1. Ancient Greece In a relatively short 800 year span (from 900 – 100 BCE) the Greeks made a huge body of innovative artwork across every medium. Unlike previous cultures that maintained similar styles throughout their existence, the Greeks constantly strove to improve and explore new ideas. Periods of Greek Art: 900 – 700 BCE; “Geometric” period 700 – 600 BCE; “Orientalizing” period 600 – 480 BCE; “Archaic” period 480 – 323 BCE; “Classical” period, divided into 3 sub-periods: 480 – 450 BCE; “Early Classical” 450 – 400 BCE; “High Classical” 400 – 323 BCE; “Late Classical” 323 – 30 BCE; “Hellenistic” period

2. By 900 BCE, Greeks created independent “city-states” (polis) in Athens, Corinth and Sparta—autonomous regions that based their political, economic and cultural centers at one of each of these 3 cities Corinth: oldest and originally most powerful city-state c. 600 BCE: Athens becomes commercially and culturally stronger; developed representational government; origin of our ideas of citizenship

3. Ancient Greek Religion: -World created through battle between Titans (earth gods) and Sky gods (Olympians, because they were believed to live on Mt. Olympus) -Viewed gods as immortal, but in human form, with human emotions and weaknesses -Built sanctuaries, which were places believed to be important or sacred to the gods; fit these structures into the surrounding natural environment (as opposed to the massive intimidating structures of the Near East and Egypt) Delphi: Apollo’s sanctuary built c. 530 BCE on the site of an earlier temple From this spot, Apollo was thought to give cryptic prophecies to humans through intermediaries, or mediums (the Pythia)

4. Greek god Family Tree: Earth + Sky = ZEUS (Supreme deity) = ATHENA (goddess of wisdom; born of Zeus’ head) + Hera = ARES (god of war) + Maia = HERMES (messenger) + Leto = APOLLO (god of the sun) and ARTEMIS (goddess of the hunt) + Dione = APHRODITE (goddess of love) [sometimes said to be born of sea foam] HERA (Zeus’ wife) = HEPHAISTOS (god of forge) HESTIA (goddess of the Hearth) POSEIDON (god of the sea) HADES (god of the underworld) DEMETER (goddess of agriculture) = PERSEPHONE (Hades’ wife; return to Greece brings spring) Others: DIONYSUS (god of wine) EROS (cupid—sometimes said to be Aphrodite’s son) PAN (god of wilderness) NIKE (victory)

5. Primary source of information about Greek art prior to 700 BCE is pottery Geometric Period (c. 900-700 BCE) in Greek art derives its name from the geometric designs used to decorate pottery and ceramics prior to 700 BCE c. 1050 BCE; first evidence of a vase painting style separate from Mycenaean and Minoan in the Aegean— “Proto-Geometric”, because it precedes the Greek Geometric Period; simple, geometric painted decoration and simplified body shapes (seen on centaur to right) Official geometric style is much more complex

6. Geometric style: c. 900 – 700 BCE -widespread and used in all types of art -very complicated and elaborate designs -use abstract shapes to represent people (reminiscent of shallow-cave paintings from Neolithic era in Europe, but more graphic and space is filled with pattern) -show people in full-frontal, or full- profile views for easy recognition - large vases like this were funerary markers in ancient Greece -unlike Egyptian art that focuses on the dead in the afterlife, Greek funerary art focuses on the reactions of the survivors (mourners surrounding the dead raise their hands to their heads; no depiction of deities) Funerary Vase (Krater)

7. Man and Centaur; c 750 BCE, bronze, ~5” high -Theme of man battling centaurs common in Greek art -simple, geometric body shapes

8. Orientalizing Period: c. 700 – 600 BCE -began in Corinth; port city -artists moved away from dense backgrounds of geometric style -influenced by work of Near East and Egypt Greek Pitcher (Olpe) height 11 ½”; c.600 BCE Front Panel of the Great Lyre; c. 2550-2400 BCE; Near East

9. Archaic Period: c. 600 – 480 BCE -Athens begins to move to forefront artistically, commercially and politically -Greek arts, both visual and literary, develop rapidly during this time -potters and vase painters begin to sign their work (first time we can start to attribute works to individual artists, or artist’s workshops) -temple design expands: -pre-Archaic period temples were outdoor altars within sanctuaries where a temple sheltered the statue of a god -temples grew in size and complexity throughout the rest of Greek history

10. Temple Design: -standardized plans developed ranging from one-room structures with columned porches to buildings with double porches surrounding by columns -essentially elaborate post and lintel structures; the columns are the posts, the lintels become heavily sculpted entablatures -2 styles of elevation (the appearance of the columns and lintels) develop during Archaic; Doric and Ionic Temples of Hera I and Hera II, c. 550–540 BCE (Hera I); c. 470- 460 BCE (Hera II) foreground Colums; Doric order Columns surrounding the main room (cella) called peristyle entablature (think “tablet”) pediment frieze metope shaft triglyphs architrave

12. Temple of Artemis, Gorgon Medusa; c. 600–580 BCE -one of earliest surviving examples of Greek pediment sculpture pediment dying warriors

13. Battle Between The Gods and the Giants; the Treasury of the Siphnians; Marble; height 26“; c. 530–525 BCE -early example of Greek trend toward naturalistic space -compare artistic style to Persian Darius and Xerxes Receiving Tribute; 491–486 BCE frieze

14. Dying Warrior; East Pediment of The Temple of Aphaia; Marble; length (warrior) 6‘; c. 500–490 BCE -fully 3-D pediment sculpture -some of first successful method for dealing with awkward space of triangular pediment

15. In addition to pediment sculpture, Archaic period artists developed large, free-standing figural work, usually standing or walking Probably commissioned by individuals (based on inscriptions) and have been found as grave markers male = kouros; female = kore male statues; always nude females; always clothed Standing Youth (Kouros); Marble; height 6‘; c. 600 BCE Peplos Kore; Marble; height 4‘; c. 530 BCE

16. Menkaure and a Queen; height 54 ½”; ruled c. 2490 – 2472 BCE Archaic Koroi initially very comparable to older Egyptian-style figures

17. Anavysos Kouros; Marble with remnants of paint; height 6'4“; c. 530 BCE Within just 70 years, we see Archaic figures become much more naturalistic (like the pediment sculpture from the Temple of Aphaia, c. 500-490 BCE) Archaic smile: term used to describe the closed-lip smile characteristic of archaic figures

18. Archaic Pottery: broke with dense decoration of Geometric period and focused on single scenes designed to fit the pot shape -Greek pots had specific shapes for specific purposes -2 styles: Black-figure; older Red-figure; newer Red-figure Black-figure Painter’s signature; Amasis

19. Classical Period; c. 480-323 BCE -framed by 2 events; 1. Begins with Greek defeat of the Persians in 480 BCE (which prevents their spread into Europe) 2. Ends with death of Alexander the Great in 323 BCE (he defeated the Persians in the Near East in 332 BCE; also the approx. end date of Late Egyptian art) -term “Classical” used to describe the era because classical refers to things of “universal importance and lasting quality”—this period in Greece saw major cultural/societal changes that informed centuries of Western culture -defined by 3 concepts: humanism; “man is the measure of all things”—make the human form the ideal rationalism; “know thyself”—look for the inner significance of forms idealism; “nothing in excess”—reproduce only essential elements -all aspects of life have meaning and pattern-nothing happens by accident -art is based on close observation of the natural world (informed by 3 concepts above)—then idealized (differs from Egypt and Near East cultures that create based on memory images)

20. Three Subdivisions of Classical Period: Early Classical; c. 480 – 450 BCE High Classical; c. 450 – 400 BCE (traditionally thought of as the best) Late Classical; c. 400 – 323 BCE Early Classical: Begins with end of the Greek-Persian wars; Athens emerges as dominant city-state -rapid transition away from stiffness of the Archaic period to more naturalism in sculpture -some argue Greek success in the war fostered a confidence that led to the creation of a new artistic style

21. Kritian Boy; Marble; height 3'10“; c. 480 BCE; From Acropolis, Anavysos Kouros; c. 530 BCE

22. Pediment sculpture and Metope relief; Temple of Zeus; Olympia; c. 460 BCE

23. Charioteer; from sactuary of Apollo at Delphi; c. 470 BCE, Bronze. 5’ 11” high. -hollow casting bronze perfected during Early Classical period, allowed for more active sculptural poses -most were melted down, even in Greek times but many survive as Roman copies -critical moment Discus Thrower (Diskobolos); Marble; height 5'11“; Roman copy after the original bronze of c. 450 BCE

24. High Classical; c. 450-400 BCE -Athens (in the Aegean) and Sparta (in the Peloponnesus) dominate Greece c. 450 BCE; Greek sculptor and theorist, Polykleitos, developed a set of rules for constructing the ideal human figure—wrote it down in The Canon (kanon is Greek for “measure, rule or law”) -included a system of ideal ratios for figuring the proportions of a figure, and how one part of the body should relate to another -created a larger than life-size bronze statue of a standing man carrying a spear to illustrate his theory -neither the actual treatise, or the original statue survived, but both were written about widely by his Greek contemporaries and the sculpture was copied by the Romans -scholars continue to try to figure out what the ratios were

25. Polykleitos; Spear Bearer ; Marble (tree trunk and brace strut are Roman additions): height 6'11“; Roman copy after the original bronze of c. 450–440 BCE weight of the figure originally held the spear; tension Contrapposto: cross-balancing of supporting and free elements in a figure

26. Perikles; dominant political figure in Athens from 462 – 429 BCE, considered to have brought “Golden Age” to Athens -brought new splendor to sanctuaries of Athens -made the citadel of Athens, the Acropolis, into the center of civic and religious life Acropolis; located on the original Neolithic location that later became Athens—at the “city on top of the hill” -was destroyed by Persian troops in 480 BCE -Perikles convinced Athenians to rebuild it -rebuilt as a “visual expression of Athenian values and civic pride” -Pheidias, sculptor, in charge of the rebuilding -religious buildings and votive statues filled the acropolis site -temple to Athena Parthenos (the virgin) begun prior to Persian war, and destroyed by Persians -new Parthenon commissioned by Perikles in 447 BCE -Regular civic, commercial and social Athenian life (as in other Greek cities), centered around the agora, or marketplace

27. Aerial view and Model of the Acropolis; the Parthenon is the big building

28. Parthenon, Acropolis, Athens. View from the northwest; marble; 447–432 BCE -designed by architect Iktinos; wrote a book about the proportions of this masterpiece

29. Parthenon; East Pediment sculpture; Acropolis, c. 447-432East Pediment sculpture

30. -east Pediment sculpture together; shows birth of Athena; figure of Zeus and Athena (most likely) missing -better preserved than West pediment -expertly rendered fabric over the shapes of the body -dramatic, life-like scene

31. Lapith Fighting A Centaur Marble height 56" c. 447–432 BCE Metope relief from the Doric frieze on the south side of the Parthenon

32. Horsemen; Marble; height 41¾“; c. 447–432 BCE Detail of the Procession, from the Ionic frieze on the north side of the Parthenon –skilled riders controlling powerful animals Marshals and Young Women; from Ionic frieze; -graceful and healthy people

33. Nike (victory) Adjusting Her Sandal; from relief decoration of Temple of Athena Nike; Acropolis, c. 410 – 405 BCE -famous for its beautiful drapery and suggestive pose

34. Late Classical: c. 400 – 323 BCE -Sparta defeats Athens in 404 BCE; establishes oppressive pro-Spartan governmentSparta defeats Athens in 404 BCE -Athenians rebel one year later and re-establish democracy -Athens recovers economically, but never regains its dominance in the region -retained its reputation as the artistic and intellectual center of Greece -Alexander the Great (from Macedonia; to the north of Greece): -338 BCE, Phillip II of Macedonia conquers Athens -Phillip II assassinated two years later and 20 year old son, Alexander (the Great) takes the throne -Alexander had been educated by Aristotle outside Athens -Alexander rapidly united Greece in a war of revenge against the Persians -conquered Persia, Syria and Phoenicia in the Near East by 334 BCE -331 BCE, his army occupied Egypt -continued east to area now called Pakistan (India’s west border) until 326 BCE when his troops refused to go further -died of fever on the return home in 323 BCE; he was 33

35. Late Classical -artists continue to experiment with new styles and subjects -no longer follow the conventions of Classical style so closely -innovations supported by new wealthy patrons from Alexander’s many new conquered regions, including Macedonia and the Near East Late Classical Architecture and city planning: -develop variations on Classical ideals primarily with 2 structures; tholos (buildings with a circular, not rectangular, plan) and monumental tombs -much of this activity took place outside Athens, even outside Greece; especially in Asia Minor -city plans: grid system had been used as early as 8 th century BCE; classical architects promoted this system as the ideal (this grid idea continues through our modern era) Tholos; c. 380–370 BCE; Sanctuary of Athena Pronaia, Delphi

36. Late Classical Sculpture: -challenged and modified previous standards of ideal proportions -more elongated proportions and occasionally mundane subject matter; like minor deities, not just the Olympians -”noble detachment” of earlier figures replaced with sensitive expressions -dominated by 3 sculptors: Praxiteles, Skopas and Lysippos Praxiteles or his followers: Hermes and The Infant Dionysos; Marble, with remnants of red paint on the lips and hair: height 7'1“; Probably a Hellenistic or Roman copy after a Late Classical 4th-century BCE original

37. Praxiteles; Aphrodite of Knidos; Marble; height 6'8“; Composite of two similar Roman copies after the original marble of c. 350 BCE Praxiteles Aphrodite: -apparently first statue by a well-known sculptor of a fully nude woman (though hinted at in Nike Adjusting her Sandal) -the acceptance of female nudity may have been the result of Greeks blending ideas about Aphrodite with Phoenician goddess Astarte, who was almost always shown nude

38. Lysippos; Man Scraping Himself; Marble; Roman copy after original bronze of c. 350 – 325 BCE; height 6’ 9” Lysippos: unlike Praxiteles and Skopas, much is known about his life and many copies of his work survive -famous Man Scraping Himself shows typical subject of male athlete, but not engaged in a sport; instead a mundane scene strigil

39. The Farnese Herakles (copy of the Weary Hercules by Lysippos); 3 rd century BCE

40. Earrings; Hollow-cast gold; height 2 ⅜“; c. 330–300 BCE

41. Hellenistic Period: 323 – 30 BCE -begins with the unexpected death of Alexander the Great -political squabbling (as a result of his death) causes the empire to break into 3 parts 1. Antigonids; ruled by Antigonus in Macedonia 2. Ptolemies; ruled by Ptolemy in Egypt 3. Seleucids; ruled by Selecus in Asia Minor, Mesopotamia and Persia -all 3 segments succumb to the Romans, though Ptolemites hold out the longest from the Egyptian capital of Alexandria (established by Alexander) -Alexandria is the center of Hellenistic arts and learning -Death of Cleopatra, last Egyptian ruler, marks end of Hellenistic period Artistic characteristics: -shift in style from the general (ideal) to the specific (real) -shift in subject matter from the spiritual to the mundane -work is emotional, expressive and melodramatic -continued to influence Roman art into the first century, CE

42. Traditional, Classical temple ordersfrom inside to outside during Hellenistic era, Classical Hellenistic Architecture

43. Theater, Epidauros; 4th century BCE and later

44. Gallic Chieftain Killing His Wife and Himself; Marble; height 6'11“; Roman copy after the original bronze of c. 220 BCE Hellenistic sculpture -wide variety of materials, techniques and styles -marked by 2 conflicting trends: >One led away from Classical models toward experimentation with new forms and subjects -Pergamon in Asia Minor is major center for this style >The other made explicit references to Classical examples by appropriating aspects from certain favorite works and incorporating them into new work

45. Title: Dying Gallic Trumpeter (front) Medium: Marble Size: height, 36½" (93 cm) Date: Roman copy after the original bronze of c. 220 BCE

46. Reconstructed west front of the altar from Pergamon, Turkey; Athena Attacking the Giants (detail); Marble Height of figure 7'7" c. 175–150 BCE

47. Nike (Victory) of Samothrace; Marble; height 8'1“; c. 180 BCE (?) Laocoön and His SonsLaocoön and His Sons; Marble; height 8’; Roman copy of the 1 st century CE

48. Aphrodite of Melos (Also Called Venus de Milo); Marble; height 6'8“; c. 150–100 BCE -Venus de Milo exemplifies Hellenistic work that looked back to Classical examples -meant to recall the Aphrodite of Praxiteles -has heavier proportions of the Classical version, but twisting stance and advanced knee are Hellenistic -3-dimensional drapery also Hellenistic

49. Old Woman; Marble; height 49½“; Roman copy, 1st century CE -the Hellenistic world was varied and multi-cultural, given all the areas where Greek culture and influence was spread during the reign of Alexander the Great -inspired artists to turn from idealistic representations to representing the world around them, as they saw it