Ancient Greece 1100-200 BC

The Artist as Creator

New Vocabulary:

AmphoraKylixForeshorteningKourosKoreVotivePedimentTreasury

•known through 3 sources:monuments themselves, Roman copies, and literary sources- these often conflict•first people to write at length about their own artists- later collected by the Romans- through this writing, we know what Greeks thought were their greatest achievements in architecture, sculpture and painting• “humans into gods and gods into humans”•Humans are the “measure of all things”- lead to democracy, contributions in art, literature, and science- this idea originated with Greece•Greeks remained divided into small city-states(the polis) but united themselves for all-Greek Olympics- celebrated Greek culture despite differences•Rivalry between states stimulated the growth of ideas•Eventually the rivalry helped bring an end to the Greek civilization (Athens v. Sparta in the Peloponnesian War (431-404 BC)

The Geometric Period-•The beginning of Greek art, found in painted pottery and small scale sculpture•Began around 776 BC, at the time of the founding of the Olympic games•Artists established different categories of shapes of ceramic vessels- -amphora - two- handled vase used to carry wine and oil-kylix- wide, flat vessel, designs painted on the inside

Dipylon Vase, 8th Century BCE

•Dipylon Vase- grave monument- •done in remembrance rather than to appease the soul of the dead• the deceased is lying in state, other figures are in mourning, in a funeral procession•Contains no reference to an afterlife•After life was colorless and ill-defined-souls were passive, did not make demands upon the living•Geometric style is not a continuation of the Mycenaens- totally new, primitive style•Emergence of Greek tradition of story-telling

Orientalizing style-- •Influence from Egypt and Near East (through trade)•7th C. BC- Greek art absorbed many Oriental ideas and motifs

Eleusis Amphora 675-650 BCE

•Geometric shapes confined to foot and handles•New curvilinear motifs appear•Animals taken from Near Eastern Art•Narrative is much more important•narratives came from Greek myths and legends- mixed local Doric and Ionic deities into the pantheon of Olympian gods and Homeric sagas•Oriental lions and monsters- represented the unknown forces of fate faced by Greek heroes•This shows the blinding of the giant Polyphemus by Odysseus- has dramatic force

A Vase Painter and Assistants, Crowned by Athena, 450 BCE

Archaic Vase Painting

•Archaic Period lasted from the later 7th C. To 480 BC•Before this, architecture was made from wood- only foundations remain- new style means we don’t know what these first buildings looked like•Most important new idea- the desire to build and sculpt in stone- the desire for permanence-but vase painting remained continuous evolution•Vase painting is unique in that most pottery is not considered art, but rather craft- not reproducible - Archaic vases were smaller- no longer used as grave monuments•Vase Painter (450 BC) - shows the importance of the artist, shows the earliest depiction of a female artist•After the 6th century, the best vases have artist signatures- became well known for their personal style•Archaic painting was drawing filled in with solid, flat color

Exekias, Dionysus in a Boat, Kylix 540 BCE

Black-Figured style-•Entire design is silhouetted in back against reddish clay•Details are scratched in with a needle•White and purple added to make areas stand out•Has spare elegance of form

The Foundry Painter, Lapith and Centaur, c.490-480 BCE

Red-figured style•Gradually replaced black-figured style around 500 BC•Done in brush- able to show overlapping and foreshortening, precise detail•Also able to build up glaze to create depth

Douris, Eos and Memnon c.490-480 BCE

•Very expressive brushwork- •limbs under drapery, more delicate strokes•Has signature of painter and potter

Archaic Sculpture

•Rise in monumental sculpture around 650 BC- probably based on visits to Egypt- there were colonies of Greeks in Egypt• early sculpture similar to Egyptians- •More primitive than Egyptian statues•Innovative-truly free-standing- Egyptian sculptures had stone between legs•Not a question of technique but of artistic intention!

Kouros c. 600 BCE

Daedalus- “skillful one”-legendary artist who was a great sculptor and was said to have built the labyrinth in Crete and the temple at Memphis in Egypt- every piece of Archaic art was attributed to him before recorded names

Kroisos, c. 525 BCE

Kore- Maiden •Always clothed

Kouros- Youth•Always nude

•Produced in large numbers during the Archaic Period•Were originally painted•Used first as votive and funerary statues•Not many varieties- most looked similar despite the artist•Neither gods or mortals, but the ideal of physical perfection in both•Similar dynamic to vase painting•Kroisos shows innovations over the first Kouros much like the innovations in vase painting

Calf-Bearer c.570 BCE

•Votive figure representing the donor with the sacrificial animal•But this is not a portrait-shows a type•Animal and man form an X•Beard indicates a man of maturity•Cloak fits body like a second skin•Facial gestures rather than mask-like quality- called the “Archaic smile”•No psychological meaning and it fades out by 500 BC

Rampin Head c.560 BCE

•Archaic Smile•Richly textured beard and hair•Most beautiful Kouros of the time

Hera from Samos 570-560 BCE Kore in Dorian Peplos, 530 BCE

•Kore types vary more than Kouros•Reflects changing dress styles•flowing fabric- very column-like•Fabric forms a separate layer over the body•More organic treatment of hair•Full, round face, more natural

West Pediment, Temple of Artemis at Corfu c.600-580 BCE

Who is this figure??

Architectural Sculpture-When Greeks began to build their temples in stone- from Egyptian Tradition•Egyptians had a history of relief sculptures, but very shallow- no weight or volume•Near East also had tradition of reliefs, but Greeks took idea from the sculptures of the Lions (also Lion Gates of Mycenae)- Mycenaens architects left an empty triangular space above the lintel- thought that it held up the wall- became a new type of architectural sculpture- •Façade of the Temple of Artemis, Corfu- Pediment sculpture- sculpture in high relief, but undercut to show depth- to assert the independence of the sculpture from the architecture•Gorgon is ornamental rather than narrative, but this will soon change in Greek art•Used the pediment only- did not think any other part of the building was suitable for art

Treasury of Siphians, Sanctuary of Apollo at Delphi 525 BCE

Battle of the Gods and Giants, North Frieze 530 BCE

•Greater organization of space- shows depth by overlapping and more shallow carving•Figures rest on a stage•Arms and legs are carved in the round•This is a purely narrative work- high drama

Dying Warrior, east pediment, Temple of Aphaia c. 490 BCE

•Relief gives way to statues- fits in with the shape of the pediment- height varies with the slope of the triangle- makes the figure both narrative and ornamental