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Chapter 5Ancient Greece

Gardner’s Art Through the Ages, 13e

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The Greek World

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Goals

• Understand the diverse cultural influences on Greek artistic development

• Connect the philosophy and religion of the ancient Greeks to their values in art and architecture.

• Recall the basic periods of Greek art and place works of art and architecture into these periods based on their characteristics

• Discuss the representation of the human form through different periods of Greek art.

• Observe the development of Greek architectural structures in accordance with their purposes

• Identify the orders of Greek architecture and compare and contrast their appearances

• Understand the impact of the conquest of the Greeks on their respective art forms

• Discuss individual artists and their respective styles

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5.1 Geometric and Orientalizing Periods

• Understand the diverse cultural influences on Greek artistic development

• Discuss the representation of the human form through different periods of Greek art.

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Greek Artistic Development

• Understand the diverse cultural influences on Greek artistic development.

• Identify the artistic elements and influences in the Geometric (9th – 8th centuries BCE) and Orientalizing styles (7th century BCE).

• Observe the values of religion, military valor, heroism, and athleticism as they emerge in Greek art during these periods.

Geometric Period (9th – 8th centuries BCE)

• Describe geometric features in the design of the Geometric krater from the Dipylon Cemetery.

• What type of scene is being displayed in the registers?

• What was the purpose of such an item?

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Figure 5-2 Geometric krater, from the Dipylon cemetery, Athens, Greece, ca. 740 BCE. 3’ 4 1/2” high. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

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The Human Figure in Early Greek Art

• Describe the representation of the human form in early Greek art.

• Examine Greek religion, mythology, and philosophy and their expression in art.

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Figure 5-3 Hero and centaur (Herakles and Nessos?), from Olympia,Greece, ca. 750–730 BCE. Bronze, 4 1/2” high. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (gift of J. Pierpont).

Orientalizing Period (7th century BCE)

• The pace and scope of Greek trade and colonization increased in the near East and Egypt during this period.

• What Egyptian and/or near Eastern qualities can be observed in the works of Greek art during this period?

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Figure 5-4 Mantiklos Apollo, statuette of a youth dedicated by Mantiklos to Apollo, from Thebes, Greece, ca. 700–680 BCE. Bronze, 8” high. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

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Figure 5.5 Corinthian black-figure amphora with animal friezes, from Rhodes, Greece, ca. 625–600 BCE. 1’ 2” high. British Museum, London.

Observe the creatures on this black-figure amphora. Are there any precedents for such composite creatures?

Architecture during the Orientalizing Period

• Examine features of Temple A from Prinias on the island of Crete.

• What architectural structures may have influenced this building either from Egypt, the near East, or the Greek mainland?

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Figure 5-6 Plan of Temple A, Prinias, Greece, ca. 625 BCE.

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Figure 5-7 Lady of Auxerre, ca. 650–625 BCE. Limestone, 2’ 1 1/2” high. Louvre, Paris.

5.2 Archaic Period (6th century BCE)

• Notice how representation of the human figure changes

• Recognize the emergence of the Doric and Ionic orders of architecture

• Realize the refinement of Greek vase painting and differentiate between black-figure and red-figure vases

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The Human Figure in Archaic Art

• Understand the development and influences relating to the early Greek kouros (male youth)/kouroi (pl.)

• Understand the development and influences relating to the kore (maiden)/korai (pl.).

• What culture(s) had a significant influence on the New York kouros? How is it uniquely Greek?

• What was/were the purpose(s) of such statues?

• How is the Kroisos figure different from the other kouroi?

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Figure 5-8 Kouros, ca. 600 BCE. Marble, 6’ 1/2” high. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

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Figure 5-9 Calf Bearer, dedicated by Rhonbos on the Acropolis, Athens, Greece, ca. 560 BCE. Marble, restored height 5’ 5”; fragment 3’ 11 1/2” high. Acropolis Museum, Athens.

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Figure 5-10 Kroisos, from Anavysos, Greece, ca. 530 BCE. Marble, 6’ 4” high. National Archaeological Museum, Athens.

Why did Greek artists render the male form in the nude?

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Figure 5-11 Peplos Kore, from the Acropolis, Athens, Greece, ca. 530 BCE. Marble, 4’ high. Acropolis Museum, Athens.

Notice traces of encaustic paint on the Peplos Kore. Most Greek stone statues were painted.

Notice also that the Peplos Kore is clothed.

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Figure 5-12 Kore, from the Acropolis, Athens, Greece, ca. 520–510 BCE. Marble, 1’ 9” high. Acropolis Museum, Athens.

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Greek Architectural Development

• Observe the development of Greek architectural structures in accordance with their purposes

• Identify the orders of Greek architecture and compare and contrast their appearances

• What is a common support element that Greek temples share with structures with other historical periods even Stonehenge?

Figure 5-13 Plan of a typical peripteral Greek temple.

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Peripteral Greek Temple

Figure 5-14 Elevations of the Doric and Ionic orders.

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Compare Doric and Ionic Orders

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Figure 5-15 Temple of Hera I (“Basilica”), Paestum, Italy, ca. 550 BCE.

27Figure 5-16 Plan of the Temple of Hera I, Paestum, Italy, ca. 550 BCE.