Greek Art

The human being was central to Greek culture The human body was considered to be beautiful and perfectly proportional Focused on proportion, balance and unity in everything (seen in their architecture, math, science, philosophy, poetry, etc.)

Greek Sculpture
Note the evolution of realism in Greek sculpture as we look at the following examples

TERM TO KNOW
Contrapposto: technique of sculpting a human figure in a pose that shows the weight of the body in balance. With weight on one leg, the shoulders and hips counterbalance each other in a natural way so the figure doesnt fall over

ARCHAIC PERIOD: 600-480 B.C.E.

1. 2.

Stylized and Rigid form: hands at sides, one leg forward Likely meant to be Apollo (the sun God) or an ideal athlete - not representing a real person Has the archaic smile

3.

Title: Kouros Date: c. 600 BCE Medium: marble Size: 185 cm high

ARCHAIC PERIOD: 600-480 B.C.E.

Peplos Kore c. 530 BCE

Kritios Boy c.480 BCE

CLASSICAL PERIOD
480-323 BCE

CLASSICAL PERIOD 480-323 BCE Charioteer of Delphi

c. 470 BCE

Discobolus (Discus Thrower)

c. 470 BCE, 71" bronze

CLASSICAL PERIOD 480-323 BCE

Zeus/Poseidon
c. 460 BCE, 82" bronze

CLASSICAL PERIOD 480-323 BCE

Key Points: 1.Originally called the canon, meant to show the mathematically proportional male figure - idealized to look perfect 2.Unity to create beauty

3.An example of the classical style of Greek Sculpture

4.Used contrapposto pose
Title: Doryphorus (Spear Bearer) Artist: Polyclitus Date: c. 450-440 BCE
Medium: Marble

Video Clip: The Canon from How Art Made the World

CLASSICAL PERIOD 480-323 BCE

Hermes and the Infant Dionysus c. 330-332 BCE

by Praxiteles, marble, 85" high

HELLENISTIC PERIOD 323 -150 BCE

Aphrodite of Melos
(Roman Venus de Milo) marble

c. 1st or 2nd century BCE

HELLENISTIC PERIOD 323 -150 BCE

Dying Gaul
c. 230-220 BCE, bronze

HELLENISTIC PERIOD 323 -150 BCE

Key Points:
1. Symbol of winged victory 2. Balance of the effects of wind through her costume, her beating wings, her strength, weight and grace 3. capturing both the moment of action and the atmosphere (wind and sea) 4. Space in front and behind her is important

Title: Nike of Samothrace

Date: c. 210-190 BCE Medium: marble

Size: 8' high

HELLENISTIC PERIOD 323 -150 BCE

Key Points: 1.Being strangled by serpents either due to Laocoons defiance of the god Apollo or offended Poseidon by warning Trojans about Trojan Horse 2.Their torment = realism in pose: straining muscles, swelling veins 3.Sons are deliberately smaller (older convention to indicate them as sons)

4.Shows bodies in motion and dramatic emotions in their facial expressions

Title: Laocoon Group (Trojan priest and his

sons) Date: c. 150 BCE Medium: marble Size: 7' high

Greek Architecture
Mostly temples and important civic buildings Concerned with harmony and proportion

TERMS TO KNOW
Doric: developed on mainland (cushion top, cigar columns) Ionic: developed on Greek Islands (scroll top, narrow fluted columns) Corinthian: used during the Hellenistic period and also later by the Romans (Acanthus leaf pattern column capital) Pediment: The triangular area over the entablature in Classical Greek Architecture Metope: Carved or plain areas (usually square) on the frieze of a Doric building Frieze: A horizontal band decorated with sculptures in the middle of an entablature (piece above the columns)

Key Points: 1. Temple dedicated to Athena Parthenospatron of Athens 2. Achitectural order: doric 3. Classical period architecture 4. Originally painted in some places
Title: The Parthenon, Artists: Iktinos and Kallikrates
Date: 448-432 BCE Medium: marble

Key Points: 1. Temple dedicated to Athena Nike (victory) 2. Architectural order: ionic

3. Lighter and more delicate in appearance

Temple of Athena Nike, Kallikrates
c. 425 BCE marble

Greek Pottery
Various styles: Geometric, Orientalizing (east: animal and floral forms), black-figure, redfigure Painted with slip from purified clay which turned black or white during firing processes

TERMS TO KNOW
Black-figure: After the firing of the pot figures appeared as black silhouettes against the background of the light red or yellowish clay of the pot Red-figure: The figures remained in the orangered color of the clay, and the surrounding background was turned to black by the firing of the pot

Dionysus in a Boat, Exekias

c.540 BCE Terra Cotta Pottery

black-figure pottery Scenes from daily life and mythology were common Dionysus reclines in a boat at sea after hes been abducted by pirates He causes vines to grow all over the ship, causing his captors to jump in the water and turn into dolphins He is surrounded by 7 dolphins and bunches of grapes

 An example of redfigure pottery Amphora: a large storage jar with two handles Depicts a scene from mythology Traces of gold have been added to suggest depth and form

Herakles in the Garden of the Hesperides Meidias

c. 410 BCE Terra Cotta Pottery