The Archaic Period of Greece

Learning Goals To answer the questions: How realistic or abstract are the sculptures of the Greeks? What is the artist trying to portray about the Ancient Greek Culture in their sculpture? Identify the Archaic Art Characteristics Influence of the Foreign on Greek Culture

Archaic? The Archaic Period:750 and 480 B.C., more particularly from 620 to 480 B.C. The age is defined through the development of art at this time, specifically through the style of pottery and sculpture, showing the specific characteristics that would later be developed into the more naturalistic style of the Classical period. The Archaic is one of five periods that Ancient Greek history can be divided into; it was preceded by the Dark Ages and followed by the Classical period. The Archaic period saw advancements in political theory, especially the beginnings of democracy, as well as in culture and art. The knowledge and use of written language which was lost in the Dark Ages was re-established

Art and Sculptures-Art Revolution? Sculpture began to emerge in the Archaic period. Prior to that the Dark Ages brought nothing but devastation. Sculptural forms such as the kouros, a statue of a male youth , and its female equivalent the kore, originated in this period. Inspired by Egyptian sculpture of the time, following a set pattern of artistic devices: the figures were formulaic Admirable But unrealistic and severe. It was development of these original statues that lead to the artistic peak of classical sculpture. Iron tools helped manipulate the stone (Egyptians didn’t have)

Black and Red all over Pottery from this period advanced the simple Geometric Style to a more Oriental style. This was influenced by the massive exploration of the East (Persia and India) These changes and advancements in art are other examples of the benefits in increasing trade and international contact Phoenicia influenced the language and Syria=Grk Art. Red figure art was used a lot to depict blood and gore Black figure painting of the later Archaic, and the red figure painting of the 6th century found in Corinth and Argos, shows the development of a culture becoming more and more advanced at ease with itself

A history of Pottery Orientalized Pottery (900 – 600BC) Before about 1050 B.C., the Greek islands were occupied by people called Mycenaeans. Their culture collapsed and Greece went through a "dark" period During this period, the Greeks resumed cultural activities, including pottery-making. The production of pottery tells archeologists that the people had become comfortable and settled enough to not only make pottery and decorate it with fairly intricate designs, but to make the necessary paint and brushes as well. After the 9th century B.C., the geometric pottery designs became more intricate and complex. Around the 7th century B.C., human figures began to appear on the pottery. Orientalized Pottery (900 – 600BC) The orientalized pottery painting style originated in eastern Greece in the 8th and 7th centuries B.C. Trade with the countries of Asia Minor influenced the development of this style, characterized by flowing vines, flowers and animals. Designs from the southern city of Corinth soon spread throughout Greece, and the orientalized pottery painting style evolved to become less realistic. Corinthian art depicted silhouettes and abstract designs rather than realistic plant and animal figures.

Black Figure (c. 600BC) Black Figure pottery is one of the most recognizable Greek pottery designs emerged. Black figure pottery bears iconic representations of figures from Greek mythology. The mainly black figures are more intricate than mere silhouettes, with facial features, clothing and weaponry depicted in reds and yellows. Zeus, Achilles, Athena and other gods and mythological figures adorn the pots from this period. Greeks attempted to show motion in their story telling and tried adding realism. They became very inventive

Panathenic Amphora This Panathenaic amphora (Vase) would have been usually filled with sacred olive oil in Athens, and awarded as a prize to a winner of the Panathenaic games held in Athens every four years. Every Panathenaic amphora was specifically made to a standardized shape and capacity of one metretes (approximately 42 quarts / 10.5 Liters), and was decorated in black-figure technique.

Later Designs From the 6th century B.C. on, a variety of pottery styles and artistic designs continued to develop. Artists discovered new pigment materials to make paints, and potters developed firing methods to glaze and finish the pottery. Red figure pottery followed black figure using many of the same designs and techniques. The white ground technique used the white background that came from white pottery, with paintings in multiple colors. Greek pottery making declined during the Hellenistic period, which stretched until about the 1st century B.C. when Rome was replacing Greece as the center of the civilized world.

The Greeks developed three architectural systems, called orders, each with their own distinctive proportions and detailing. The Greek orders are: Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian. Doric (c. 5th BCE) The Doric style is rather sturdy and its top (the capital), is plain. This style was used in mainland Greece and the colonies in southern Italy and Sicily. Ionic (c.421-405 BCE) The Ionic style is thinner and more elegant. Its capital is decorated with a scroll-like design (a volute). This style was found in eastern Greece and the islands. Corinthian ( c.4th BCE and into 2nd AD) The Corinthian style is seldom used in the Greek world, but often seen on Roman temples. Its capital is very elaborate and decorated with acanthus leaves.        

Characteristics in a nut shell Archaic Greece is distinguished by stone statues Columns Black and Red figure pottery Images of birds, vines, silhouettes Oriental Style Geometric Shapes Realism Perspective “Stylized”—attempted realism but not quite there->Classical Unrealistic Depictions Stories of life, Gods, Heroes Frescos on Palaces (Knossos in Crete) Mycenaean and Minoan Art

YOUR TASK Let’s see if you can identify the different art characteristics of the Archaic period. In groups of 4 you will rotate around the class and guess the time period of the artefacts at each station. Remember to record your findings on your data sheets. Some may be a little tricky but the hints are there. FYI Greece was a large land mass and each area slightly differed from the other. BONUS if you can identify the area 