Greek Art Summary PDF

SUMMARY GREECE – A WHEN GRADE 10: STRUGGLE BETWEEN ANCIENT GREEK TIMELINE CHAPTER -...

SUMMARY GREECE – A WHEN GRADE 10: STRUGGLE BETWEEN ANCIENT GREEK TIMELINE CHAPTER - MYTH AND LOGIC NEOLITHIC EARLY MINOAN MYCENAEAN THE GEOMETRIC ARCHAIC CLASSICAL HELLENISTIC LATE BRONZE DARK PERIOD PERIOD PERIOD PERIOD HELLENISTIC CHAPTER 5 – THE AGES OR GRECO- ROMAN CLASSICAL WORLD PERIOD 6000-2900 2900- 2000- 1600-1100 1100- 900-700 BC 700-480 480-323 323-146 146-30 B.C. B.C. 2000 1400 B.C. B.C. 700 BC BC B.C. B.C. B.C. BACKGROUND - Classical Period - CHARACTERISTICS OF ART IN THE: Ancient Greece Athens was governed by a GEOMETRIC PERIOD Its name is descriptive of the art created during this phase. Pottery decoration moved beyond simple shapes to also include animals and humans. Everything, however, was rendered with the use of simple - Ancient Greece: from the democracy and great geometric shapes. Neolithic time to the philosophers like Socrates ARCHAIC PEROD The Archaic phase is best known for the beginnings of realistic depictions of humans and monumental Dark Ages, ending and Plato arose. stone sculptures. It was during the Archaic period that the limestone kouros (male) and kore (female) statues were created, always depicting young, nude, smiling persons. approximately 500 B.C. - - the wars between Sparta The art of this time is seen as superior in class – derived from the Latin word classis – and it differs CLASSICAL PERIOD not documented and and Athens were during from earlier Greek art in that it is not as simplified. Classical Art pursued ideals of beauty, harmony, this time. and proportion. The human figure and the human experience of space and their relationship with the preserved gods were central to Classical Art. - the following Geometric, - Near the end of the The sculptors of the time explored the portrayal of recognizable facial features and body language. HELLENISTIC PERIOD Archaic, Classical and Classical Period Alexander They represented individual types of people. This new interest in realism lead artists to show scenes as the Great rose to power experienced in everyday life as opposed to the idealized world of beauty associated with the gods. Hellenistic Periods - Combined with the theme of suffering, the effects of movement and intense facial expressions as seen Greek culture was conquering much of in many Hellenistic sculptures portray the interest of artists in melodramatic subject matter. Art established – preserved Europe and Western Asia. started changing from something that was created with a purpose that dominated it, such as religion, - Hellenistic Period - to something that was produced for no other purpose than providing aesthetic pleasure. and documented - Archaic Period - This The Hellenistic period Greek Life and Beliefs - Unlike the Mesopotamians and Egyptians, the Greeks - all their activities such as processions, games and wars, the role of the individual period ran from the start lasted from the death of was seen as important of Greek civilization in Alexander the Great until - Kings, priests and officials - seen as ordinary men - not godly status as in other cultures 31 BC. During this period, - gradual transition from belief in the traditional religion to a philosophical, scientific and rational explanation of the world, based on 800 BC to the observation - shaped by this questioning attitude introduction of Greece slowly declined in - strove to an ideal of excellence based on the laws of nature and reason - Human intelligence and therefore man was seen as central to Democracy in 508 BC. power until it was finally this philosophy of excellence as they strove towards being in harmony with nature and reason - the Greek gods were anthropomorphic- Greek religion is a manifestation of the Greeks’ pursuit of the ideal as the gods were ideal beings This period included the conquered by Rome. that represented natural forces. The immortal gods took on the human form and had certain frailties, which humans were familiar with. start of the Olympic The name Hellenistic comes - The twelve main male and female gods each had a distinct personality and domain. Their relationship towards people, their origin and from the Greek word "Hellas", their natures were described in Greek myths, stories about the gods. Games. The Greek - It was believed that they lived at the centre of Greece on the highest mountain, Olympus. The relationship between humans and the government began to which is the original word for gods was based on a concept of exchange. Humans gave gifts in the form of sacrifices and the gods had to answer prayers form with the rise of the Greece. - The religious practices of the Greeks had its origins in the Bronze Age. Ceremonies for the worship of specific gods were held at sanctuaries. Here well-defined spaces set sacred areas apart as the inside of the temple was revered as the house of the god and city-states such as Athens contained a cult image of that god. Sacrifices and ceremonies took place outside of the temple at an altar. The most important ritual act and Sparta. This was also was animal sacrifice. when the Greeks began to - The Greeks believed in an afterlife in the Underworld, which is described as a place deep under the earth where the shadows of the deceased drifted around. This Underworld was under the rule of Zeus’ brother, Hades, his wife Persephone and Poseidon. According to explore philosophy and their beliefs, the spirit of the dead left the body at the moment of death as a little breath or a puff of wind. The deceased would be theatre. mourned by friends and family at a wake and then taken to a grave in a ceremonial procession. Immortality depended on remembrance by the living.  Examples of Greek Artworks The Geometric Period: Dipylon Vase - One of the typical geometric vases discovered in a graveyard in Dipylon is a terracotta krater of 74.2 cm in height. - Large vessels such as this were used as grave monuments and had no bottom WHAT, HOW & WHY so that offerings could be poured through them into the ground - The figurative decorations in between the bands of repetitive geometric - Greek vases were mostly functional objects patterns show the purpose of the vase: In the centre of the widest band at the - ceramic vessels used for storage, carrying, mixing, serving, and drinking, and as top of the vase, a man lies stretched out on a bier. He is shown on his side and cosmetic and perfume containers the shroud that should cover him from sight is painted as a checkered pattern - Elaborately formed and decorated, vases - worthy gifts for dedication to the surrounding him. He is surrounded by firstly his family and two rows of people gods on either side of him. The people are showing their sorrow by lifting their arms - Made of terracotta (fired clay) - were fashioned into a variety of shapes and to the top of their heads. sizes - All the figures are represented very schematically with a dark circle - very often a vessel’s form correlates with its intended function representing the head and a single dot inside it representing the eye. - krater was used to mix water and wine during a Greek symposium -It allows an - The bodies are reminiscent of Egyptian figures consisting of a triangle for the individual to pour liquids into its wide opening, stir the contents in its deep torso with two simplified legs shown from the side. bowl, and easily access the mixture with a separate ladle or small jug. - In the band underneath the scene of mourning there is a procession with - hydria vase - used for collecting, carrying, and pouring water. It features a horse-drawn chariots as well as warriors carrying shields shaped like bulbous body, a pinched spout, and three handles hourglasses. - Pottery and painting on vases - most prominent art forms from the Geometric - This scene could be a representation of the funerary procession, or refer to the period that survived deceased man’s military exploits, or his ancestry and traditions - artists who decorated pots did not stick to using patterns and plant motifs, but - Although the style of painting is very simplified, pattern-like and restrained, it started using myths and everyday life as subject matter shows a movement in the direction of the representation of experiences and - artists influenced by contact with people from the Near East and Egypt emotions. through colonization and trade - geometric ornamental shapes combined with animal and human figures are characteristic of the Geometric period - the simplified style in which the humans and animals - Development from the early geometric styles of vase decorations correlates with the development in other art forms like sculpture - rows of rigid silhouette figures, like stick figures, seen in the geometric style- later portrayed with rounded contours showing movement and a sense of drama - use of three-dimensional depth became more intricate - paintings showed complex groups of figures with three quarter views leading to a display of perspective - artists also started experimenting with the use of different colours on the vases leading to the black figure style, the red figure style and the white ground style Dipylon Vase  The Archaïc Period: Kouros of Tenea Classical Sculpture: Discobolos – The Discus thrower - The Discobolos was originally created in bronze by the Greek sculptor Myron - first monumental freestanding sculptures appeared in the early stages of the - He was known for creating naturalistic sculptures in which the figures are Archaic Period -statues are of nude youths known as kouros and clothed young caught in a moment of action women known as kore - Discobolos became very popular with the Romans, probably because of the - reasons for creating these figures are not always clear - some of these male and representation of the athletic ideal, who made a number of marble copies of female figures - funerary monuments while others were found in sanctuaries it. where they were placed as offerings to the gods - As an early Classical sculpture, it shows how the sculptors of that time was - figures did not represent specific people or gods but they rather represented freed from the rigid poses of the Archaic period the idea of youthfulness and vigour, a stage of life that humans only experience - Bodies moving in space or human action became a subject matter investigated for a while during their lifetime while the gods experienced it eternally. by the Greek sculptors of the Classical period. In the Discobolos an ideal - The use of youth as subject matter and portraying people in a naturalistic style conception of the physical reality of movement was accomplished. led the Archaic artists to portraying idealistic versions of young men and - The athlete is shown at the moment before he swings the heavy disc forward women and avoiding the portrayal of specific people to release it. - explanation for the nudity can be found in early beliefs that worship without - In the placement of the arms and legs and the use of the distribution of body clothes shows the human without any worldly possessions weight together with the shapes of the muscles, a compositional effect was - Besides representing the ideal state of the human being, these young men also created that the Greeks termed rhythmos or pattern. represented the self-confidence and pride in physical appearance associated - The curve created by the line stretching through the arms intersects with the with a male dominated society where the superiority of male strength and curve created by the bent knee. beauty was constantly admired and celebrated - The forward leaning torso also intersects with and links the two other arches. Kouros from Tenea While the top half of the statue is smooth and open, the bottom half consists - This marble statue of 1.52 m dates back to 570 B.C. was found next to a grave of angular overlapping forms. This compositional effect leads to a disruption of and was therefore a funerary monument symmetry, which contributes to the sense of balance that was achieved. - kouroi all differ from each other, but there are certain characteristics shared - Despite the dramatic effect of action and balance created through the by all visible in this statue - same rigid attitude, with arms next to the body, depiction of the twisted torso, the facial expression is relatively emotionless. hands clenched, one foot slightly in front of the other and the raised head This is seen as a sign of strength and power associated with the excellence of looking straight ahead can be seen in many of the attempts at the ideal male the athlete. youth. - Although Myron intended this sculpture to be viewed as if in one plane, like a - This symmetrical upright stance reminds strongly of the Egyptian statues. relief with no background, the various views of the statue shows that it could be - emphasis placed on the broad shoulders, developed pectoral and calf muscles, viewed from all sides which is another aspect that differs from the more narrowness of the waist and the roundness of the thighs and buttocks all simplistic frontality of earlier sculptures. contribute to the athletic appearance of this youth - precisely defined facial features are characteristic of the Archaic period as the smile is called an “archaic smile” and the impassive stare and stylized long flowing hair can also be seen in other statues - earlier versions of the kouroi the outlines of features such as the calves and thighs were emphasized while the Kouros of Tenea shows a more naturalistic approach in which the modeling is more rounded Kouros from Tenea Discobolos The Hellenistic Period: Laocoön - The works from the Hellenistic period may seem exaggerated and emotional when seen next to the calm harmony and balance of Classical sculptures. - The Laocoön group is a sculpture from the Late Hellenistic period. This work, carved by the Rhodians Hagesadrus, Polydorus and Athenodorus during 42 to 20 B.C.E. had a visible influence on Renaissance artists such as Michelangelo after it was discovered in Rome in 1516. - The heroic struggling figures represent a Trojan priest, Laocoön and his sons, Antiphantes and Thymbraeus. The priest, who defied one of the gods, was punished by the god by sending two sea serpents to attack him as he was about to make an offering at an altar. Most believe that Poseidon or Athena punished him for telling his compatriots about the Greeks’ plan with the wooden horse. - The triangular composition shows this group of three figures closely entwined by the snakes coiling around their arms and legs. - Within this scene, the father seems to be experiencing more suffering and torment than his two young sons. - The dramatic effect of his muscular body with the strong diagonal lines in the placement of the arms and legs and the tormented facial expression is the focal point of the composition. - It emphasizes the tragic suffering dealt out by the gods as punishment. - The two sons on either side of the priest balance the composition. - On the left, the one son is on the point of death. His softer figure contrasts strongly with the tense movement seen in the two other figures. - The contrast of texture in the draperies and hair in comparison to the smoother skin tones adds to the expressive qualities of this sculpture. - At the final stages of the Greek Empire this group can also be perceived as a sacrifice that symbolize the fall of Troy and the establishment of the foundations of the Roman Empire.