Ancient Greek Art

Period: c. 1000 BCE – 31 BCE (Geometric, Archaic, Classical, Hellenistic Periods) Region: Ancient Greece (Mainland, Aegean Islands, Ionia [Western Turkey], Magna Graecia [S. Italy], other colonies)

Overview & Key Characteristics

Ancient Greek art marks a pivotal moment in Western culture, moving from stylized forms towards increasing naturalism and embodying ideals of humanism, rationalism, and beauty (especially during the Classical period). It evolved through distinct phases: Geometric, Archaic, Classical, and Hellenistic. Key forms include temple architecture (defined by the Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian orders), sculpture (freestanding statues and architectural reliefs, evolving from stiff figures to idealized naturalism and later emotional realism), and highly refined vase painting (providing crucial insights into mythology, daily life, and lost monumental painting). The pursuit of the ideal human form, proportion, and balance are hallmarks, particularly of the Classical era.

Summary of Common Characteristics (Focus on Classical Ideal, Noting Evolution):

Key Artistic Periods:

• Geometric (c. 900-700 BCE): Characterized by geometric patterns on pottery, schematic human and animal figures.
• Archaic (c. 700-480 BCE): Influence from Egypt/Near East. Rise of kouros and kore statues, Doric and Ionic orders in architecture, black-figure vase painting.
• Classical (c. 480-323 BCE): Apex of Greek art, especially Athenian Golden Age (5th c. BCE). Focus on idealized naturalism, balance, harmony (contrapposto). Development of red-figure painting. Parthenon built. Key sculptors emerge.
• Hellenistic (c. 323-31 BCE): Following Alexander the Great's conquests. Greek art spreads. Increased emotionalism, drama, realism, individualism. Diverse subjects, including age, ethnicity, and non-ideal figures.

Historical Context & Influences

Greek art developed alongside major historical and cultural phenomena:

• The rise of independent city-states (poleis), such as Athens and Sparta.
• Experiments in governance, including Athenian democracy.
• Flourishing of philosophy (Socrates, Plato, Aristotle emphasizing reason and human potential).
• Development of theatre (tragedy and comedy).
• Panhellenic institutions like the Olympic Games.
• Crucial military conflicts: Persian Wars (victory boosted Greek confidence) and Peloponnesian War (internal conflict leading to disillusionment).
• Alexander the Great's conquests spread Greek culture across the Near East, initiating the Hellenistic Age.

Early Greek art shows influences from Minoan, Mycenaean, Egyptian, and Near Eastern traditions. From the Classical period onward, Greek art became the dominant influence on Roman art and, subsequently, much of Western art.

Key Artists & Their Contributions

Unlike the anonymity often found in earlier civilizations, many Greek artists achieved fame.

• Sculptors:
  • Polykleitos (Classical): Famed for his Canon, a treatise (now lost) on ideal human proportions, exemplified by his statue Doryphoros (Spear Bearer).
  • Phidias (Classical): Master sculptor who supervised the sculptural program of the Parthenon, including the colossal statue of Athena Parthenos, and created the Statue of Zeus at Olympia (one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, now lost).
  • Praxiteles (Late Classical): Known for introducing a more sensuous, graceful style (the "Praxitelean curve"), realism in texture, and landmark works like Aphrodite of Knidos and Hermes and the Infant Dionysus.
  • Lysippos (Late Classical/Early Hellenistic): Court sculptor to Alexander the Great. Introduced new, leaner proportions and favored dynamic, twisting poses, seen in works like Apoxyomenos (Scraper).
• Painters (Known mainly through Roman copies and written descriptions):
  • Polygnotus (Classical): Praised for his ability to convey character (ethos) and create complex, multi-level compositions.
  • Apelles (Hellenistic): Considered one of the greatest painters of antiquity, court painter to Alexander, celebrated for his realism, grace (charis), and use of color and varnish.
• Vase Painters (Often known by name or convention based on style/find spot):
  • Exekias (Archaic): A master of the black-figure technique, known for detailed compositions and psychological depth (e.g., Achilles and Ajax playing a dice game).
  • Euphronios (Archaic/Early Classical): A pioneer of the red-figure technique, excelling in depicting complex anatomy and motion.

Notable Works / Sites

• Geometric: Large funerary vases like the Dipylon Amphora.
• Archaic: Kouroi and Korai statues (e.g., Anavysos Kouros, Peplos Kore); Temple of Hera I at Paestum; Temple of Artemis at Corfu (Gorgon pediment); Black-figure vases by Exekias, Amasis Painter; Red-figure vases by Euphronios, Euthymides.
• Classical: Acropolis of Athens (Parthenon with Phidian sculptures, Erechtheion with Caryatids, Propylaia); Temple of Zeus at Olympia (site of Phidias' statue, pedimental sculptures); Doryphoros by Polykleitos; Discobolus by Myron; Aphrodite of Knidos and Hermes and the Infant Dionysus by Praxiteles; Tholos at Delphi; advancements in Red-figure vase painting.
• Hellenistic: Winged Victory of Samothrace; Venus de Milo; Laocoön and His Sons; Altar of Zeus at Pergamon (Great Frieze, now in Berlin); Dying Gaul; realistic portrait sculptures of rulers and individuals; Tanagra figurines.

Legacy and Influence

Ancient Greek art's legacy is immense and foundational for Western civilization:

• It provided the models for Roman art, which disseminated Greek styles throughout its empire.
• Rediscovered and revered during the Renaissance, it inspired artists like Michelangelo and Raphael.
• Its architectural orders (Doric, Ionic, Corinthian) remain fundamental elements of Western architectural design.
• Ideals of beauty, proportion, naturalism, and humanism articulated in Greek art became cornerstones of Western aesthetics and philosophy.
• Greek mythology, depicted extensively in the art, continues to be a major source of themes and subjects.
• The stylistic progression through its distinct periods serves as a model for art historical analysis.