Classical Art

Classical ArtGreece and Rome

Greece• Intellectual and creative influences still hold a

place in contemporary societies▫Attitudes toward life

Humanism▫People the focus

Physically and mentally fit▫Balance between mind and body▫Balance between emotion and intellect

Naturalism▫Truth based on observation of nature

Idealism▫When nature fell short of perfection the Greeks turned

toward an accepted standard of beauty

Greece▫Birth place of Aesthetics

Aesthetics: a branch of philosophy dealing with the nature of beauty, art, and taste and with the creation and appreciation of beauty

Why was Aesthetics born in Greece?▫Philosophy was born in Greece▫They loved order and feared chaos and they saw order in art▫High premium on the physical

▫ Athletics ▫Advanced understanding of geometric forms▫Wealth

▫ Trade related▫Communication skills

▫ Trade related

Greece Key figures in discussing aesthetics

▫Aristotle▫Socrates▫Plato

Greece▫Periods

Geometric Archaic Classical Hellenistic

Greece Geometric

▫Shapes and patterns▫Conceptual figures

Dipylon Vase▫Terra-cotta▫42 5/8” tall▫Grave marker▫Figures:

▫Frontal view▫Profile legs and arms▫Profile head▫Frontal eyes

Greece Archaic

▫Figure replaced Geometric patterns

Francois Vase▫Ceramic▫26” tall▫Divided into 6

registers▫Attempt at naturalism

▫Figures not static as in the Dipylon Vase

▫Handles actually echo design

▫Black-figure painting

Greece▫Black-figure painting

▫Black figures on a reddish background

▫Figures painted on using a brush and slip

▫First fired in oxidation▫Second fired in reduction

▫ This pulled the red color out of the clay body

▫Then, finer details incised with sharp tool

Greece

Greece Sculpture

▫In the Archaic period, sculpture emerged as the principle art form

▫Freestanding, life-sized, and larger-than-life-sized▫Influenced by Egyptians▫Temples ornamented with sculptures

▫Frieze and pediment Dying Warrior & Fallen Warrior

▫These works require the viewer to piece the drama together by collecting information from scattered realistic elements

Greece Kouros figure

▫Marble▫6’4” tall▫Devotional or funerary▫Similar to Egyptian

sculptures▫Different though:

▫The stone was carved away from the body, releasing it from the block

Greece Kore figure

▫Female counterpart of the kouros

▫Peplos is the heavy woolen wrap she is wearing

▫Touches of paint▫Colors often used:

▫ Red, blue, yellow, green, black and gold

▫Beauty lies in the lines of this work▫Contour and implied

Greece Classical

Early Classical Classical Late Classical Hellenistic Art

Greece Early Classical

Diskobolos▫Discus Thrower▫Example of implied movement

which was newly introduced in the Early Classical period

▫Idealized▫However more realistic▫Balance is key

Greece The Parthenon

▫Dedicated to Athena the protector of Athens▫Doric order▫Stylobate is convex▫The columns are tilted inward and swell and the

midpoint▫Used as Byzantine church, Roman Catholic church

and mosque▫Used as an ammunition dump by the Turks in their

was against the Venetians▫The cella was hit by a Venetian rocket

Sculpture The Three

Goddesses▫Marble▫4’7” tall▫From the Parthenon▫Phidias▫Characteristics

▫Weighty▫Naturalistic poses▫Realistic drapery

◦ Folds are articulate◦ Thinner drapery

clings to the body

Doryphoros▫Spear Bearer▫Marble▫6’6” tall▫Weight-shift principle

▫Polykleito’s stlye

Noibid Painter▫Red-figure▫Argonaut Krater

▫Registers eliminated▫Attempted realism

▫ Outlining foreground, middle ground and background

▫ Fails in the end◦ Placement of figures not

correct◦ Scale◦ Still waiting on perspective

Greece Late Classical

Sculpture▫Hermes and Dionysos

▫Marble▫7’1”▫Praxiteles▫Softer flesh▫S curve

Dionysos = god of wine

Hermes = messenger

god

Apoxyomenos▫Original in bronze▫6’6” tall▫Lysippos

▫ Introduced new canon of proportions the introduced a more slender and graceful figure

▫The viewer is forced to walk around the sculpture▫ Due to arm positions

▫S curve seems to spiral in this work

Hellenistic Art▫Excessive and theatrical emotion▫Use of illusion to heighten realism▫Space around figures is treated as an extension of the viewer’s

space The Dying Gaul

▫Unlike The Fallen Warrior ▫ It’s all there and relatively seamless

▫ Blood pouring out of wounds▫ Head hangs▫ Overall body language

The RomansArchitecture and sculpture

Rome•Art absorbed a great amount of Greek

style and content often referred to as Grecco-Roman▫Major difference between the Romans and

Greeks would be the Roman preference for near trompe l’oiel realism in their portrait sculpture

▫Greeks were about idealism in their sculpture Recall the Riace Bronzes and why the Greeks

were unsatisfied with the Kritian Boy

Rome Head of a

Roman▫14 3/8” tall▫Marble▫Republican

Period▫No attempt at

idealizing this man

▫A neutral record of this man

Rome Augustus of Primaporta

▫Marble▫6’8” tall▫Early Empire▫Pure realism of the

Republican Period joined the idealism of the Greeks

▫Example of individual’s head on idealized body in a Classical pose▫Similar to Doryphoros▫Head unique and idealized

Rome Marcus Aurelius on Horseback

▫Larger than life-size▫Bronze▫Early Empire▫Combines the Roman love of

realism with a later concern for psychologically penetrating portraits▫ Horse is muscular▫ Emperor is calm reflecting a Stoic

philosophy▫ Stoicism: indifference to emotion and

things of this world was a key virtue in life

▫ Only survives b/c they Christians thought it was Constantine

Rome Head of Constantine

the Great▫Enormous sculpture:

▫ Marble head and limbs

▫ Wooden body covered in bronze

▫ Head is 8 feet tall▫Realism and idealism

replaced by archaic expression

▫Christianity taking over and the Roman Empire was failing