The Art of Ancient GreeceHonors Humanities

The Acropolis

A Timeline of Culture & Art

Alexander the Great dies. 323 BCE

Archaic Period

Athenian Golden Age

Classical Age

Hellenis-tic Era

Persian Defeat, 479 BCE

Let’s apply this timeline to art!Cycladic culture

Minoan culture flourishes

Early Minoan Late MinoanMiddle Minoan

c.1000 BCE

Knossos destroyed by Greeks, c.1400 BCE

Stauette of woman 3rd millenium BCE

c.3000 BCEc.2800 BCE

Trojan War, c1250 BCE

The Acropolis

theoretical reconstruction

Evolution of the Male Form in Greek Sculpture

c.600

c.575- 550

c.560

c.530- 520

c.515- 500

c.485

c.320

Evolution of the Female Form in Greek Sculpture

c.650

c.630

c.550

c.530

c.490

c.320

Archaic Greek Sculpture

Kouros. Archaic period, from island of Samos

Archaic Greek Sculpture

Kore. Young female, Archaic, c.530 BCE

Note the Egyptian influence.

Archaic Greek Sculpture

Kouros (male youth) c.600 BCE

This is exceptionally forward-looking for the Archaic period.

Archaic Greek SculptureComposition – posture and gesture. Look at vertical axis – even distribution of weight, providing symmetry in balance

Archaic

Anavysos kouros

c.530 BCE

Archaic Greek Sculpture

“Kritios Boy” 480 BCE Acropolis

Archaic Greek Sculpture

Peplos kore, Archaic c.530, Acropolis, Athens

Bright, painted colors would adorn the surface of this marble kore, while standing at the Acropolis.

Archaic Greek Sculpture

“Archaic smile” Apollo, terra-cotta, c.500 BCE

Close-up of the “Archaic smile”

Archaic Greek Sculpture

“Dying Warrior” – Archaic Period. c.490 BCE

Archaic Greek Sculpture

“Hera Unveiling Herself to Zeus” - Archaic 470-460 BCE

Relief Sculpture:

Sculpture in which form projects from a background.

Three degrees:

High relief forms stand far out from the background

Low relief (bas-relief) forms are shallow

Sunken relief (intaglio) backgrounds are not cut back and the points in highest relief are level with the original surface

Archaic Greek Art

Concentric circles with vertical wavy lines

Neck-handled, protogeometric, 1050-1000 BCE.

Archaic Greek Art

Attic black figure, panel amphora, c.540 High Archaic

Athena springing from head of Zeus

Archaic Greek Art

Herakles wrestling the Nemean Lion, Attic black figure, 520-500 BCE Archaic

Transitional or Early Classical

Herakles and Atlas. Temple of Zeus, Olympia, c.460 BCE

Transitional or Early Classical“Charioteer of Delphi” Sanctuary of Apollo at Delphi, c.470 BCE, bronze, height 5'11"

Transitional or Early Classical

Riace Warrior c.460-450 BCE bronze w/bone and glass eyes, silver teeth, height 6'8"

Note the contraposto form.

Transitional or Early ClassicalFrom the sea off Cape Artemision. Bronze, c.460 BCE. Zeus apparently hurling trident, or thunderbolt, with right hand. One of few bronze votive statues from 5th century BCE still extant. H. 2.09 m. National Museum, Athens.

Classical Period of Greek Art

Phidias and assistants, Acropolis: Parthenon Horsemen, north frieze, c.447-432 BCE

Classical Period of Greek Art

Polykleitos – “Doryphoros” (Spearbearer), Roman marble copy, c.450 BCE

Contraposto pose: by standing on one leg, the body shifts throughout, avoiding too much symmetry and implying motion.

reconstructed copy

Classical Period of Greek Art

Dionysos with maenads and satyrs, Attic Red figure, 440-430 BCE, Classical

Herakles killing an Amazon.

Classical Period of Greek Art

Wounded Amazon, 440 BCE.

Polykleitos took 1st prize in a competition at Ephesos with this sculpture of an Amazonian woman.

Classical Period of Greek Art

Once again, remember ancient Greek sculpture and reliefs featured brightly painted colors.

Classical Period of Greek Art

Classical Period of Greek Art

“Discobolus” (Discus Thrower) – Myron, marble, c.420-410 BCE

Etruscan wall painting

Late Classical Period

Lysippos – Apoxyomenos (The Scraper) Roman marble copy,c.330 BCE

Late Classical Period

Praxiteles – Hermes and the infant Dionysus – Roman marble copy, c.325 BCE

The content for much of Greek art, including sculpture, focused on heroes, warriors, and the Olympian gods and goddesses. This subject is typical of ancient Greek art.

Late Classical Period

After Praxiteles, “Aphrodite of Knidos” - Roman marble copyc.340 BCE

Did the Greeks believe in the same aesthetic principle for the female form as the West does today? What can the aesthetic principle of a culture tell us?

Late Classical Period

Herakles carrying Palaimon – Attic red figure, c.350 BCE

Late Classical

Hellenistic Period

Nike (Athena) of Samothrace“Winged Victory” marble, c.200-190 BCE

Yes, this is the source for naming the shoe.

Hellenistic Period

Hellenistic Period

Hellenistic Period

“The Dying Gaul” marble, c.230-220 BCE

Look at the facial structure. Does it look “Greek”?

From Pergamon in modern Turkey, this sculpture may be a Roman copy of a 3rd century BCE bronze statue that was part of a group commem- orating a Hellenistic victory over the Galatians, Celtic settlers in Asia Minor. It may also be the original.

Hellenistic Period

Hellenistic Period

Aphrodite (Venus de Milo) 130-120 BCE

Hellenistic Period

Hagesandros, Polydoros, and Athanadoros – “Laocoon and His Sons” - c.80 BCE, marble, height of 8 feet.

All good and great things come to an end, including this PowerPoint and Ancient Greece. Rome is rising on the horizon, a new sun lighting civilization. And Rome will shine brightly.