Art of Ancient Greece Theme: “Man is the Measure of All Things”

Art of Ancient Art of Ancient GreeceGreece

Theme: “Man is the Measure of All Things”

Mycenaean Culture-what Mycenaean Culture-what happened?happened?

• Tribes came from the north

• Collapsed around 1200 BC

• “Dark Ages of Greece”

• Begins to recover around 800 BC– reorganization in form of city-states– United by language and fear-competitive with

one another

Who settled in ancient Who settled in ancient Greece?Greece?

–Dorians-inhabited Greek mainland

– Ionians-inhabited eastern-most tip of mainland (including Athens), Greek islands and west coast of Anatolia

History of Greek politicsHistory of Greek politics

• City States were foundation of democracy– Demos-people + kratos-power= power of the

people!

• Greeks were enlightened in many ways, oppressive in others

• Patriarchal society that owned slaves

• City-states warred against each other-not unified as one culture until second invasion of Persians in 480 BCE

Greek politicsGreek politics

• Sacred Oracle at Delphi-divinely inspired priestess would advise on political matters as well personal ones.

• Greek philosophers often had discussions and debates about government– Plato-proposed banning artists, no use

other than imitation

Beliefs and Social CustomsBeliefs and Social Customs

• Believed foreigners were barbaric, uncivilized

• Emphasis on personal psychology and insight

• Humanity and honoring the individual were of upmost importance

• Glorified in the perfection of the human body

• Polytheistic-Gods of Greeks were in human form– Had human faults and frailties

• contrast to Near Eastern societies

• Philosophy, Science, Math, and Aesthetics were all interrelated in ancient Greece

• Belief in rituals for the “shade” of dead to pass into underworld of Hades—might wander.

• Set up grave markers for ID and to pay respects

What were a few of their What were a few of their contributions?contributions?

• Democratic Society• Socrates-method of teaching “Socratic

Dialogue”• Pythagorean theorem• Great literary works– Homer’s Iliad and The Odyssey

• Olympics– 1st Olympics called Panhellinic Games (all the

Greeks)– Wars halted to play

• Coins

Why is Why is ““man the measure of all man the measure of all things?things?””

• Greek desire was to create the perfect man through balance of intellectual and physical discipline

• Thought human body was balanced and harmonious-made it focal point of much of their art

• Modern idea of individual importance came from Greeks

• Importance of proportion=measuring

Innovations of Greek Innovations of Greek sculpturesculpture

How did Greek sculpture depart from preceding civilizations?1.Unafraid of nudity.

2.Marble sculptures freed from block.

3.Lost wax casting made metal sculpture larger, lighter and more ambitious.

4.Contrapposto-knees bent, shoulders tilted. Natural way of standing.

Greek PeriodsGreek Periods

• Geometric Period 9th-8th century BCE

• Orientalizing Period 7th century BCE

• Archaic Period 600-480 BCE

• Classical Periods 480-323 BCE– Severe or Early Classical 480-450 BCE– High Classical/Classical 450-400 BCE– Late Classical 400-323 BCE

• Hellenistic Period 321-31 BCE

Geometric Geometric Krater from Krater from Dipylon Dipylon CemeteryCemetery

GeometricGeometric

740 BC740 BC

• 3’ tall Krater (mixing bowl) with holes in bottom placed at head of grave for Athenian leader

• 3 large registers show funeral of deceased/cremation

• Abstracted art

• Meander (key pattern) around the vase

• Purely commemorative-no reference to afterlife

Man and a CentaurMan and a CentaurGeometric Period 730 BCEGeometric Period 730 BCE

• 4 ½” Solid cast bronze

• Inspired by myths

• Influence of Near East in composite creatures

• Centaur-half-man and half-horse purely a Greek invention

Orientalizing PeriodOrientalizing Period

• Huge imagery influence from Egypt and other Near Eastern cultures from trade

• More experimentation and narrative subject matter

• Black-Figure Painting– Black silhouettes on ceramic background– Delicate detailing– Use of incising– Often highlights of purple or white

Corinthian Pitcher, 650

BCE. Ceramic

with black figure

decoration.

Archaic Period StatuaryArchaic Period Statuary

• Inspired by Egyptians – Cubic, stance, fists, etc.

• Important differences– Freed from stone– 1st free-standing monumental sculptures– Expressions– Love of patterns-esp in hair

• Most Greek statuary was originally painted using encaustic method (wax and pigment)

• KourosKouros

• ArchaicArchaic

• 600 BCE600 BCE

• Kouros is a standing male nude figure that stood over grave in countryside

• Replaced vases of Geometric time as grave marker.

• Sometimes was a votive offering-gift of gratitude to deity

• Beginning of Greek quest to create ideal human form

• Sculptor used 4-sided approach to marble block

• Large triangular head, slim waist, rigid posture, fists clenched, left leg slightly advanced, life-size

• Peplos KorePeplos Kore

• ArchaicArchaic

• 530 BC530 BC

• Kore is a freestanding, clothed female figure (maiden)

• Peplos is a long woolen garment makes her look like a column

• 2 bold innovations– Missing arm was extended-representing motion– Smiling

• Archaic smile-curved edges of lips and raised cheekbones• Meant to make statues seem more life-like

Archaic Black and Red Figure Vase Archaic Black and Red Figure Vase PaintingPainting

• Archaic Vase Painting: prized and exported due to beauty.

• Focused on a specific scene instead of using several registers. Mythological subjects.

• Black figure vases– Red clay left untouched– Figures and details painted in slip (liquefied

clay) and fired to turn black in color– Additional details incised with sharp stylus

• Red figure vases-– Background painted in lustrous black

glaze– Red clay left unpainted to form design

• Achilles and Achilles and Ajax Playing a Ajax Playing a Dice game by Dice game by ExekiasExekias

• ArchaicArchaic

• 540 BCE540 BCE

• Exechias was the master of black-figure technique

• This is a black figure amphora

• Unparalleled detail.

• Frontal eye holds onto tradition

• Form of amphora reflected in backs and in negative space

• Andokides Painter, Andokides Painter, Achilles and Ajax Playing a Dice GameAchilles and Ajax Playing a Dice Game

• ArchaicArchaic• 520 BC520 BC

• Bilingual vase painting: same image on both sides, one in black figure and one in red figure

• Copy of Exechias’ Achilles and Ajax Playing Dice panel- inferior in execution except for experimentation of red figure

Greek TemplesGreek Temples

• Made of limestone and/or marble

• Early temples resembled Mycenaean megarons(king throne room with throne and 4 columns)

• Temple was house of god or goddess often placed on a hill or sacred grove.– Temple itself NOT for worship– Needs and comfort of god #1 priority– Greeks worshipped outside at altar which

faced rising sun

• Cult statue/statue of diety inside

• Exterior relief sculpture

• Carved columns added to impressive power of temple

• Thought of as sculpture

Temple PlansTemple Plans

• Simple

• Symmetrical

• Orderly

• Proportion varied – Width to length 1:3 then later approx. 1:2

– Whatever looked good and was harmonious!

• One of earliest temple types in Greece is the peripteral temple-temple floor surrounded by colonnade, or row of columns.

Plan of a typical peripteral templePlan of a typical peripteral temple

37

Peripteral Greek Temple

• Cella(naos)-room inside temple that housed the cult statue of deity

• Pronaos-front porch that came before the cella, open

• Opisthodomos-rear porch, decorative, for symmetry purposes

• Anta-extended walls coming off the Pronaos and Opisthodomos/have columns attached

Colonnade options for peripteral templeColonnade options for peripteral temple

• Design of temple could be….– Prostyle-colonnade across front of temple– Amphiprostyle-colonnade across front and back

of temple– Peristyle-colonnade across all 4 sides of temple

• Also could choose from type of colonnade rows:– Peripteral-Single rows of columns– Dipteral-Double rows of columns (usually more

elaborate temples)

What is an order?What is an order?

Style of the 3 units on front of temple known as an order

Orders included (from bottom):1. Stepped platform-base2. Colonnade-columns3. Entablature-Everything above the columns

Two main types of orders-Doric and Ionic