecture and city planning:
-develop variations on Classical ideals primarily with 2 structures; tholos (buildings with a
circular, not rectangular, plan) and monumental tombs
-much of this activity took place outside Athens, even outside Greece; especially in Asia
Minor
-city plans: grid system had been used as early as 8th century BCE; classical architects
promoted this system as the ideal (this grid idea continues through our modern era)
Tholos; c. 380–370 BCE; Sanctuary of Athena Pronaia,
Delphi
Late Classical Sculpture:
-challenged and modified previous standards of ideal
proportions
-more elongated proportions and occasionally
mundane subject matter; like minor deities, not just
the Olympians
-”noble detachment” of earlier figures replaced with
sensitive expressions
-dominated by 3 sculptors: Praxiteles, Skopas and
Lysippos
Praxiteles or his followers: Hermes and The Infant
Dionysos; Marble, with remnants of red paint on the lips
and hair: height 7'1“; Probably a Hellenistic or Roman
copy after a Late Classical 4th-century BCE original
Praxiteles Aphrodite:
-apparently first statue by a well-known sculptor of a
fully nude woman (though hinted at in Nike Adjusting
her Sandal)
-the acceptance of female nudity may have been the
result of Greeks blending ideas about Aphrodite with
Phoenician goddess Astarte, who was almost
always shown nude
Praxiteles; Aphrodite of Knidos; Marble; height 6'8“;
Composite of two similar Roman copies after the
original marble of c. 350 BCE
Lysippos: unlike Praxiteles and Skopas, much is known about
his life and many copies of his work survive
-famous Man Scraping Himself shows typical subject
of male athlete, but not engaged in a sport; instead a
mundane scene
strigil
Lysippos; Man Scraping Himself; Marble; Roman copy
after original bronze of c. 350 – 325 BCE; height 6’ 9”
The Farnese Herakles (copy of the Weary Hercules by Lysippos); 3rd century BCE
Earrings; Hollow-cast gold; height 2 ⅜“; c. 330–300 BCE
Hellenistic Period: 323 – 30 BCE
-begins with the unexpected death of Alexander the Great
-political squabbling (as a result of his death) causes the empire to break into 3 parts
1. Antigonids; ruled by Antigonus in Macedonia
2. Ptolemies; ruled by Ptolemy in Egypt
3. Seleucids; ruled by Selecus in Asia Minor, Mesopotamia and Persia
-all 3 segments succumb to the Romans, though Ptolemites hold out the longest from the
Egyptian capital of Alexandria (established by Alexander)
-Alexandria is the center of Hellenistic arts and learning
-Death of Cleopatra, last Egyptian ruler, marks end of Hellenistic period
Artistic characteristics:
-shift in style from the general (ideal) to the specific (real)
-shift in subject matter from the spiritual to the mundane
-work is emotional, expressive and melodramatic
-continued to influence Roman art into the first century, CE
Hellenistic Architecture
Traditional, Classical temple orders
from inside to outside during
Hellenistic era
Theater, Epidauros; 4th century BCE and later
Hellenistic sculpture
-wide variety of materials, techniques and
styles
-marked by 2 conflicting trends:
>One led away from Classical models
toward experimentation with new forms
and subjects
-Pergamon in Asia Minor is
major center for this style
>The other made explicit references to
Classical examples by appropriating
aspects from certain favorite works and
incorporating them into new work
Gallic Chieftain Killing His Wife and Himself; Marble;
height 6'11“; Roman copy after the original bronze of c.
220 BCE
Title: Dying Gallic Trumpeter (front)
Medium: Marble
Size: height, 36½" (93 cm)
Date: Roman copy after the original bronze of c. 220
BCE
Reconstructed west front of the altar from
Pergamon, Turkey; Athena Attacking the Giants
(detail); Marble
Height of figure 7'7"
c. 175–150 BCE
Nike (Victory) of Samothrace; Marble; height 8'1“; c.
180 BCE (?)
Laocoön and His Sons; Marble; height 8’;
Roman copy of the 1st century CE
-Venus de Milo exemplifies Hellenistic work that looked back to
Classical examples
-meant to recall the Aphrodite of Praxiteles
-has heavier proportions of the Classical
version, but twisting stance and
advanced knee are Hellenistic
-3-dimensional drapery also Hellenistic
Aphrodite of Melos (Also Called Venus de Milo);
Marble; height 6'8“; c. 150–100 BCE
-the Hellenistic world was varied and multi-cultural, given
all the areas where Greek culture and influence was
spread during the reign of Alexander the Great
-inspired artists to turn from idealistic representations to
representing the world around them, as they saw it
Old Woman; Marble; height 49½“; Roman copy, 1st
century CE