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What was the impact of all of this Greek art and architecture?
Venus, 1773, Joseph Nollekens, English Neoclassical period
Statue of Venus (the Mazarin Venus), A.D. 100–200, unknown, Roman
Aphrodite of Knidos, Roman copy of a Greek marble, c. 350-340 BCE, Praxiteles
Bust of a Woman, Roman, about A.D. 130
Bust of Maria Cerri Capranica, about 1640, attributed to Alessandro Algardi, Italian Baroque period
Parthenon, 447-432 BCE, Greece
Colosseum, c. 70-80 CE, Rome
Monticello, 1770-1806 CE, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States Neoclassical period
Trevi Fountain, 1732-1762 CE, Rome, Italian Neoclassical period
Agora,
Athens, Greece
600-50 BCE
An open plaza at the base of the Acropolis
Contained commercial, civic, religious and social buildings
Panathenaic Procession passed through
Surrounded by important buildings - see list below left
*See also the slide on architecture for more info on the buildings of the agora
Ikitinos and Kallikrates
The Parthenon
447-438 BCE
marble
Constructed on the rebuilt Acropolis, after the Persian sack
The centerpiece of the Periclean Acropolis
Dedicated to Athena
Construction of the Acropolis occupied the most important artists and architects of the Classical Period
The Parthenon became a church in the Byzantine Period, then a Roman Catholic church, then a mosque after the Ottomans took over
The Christians removed the center of the pediment to build an apse and also removed the large sculpture of Athena
The Ottomans added a minaret
The building was mostly destroyed when the Venetians blew up the ammunition stored inside by the Ottomans, then they tried to remove sculptures from the outside, damaging many
Thomas Bruce removed most of the remaining sculptures and sold them to England
Part of a larger work that filled the East pediment of the Parthenon
These works are also known as the Elgin Marbles - sold to England by Thomas Bruce, Earl of Elgin, controversial removal of artifacts
This pediment shows the birth of Athena from the head of Zeus, other deities watch
The West pediment shows the battle to become the patron deity of Athens, between Athena and Poseidon
The themes are especially appropriate for a building celebrating Athena
The center was removed when the Parthenon was turned into a church
Theme: Sculpture
Ancient Greek Art
Greek art is characterized by a pantheon of gods celebrated in large civic and religious buildings.
Much ancient writing survives in the fields of literature, law politics, and business. These documents shed light on Greek civilization as a whole, and on Greek art in particular.
Dates:
Archaic 600-480 BCE
Classical 480-323 BCE
Hellenistic 323-30 BCE
Helios, Horses and Dionysos
c. 438-432
Marble
1. Parthenon
2. Propylaia - gateway
3. pinakotheke - picture gallery
4. Erechtheion - temple
5. Temple of Athena Nike - temple
Watch this: http://smarthistory.org/sculpture-from-the-east-pediment-of-the-parthenon/
**this has Google imaging
Reconstruction drawing of agora
Read this: http://smarthistory.org/the-parthenon/
Athena Parthenos (the virgin), holds Nike in her hand
Read this: http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1883142_1883129_1883001,00.html
Watch this: http://smarthistory.org/the-athenian-agora-and-the-experiment-in-democracy/
Theme: Public Spaces
Map view of Acropolis
http://smarthistory.org/tag/ancient-greece/
Watch this: http://smarthistory.org/the-parthenon-athens/
Theme: Religious buildings
Classical Influence on Later Buildings
Archaic Period
Classical Period
Grave stele of Hegeso,
from the Dipylon Cemetery
c. 400 BCE
marble
Large tombstone depicting genre scene
Hegeso examines a jewelry box that her servant holds, appears living though the epitaph reveals she has died
Replaces the use of kraters or kouroi to mark graves
Theme: Funerary Art
Kallikrates
Temple of Athena Nike
c. 427-424
Ionic temple
At entrance to Acropolis
Unusual amphiprostyle building (columns along front
and back only, not on sides - opposite of peristyle)
Celebrates Athena as a bringer of victory, one frieze depicts Persian defeat at Marathon
Parapet was decorated with relief carvings of Nike in different positions (see Nike adjusting her sandal)
Theme: Commemoration
Also called "The Canon" and the "perfect statue" - created as a perfect representation of the human form and it's proportions
Pythagoras believed that harmonic proportions could be found in all of nature, beauty resides in harmonic ratios - the Greeks applied this to music and architecture, as well as art
Polykleitos applied this theory to his works which best represent Classical Greek art
Polykleitan style:
Theme: Human Figure, Realism or Classical Influence on Later Art
Nike (Victory) adjusting her sandal,
from south side of Temple of Athena Nike, Acropolis
c. 410 BCE
marble
Theme of temple is victory
Dozens of depictions of Nike
Modeled in high relief
Garments appear almost transparent and cling to the body, reveal body and create a decorative linear pattern
Theme: Figures in Motion
Plaque of the Ergastines
c. 438-432
marble
Grave marker, replaces the use of large vases on graves - see image at right
Not a portrait, but a depiction of an ideal warrior
Similarities and differences to Egyptian style:
Some paint survives
Uses the "Archaic smile" - a convention of the Greeks in this era to indicate that the person depicted is shown alive
Theme: Idealization, Human Figure or Funerary Art
Located inside the Parthenon
From the Panathenaic Freize, depicting the Panathenaic Procession - held every four years to honor Athena
The procession started at the Dipylon Gate, passed through the agora and ended on the Acropolis where Athenians placed a new peplos on a statue of Athena
Upper part of frieze is in higher relief to see the heads better from below
Uses isocephalism, all heads are in line
The Ergastines were in charge of weaving Athena's peplos
Theme: Relief Sculpture
Anavysos Kouros
530 BCE
marble and paint
Dipylon Krater, earlier form of grave marker, from Geometric period
Map of procession
New York Kouros
Parapet with frieze
Polykleitos, or
Spear Bearer (Doryphoros)
c. 450-440
marble copy from bronze original
Watch this: http://smarthistory.org/parthenon-frieze/
http://smarthistory.org/plaque-of-the-ergastines/
Watch this: http://smarthistory.org/grave-stele-of-hegeso/
Watch this: http://smarthistory.org/anavysos-kouros/
http://smarthistory.org/marble-statue-of- a-kouros-new-york-kouros/
Archaic smile
Watch this: http://smarthistory.org/contrapposto/
http://smarthistory.org/polykleitos-doryphoros-spear-bearer/
Watch this: http://smarthistory.org/nike-adjusting-her-sandal-temple-of-athena-nike-acropolis-athens/
Read this: http://smarthistory.org/temple-nike/
Hellenistic Period
Philoxenos of Eretria
Battle of Issus,
Roman copy (Alexander Mosaic), from the House of the Faun, Pompeii, Italy
c. 310 BCE (late 2nd or early 1st century BCE)
glass and stone tesserae
Seated boxer,
from Baths of Constantine, Quirinal Hill, Rome, Italy
c. 100-50 BCE
Bronze
Hellenistic approach to subject, compare to earlier statues of Classical period
Uses traditional subject of an athlete but depicts him as an older, defeated boxer with a broken nose and battered ears, bloody hands
This is a Hellenistic original, found in Rome, possibly part of a group
Inlaid copper gives appearance of blood
Emotional - What feelings and emotions does this figure evoke?
Altar of Zeus and Athena at Pergamon
c. 175 BCE
marble
Ionic (R)
Doric (L)
Temple plans
Altar placed on elevated platform, dramatic, high placement
Larger than life frieze wraps all the way around
Contains an altar dedicated to Zeus
Ionic columns
Narrative parallels
Detail of Athena depicts her battle with giants
Theme: Relief Sculpture
Made in the red-figure style (red figures on a black background, see also black-figure pottery)
One side depicts the massacre of the Niobids, 12 children of Niobe, a human
The children were killed because Niobe boasted that she was superior to Leto, because she had more children
The figures are placed in a landscape, they are in different positions and one is in 3/4 profile
Breaks from tradition of isocephalism
Other side depicts a story, possibly connected to Hercules
Theme: Ceramics
Stylistic "sister" of Anavysos Kouros
Originally named for what was thought to be the peplos garment, however, now it is understood to be four separate garments which would have been worn by a goddess
Drapery reveals the body form
Some surface paint survived
Women are always clothed in Archaic statuary
Left arm is missing, probably holding an identifying attribute
Theme: Human Figure, Idealization or Funerary Art
Hellenistic art is know for extreme realism and high drama
Large scale rendering of Nike (Victory) landing on a ship's prow to crown a naval victor
The wings are beating, the wind sweeps around her dramatically
Originally positioned in a fountain of water, enhancing the visual effect of the subject and pose
Theme: Dramatic Sculpture
Location
Caryatid column, from the Erechtheion
Left, restored view of Peplos Kore
Right, actual view
Artemis and Apollo side
A Roman copy (in mosaic) of a Greek painting - Why did Romans make copies?
Most Greek painting did not survive
Darius III, the Persian king, is defeated by a heroic Alexander
The style is groundbreaking and shows a window into later styles of the Renaissance
Psychological, dramatic, complex composition
Theme: Battle and Glory
Temple plan, peripteral
Peplos Kore
c. 530 BCE
marble and paint
Architectural features and styles
Theme: Athletes and Human Figure
Niobid Painter
Artemis and Apollo slaying the children of Niobe (Athenian red-figure calyx krater) from Orvieto, Italy
c. 450 BCE
clay
Watch this: http://smarthistory.org/apollonius-boxer-at-rest/
Nike alighting on a warship, (Nike of Samothrace)
c. 190 BCE
marble
Tholos, round temple design
How did they cast bronze?
https://www.khanacademy.org/partner-content/getty-museum/getty-sculpture/v/de-vries-bronze-casting
Watch this: http://smarthistory.org/alexander-mosaic-from-the-house-of-the-faun-pompeii/
Read this: https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ancient-art-civilizations/greek-art/beginners-guide-greece/a/introduction-to-greek-architecture
Watch this: http://smarthistory.org/greek-architectural-orders/
http://smarthistory.org/caryatid-and-ionic-column-from-the-erechtheion/
Watch this: http://smarthistory.org/niobid-krater/
Watch this: http://smarthistory.org/peplos-kore/
Doric, Ionic and Corinthian capitals
Watch this: http://smarthistory.org/the-pergamon-altar/
Watch this: http://smarthistory.org/nike-winged-victory-of-samothrace/
Comparison image: Laocoon and his sons