1. Gardner’s Art Through the Ages, 12e
Chapter 5
Gods, Heroes, and Athletes:
The Art of Ancient Greece

2. The Greek World

3. Goals
Understand the diverse cultural influences on Greek artistic development
Discuss the evolution of the human figure and how it is represented in Greek art
Relate the development of temple architecture
Cite architectural components and terminology
Understand the impact of the conquest of the Greeks on their respective art forms
Discuss individual artists and their respective styles

4. Greek Humanism
“For we are the lovers of the beautiful, yet simple in our tastes. And we cultivate the mind without loss of manliness. -- Pericles
Greek humanism led to democracy. [demos=people]
Greek gods took human form & exhibited human frailties – yet were immortal
The perfect individual became the Greek ideal.
The first “Olympic Games” were held in 776 BCE.
Athens as the center of ancient Greek culture.
Carried out in the stoa, the agora and palaestrus.
“Sound mind in sound body”

5. The Greek Gods Aphrodite: (Venus) Goddess of love and beauty.
Apollo: (Apollo) God of light and music. A great archer.
Artemis: (Diana) Goddess of the hunt and wild animals.
Athena: (Minerva) Goddess of wisdom and warfare. Her city was Athens.
Demeter: (Ceres) Goddess of grain and agriculture.
Dionysos: (Bacchus) God of wine.
Hera: (Juno) Goddess of marriage.
Herakles: (Hercules) Greatest Greek hero who performed 12 great labors. According to legend, he established the Olympic games.
Hermes: (Mercury) Messenger of the gods, guide of travelers.
Laocöon: A character from the Aeneid: a Trojan priest who was strangled, along with his two sons, while sacrificing at an altar.
Medusa: A gorgon with a hideous face and snake hair, she turned anyone who gazed at her to stone.
Zeus: (Jupiter) King of the gods.

6. Geometric, Orientalizing, and Archaic Art
Characteristics typical of vase decoration from the Geometric period.
Almost exclusively covered in abstract motifs.
Human figure is highly stylized.
No depth of space.
The 7th century was known as the “Orientalizing” period in Greek art because the Greeks borrowed many motifs from Egypt or Near Eastern art due to closer contact through trade.
New subject-matter
Egyptian monsters, like the Sphinx and lamassu.
Black-figure painting.

7. Geometric, Orientalizing, and Archaic Art
Found in a cemetery: 3 ft tall, open bottom, perhaps to pour libations in honor of the dead.
The Krater was a vessel for mixing wine and water.
A fine example of figure painting in Ancient Greece.
Features a meander, a Greek “key” design around the rim of the vase.
The scenes on the vase depict funerary practices.
2 dimensional
Highly geometric patterns.
No sense of open space.
Figures are simple and composite.
Human figured reintroduced & storytelling was revived.
Diplyon krater– ca. 740 BCE 

8. Geometric Sculpture
Schematic figures also existed: Bronze of a man and a centaur battling --ca BCE
Example of a composite monster.
Theme may have come from the Near East, but the
Centaur is Greek.
-- Note human legs in the front!
-- Size indicates possible victor!

9. The Human Figure in Early Greek Art
Apollo of Mantiklos – BCE
Inscription scratched into the though indicates this was an offering to the sun god Apollo.
Indicates interest in human anatomy.

10. Influences from the East
Amphora [2 handled storage jar] shows Eastern influence. This example: Proto-Corinthian. What are the Eastern influences? Also an example of the black-figure painting developed by the Corinthians. Painted figures in black. Then incised detail

11. Plan of Temple A, Prinias, Crete, ca. 625 BCE.
The First Stone Temples
Trading brought Egyptian influences to Greece before 630 BCE
Including their monumental architecture.
Carved stone lintel – similar motifs as on the vases of the period.
Plan of Temple A, Prinias, Crete, ca. 625 BCE.

12. The Human Figure in Archaic Art
Early Greek statutes follow the Egyptian model – the Kouros [young man] takes a very Egyptian pose.
Differences:
Liberated from the stone block – interested in motion rather than stability.
Are shown nude, with a perfect body.
Kouros & Kore were ideals.
 ca. 600 BCE

13. Comparison
Daedalic style: Triangles, flat features, slim waist, love of pattern.

14. The Human Figure in Archaic Art
The Smiling Calf Bearer
A citizen bringing an offering Athena.
Perfect nudity, yet clothing indicated.
Love of pattern.
The “Archiac smile” appears.
Probably used to indicate that the person is alive 
560 BCE

15. The Human Figure in Archaic Art
The Kroisos Kouros ca. 530 BCE
A young hero slain in battle
Body rendered in a more naturalistic manner.
Head in proportion & face more rounded.
Hair falls naturally.
Traces of the original paints remains

16. The Human Figure in Archaic Art
Peplos Kore ca. 530 BCE
Kore were stylistically similar to kouros
Wearing a peplos
Buried for 2 millenia, thus preserving the paint.
Extended arm a break from Egypt.
More natural, wearing a chiton & himation.
Folds are assymetrical.
Grasping & lifting chiton is equivalent of “left foot forward in the Kore
Lady of Auxerre 

17. The Human Figure in Archaic Art
Kore from Acropolis ca BCE

18. Greek Architectural Development
Early ones made of wood and did not survive. [One wooden column preserved at Olympia]
Later made of limestone or marble.
Temple at Prianas - monumental with sculptures. 625 BCE.
Began to follow the example of Egyptian columnar halls
Altars were outside the temple at the east end; worshippers gathered outside to worship.
The temple housed the cult statue
Greek temples were houses for the gods, not the followers.
Figural statues appeared early in order to evoke human responses; temples built in high places. Acropolis = “high city”

19. Greek Architectural Development
PLAN & PROPORTION
Close to the Mycenaen megaron in the early days.
Order, compactness, symmetry.
Proportion of end to sides 1 : 3
Later approached 1 : 2, but not exactly.
Related to harmony in music.

20. Plan (left) and restored cutaway view (right) of the Temple of Aphaia, Aegina, Greece, ca. 500–490 BCE. Formed of single colonnades. Structure: Platform, Colonnade, Superstructure [entablature] Painted decoration was in the frieze area

22. Greek Architectural Development
Example of early Doric: Decoration placed in parts that had no structural function – the metope & pediments.
Translation into stone of earlier timber architecture.
The columns show entasis
Temple of Hera I, Paestum, ca. 550 BCE

23. Pediment Sculptures
The artistic issue was the triangular shape. Used figures that were standing, kneeling, leaning etc… n.b. Animals have one end taller than the other!
Identifies the central character, but not a narrative.
The narrative was in the smaller areas of the pediment.
w. pediment, Temple of Artemis, Corfu ca BCE

24. Caryatids & Giants
Ionic temples of the 6th cen. BCE on Aegean Islands and Asia Minor [now Turkey] used human form for pillars. – Caryatids
Reconstruction of the
Siphnian Treasury, Delphi ca 530 BCE

25. Frieze from Delphi
Treasuries were for the safe storage of votive offerings
Ionic friezes ran around the building continuously.
Representations of giants
The caryatids were korai dressed in chiton & himation
Pediment frieze from Siphnian Treasury-- Delphi ca 530 BCE

26. Summary
Geometric statues & vases: Strong Asian influence, stylized with geometric patterns.
Archaic Sculpture: Starts with, but moves away from Egptian influence.
Temples: Influenced by near east. Move from the simple Cretan megaron, through Doric to Ionic. .
Doric Ionic
Severely plain Highly ornamental
Echinus convex Echinus small and supports
and cushionlike bolster ending in scroll-like spirals
Frieze subdivided into Frieze left open to provide triglyphs and metopes continuous field for relief sculptures
Massive in appearance Light and airy in appearance