Arts of the CLASSICAL PERIOD

Greeks /Romans and their impact on Western Culture

Overview From about 500 B.C.- 500 A.D. centered in

the region around the Mediterranean Led by two distinct but related culture the

Greeks and Romans (Greco-Roman) Guiding principles: order, reason, intellect,

humanism & discipline Little imagination, or emotion

Period ended with the fall of Rome / the beginning of the Dark Ages

Greece Few areas of human thought were not

pioneered by Classical Greece: - Drama, history, city planning, democracy, medicine, math, philosophy, etc.

- Not only first in their field, but often

considered greatest of all time Of the arts: most significant contributions

are sculpture, architecture, & theater

Greek Overview Cont.

The greatest Greek painter Polygnotus has no surviving works

Many Greek works of art were destroyed by early Christians for their Pagan references

Other bronzes were melted down when metals were scarce in the Dark Ages

Greek Statuary Classical artists saw the human form as

both sacred and secular Became increasingly accurate in the depiction

of the human body. Poses became more naturalistic & frequently

depicted everyday people

Greek Architecture Styles

Doric (formal & austere)

A 3rd Style is Corinthian

Ionic (relaxed & decorative)

Architecture Cont.

Greatest building from the era,

The Parthenon designed by Phidias

is Doric

Greek Coins Greece was first culture to use coins regularly

& make them an art form The principle of coin design established by

Greece is still followed today –

- Portrait on one side – Symbol on other

– First to use inscriptions Many survive, teach us & can be collected by

average people

Greek Coins

Language Arts Pursued lofty moral themes & lessons Usually Utilized 1 lead actor and a “chorus”

to provide background & insight 3 dominated the era, provide all significant

surviving plays…

Great Greek Playwrights

Aeschylus: most famous poet/playwright – wrote Agamemnon – appealed to intellect – added a second & later third lead actor

Sophocles: contemporary of Aeschylus – wrote Oedipus – more human and subtle than others

Euripides: most realistic of Greek tragedy – deal w/ emotions not events – wrote The Trojan Women

Fables

Brief tales that contains a moral lesson stated clearly at the end as a

Proverb Use of animals as central characters w/

Anthropomorphism – use of human characteristics

Aesop – considered father of the fable – Fox & the

Grapes / Tortoise & the Hare

Greek Performing Arts

The first record of Acting is from 534 BC The Greek performer Thespis is the first

known Actor

Performing Arts Cont.

Prior to Thespis, stories were told in songs & dance or 3rd person recitals, no one had ever assumed the

role of a character. In honor of Thespis, actors today are still

commonly called Thespians

Greek / Roman Comparison

Roman arts borrowed heavily from the Greeks while they focused on powerful government and military

Clearly the art of Romans was not as “fine” as the Greeks

By comparison, virtually every artistic technique used during the Renaissance 1,900 years later was invented by the Greeks (except oil paint & mathematically accurate perspective)

Greeks & Romans Cont.

Greeks worshipped the aesthetic qualities of great art & wrote extensively on artistic theory

Roman art was more decorative & indicated status and wealth

The BIGGEST impact of the Romans was the ability to spread (through conquest) and preserve the accomplishments of the Greeks

Extent of Roman Empire

Roman Painting

Most Roman painting was done on wood panels which eventually decayed

However, more Roman painting has survived than that of the Greeks

The city of Pompeii, encased in lava in 79 A.D. is the source of many preserved works of art

Roman Painting

Roman Painting Often Roman painting was copied from

older Greek works, or done by immigrants from the Greek colonies.

There are 4 distinct periods during the 900 years of Roman history

Landscape painting was an important contribution of the Romans

Roman Painting

Roman Architecture

It is in architecture that Roman art produced its greatest accomplishments.

It was the innovative use of concrete (invented earlier) that enabled Rome’s greatest works

Roman architecture capitalized on the use of two elements: Arches & Domes

Incredibly durable, some buildings are STILL in use, often as churches

Roman Architecture

Pantheon: a temple, completed in 126 A.D. – best preserved building of its age in the world, the dome is the original unreinforced

concrete.

Roman Architecture

Coliseum: an arena, completed in 80 A.D. – held over 50,000

site of gladiator fights, races, even staged naval battles, had a retractable fabric roof

Roman Architecture

Circus Maximus: a chariot racing stadium completed around 50 B.C. held about 150,000 spectators.

Miscellaneous It is believed that music was an extensive part of

public life, but few unique contributions are recorded

Roman theater adapted and translated Greek plays – they were most interested in comedies

Few contributions were made in the language arts – Vergil’s Aeneid perhaps the most significant

When the Roman Empire reached its territorial peak in 116 A.D., it spanned 2.5 million square miles.

Miscellaneous The first-ever shopping mall was built by the

Emperor Trajan in Rome. It consisted of several levels and more than stores that sold everything ranging from food and spices to clothes.

150

The First Mall