Egyptian and Hellenistic Art Quiz

Introduction to Western and Classical Art Traditions

• This lesson covers the characteristics, functions, and types of art forms (painting, sculpture, architecture) from Pre-Historic (including ancient Egyptian) to Medieval eras (including Baroque and Romanesque art forms).
• Analysis of art forms and their development through different periods is emphasized.

Pre-Historic Era

• Pre-historic encompasses all human existence before the development of writing.
• Pre-historic art is crucial for understanding early human life and culture. It provides clues alongside fossils, pollens, and other finds.
• Prehistoric cave paintings were likely used for communication, religious or ceremonial purposes.
• Prehistoric animal drawings were often accurate in proportion.

Paintings

• Prehistoric paintings were found within caves.
• These paintings could have been a form of communication between individuals.
• They played a role in religious or ceremonial practices.
• The paintings are more artifacts of archaeological evidence than realistic portrayals of humans.
• Cave of Lascaux (15000-10000 B.C.) provides an example.

Sculptures

• Archeologists believe some sculptures to be results of natural erosion, not human artistry.
• Frequent carving may have religious or mythological significance.
• The Venus of Willendorf (28,000 B.C.E. – 25,000 B.C.E.) was carved from limestone and had exaggerated features.
• The Venus of Brassempouy (25,000 years old), a sculpture of a lady with a head covering, is an example from Upper Paleolithic era.

Architecture

• Megalithic architecture, using large stones, is characterized by structures like Menhirs and Dolmens.
• Menhirs are huge stones standing vertically in fields or rows.
• Dolmens are stone tables composed of two huge standing stones supporting a horizontal giant stone. They were possibly burial sites or altars.
• Cromlech is a circle of standing stones. Stonehenge, a significant example, involved concentric circles of stones, triliths, and an altar stone. The structure's alignment with the sun relates to tracking the seasons.

Egyptian Art

• Egyptian paintings aim to create a pleasant afterlife for the deceased.
• Paintings depict journeys to the underworld and encounters with gods, guided by protective deities.
• Art emphasized life after death and the preservation of past knowledge.
• Visuals tended to be stylized, symbolic, and focused on profile views of people or animals.
• Colors derived from minerals, being durable are used.

Egyptian Sculptures

• Symbolic elements including forms, hieroglyphics, relative size, location, materials, color, actions, and gestures are used.
• Ancient Egyptian tombs involved extensive sculpture use.
• Common materials include wood, ivory, and stone.
• Gods, depicted with animal heads on human bodies.
• Relief compositions are arranged to document events.
• Portraits of figures (kings, gods, and deceased) are shown larger than other figures.
• Religious scenes and rituals were depicted.

Egyptian Architecture

• Egyptian architectural style began during the predynastic period (4000 B.C.).
• Structures had thick sloping walls with limited openings for stability.
• Hieroglyphics, frescoes, and carvings were used to decorate exteriors and interiors.
• Symbolic decorations include scarabs, solar disks, vultures, and motifs like palm leaves, lotus flowers, and papyrus plants.
• Temples were aligned with astronomical events like solstices and equinoxes.

Greek Art

• Greek paintings were commonly found on vases, panels, and tombs.
• Subjects included battle scenes, mythological figures, and everyday life. Linear perspective and naturalistic representation were employed.
• Fresco technique, using water-based pigments on freshly applied plaster, was a common method.
• Encaustic, involving hot wax used to fill cracks and pigments added to the wax, is another method of painting within Greek era.
• Vase paintings, like Kerch style, depicted scenes of women, mythology, or historical events.
• Panel paintings, though some have been lost, were single or multiple panels of wood.

Greek Sculptures

• Early Greek sculptures were stiff and the human bodies were hidden by robes.
• After centuries of development Greek sculptures showcase the intricacies and proportion of the human anatomy.
• Hellenistic style sculptures emphasized elaborate patterns, staged poses of figures, and the effect of movement.
• A famous example is the 'Discobolus'.

Greek Architecture

• Greek temples consisted of a central shrine or room encircled by rows of columns.
• The temples were built using three different architectural styles.
• The Parthenon is a renowned example, using a sophisticated combination of engineering that corrects optical illusions, creating a visually appealing impression.

Roman Art

• Roman paintings were often copies or adaptations of Greek art.
• Frescoes, using brightly colored backgrounds and dividing walls into rectangular sections, creating depth, were popular. Mosaics, using glass and stone, were used for floor and wall decorations.
• Examples include scenes from Alexander the Great or ceremonial Roman rites.

Roman Sculptures

• Most Roman sculptures, done in more accessible materials such as terra-cotta, focused on reliefs in triumphal columns and narrative scenes.
• Roman sculptures did not try to compete with the grandeur of Greek sculptures. Examples include burial receptacles known as sarcophagi (carved in marble).

Roman Architecture

• Roman structures were designed for both functionality and grandeur, including public buildings, arenas, baths, and monumental arches.

Medieval Art (Byzantine)

• Byzantine paintings and mosaics, sometimes based on Greek and Roman styles, were created for Christian subjects.
• Techniques like mosaics, incorporating small pieces of colored materials (glass, stone) into larger compositions, were used.
• The style often includes figurative representations of Christian subjects and dramatic, imposing images.
• Examples include the court of Empress Theodora, a mosaic done in the 6th century.

Byzantine Sculptures

• A variety of religious themes is included, in addition to everyday life scenes and animal motifs.
• The use of animals as symbols in art is prevalent (dove, deer, peafowl).
• Acrostic signs (first letters of syllables, words, phrases) are sometimes used to portray messages with deep theological meaning.

Byzantine Architecture

• Byzantine architecture utilized features reminiscent of earlier approaches, but also developed a distinct style.
• Mosaic decorations, the use of clerestory lighting in church windows were elements of the style.
• Hagia Sophia is a notable example.

Romanesque Art

• Romanesque paintings emphasize mosaics on church walls, and include a variety of artistic styles influenced by those before them, such as Byzantine models in pose, facial detail, or drapery styles.
• The style includes a direct, strong feeling, and is often based on a variety of sources, from French influences to the Mozarabic style (and the use of Arabian techniques).
• Sculptures are predominantly reliquaries, altar frontals, crucifixes, or devotional images.
• The images are typically carried in processions and are intended for people of high social standing to appreciate.

Romanesque Architecture

• Romanesque architecture is characterized by impressive masonry walls, utilizing rounded arches and vaults, as well as intricate, sculpture-filled portals. The period of building activity included the construction of many castles, churches, and monasteries.

Gothic Art

• Gothic paintings depict popular themes, including legends and love stories.
• Often, detailed, symbolic patterns on fabrics, like those used in the Lady and Unicorn tapestry, are used.
• Stained glass windows instruct Christians and warm interiors and colored glass, allowing light through churches.
• Gothic sculptures are freer from the wall, with more realistic representation showing different poses and movements, unlike earlier styles.

Gothic Architecture

• Gothic architecture uses pointed arches to support vaulted ceilings and complex vaulting systems.
• Structures have intricate stone work, with clusters of pillars and pointed arches. Elements often used in this era included stained glass windows, featuring religious messages and themes for instruction and visual appeal.

Art Elements

• Lines, shapes, forms, values, (tones of light and dark), colors, texture, and space are foundational elements in any artwork creation.
• Principles of composition, like rhythm and movement, balance, emphasis, harmony, unity, variety, and proportion, guide the overall structure.