1. Greek Art Introduction:
Greeks were interested in creating beauty and harmony with their art.
Human beings were central to the Greek culture.
A lot of their art focuses on the idealized human form.
They gave their gods perfect human form, though they were shown to be a bit larger than real people
The Greeks considered the human body beautiful, perfectly balanced and harmonious.
The Archaic Period: BCE
The Classic Period: BCE-Began after 480 BCE when the Greeks defeated the Persian fleet at Salamis.
Hellenistic Period: BCE

2. ARCHAIC PERIOD-Sculpture:
PEPLOS KORE (4’)
Most Greek sculptures were painted, not
white as we
see them today
KOUROS, STATUE OF A YOUTH (600 BCE) (6’ 4”)
Figure is stylized
Wearing an archaic smile (close lipped)
A youth- he is not a child but he is also not a man
Rigid, standing figure of a man (and girl) facing forward
The left foot is slightly forward, kneecaps slightly carved
Both arms are held stiffly at his side
The hair is stylized into small ringlets.
Unlike Egyptian statues the youths are freestanding, with lack of supports to hold the figure at the legs

3. Contrast and Compare

4. Amor Greece Trip 2007

6. Statue of a Sphinx from around 500 BC
Sphinx Greek Mythology A winged creature having the head of a woman and the body of a lion, noted for killing those who could not answer its riddle.
sphinx - one of a number of large stone statues with the body of a lion and the head of a man that were built by the ancient Egyptians

7. CLASSICAL PERIOD-Sculpture
KRITIOS BOY
(480 BCE) 1.17 m
(3 ft 10 ins)
Over the next 75 years, sculptures became more natural and realistic representations of the human figure. They began to sculpt what they saw, rather than ideal forms.
The Archaic smile is replaced by a look of calm and self control. The features and pose remain a bit rigid and severe
Accurate sculptured muscles and skeletal (bones) structure
This figure is able to stand on it’s own; his back leg is not bound to a block for balance
CONTROPOSTO: The position of a human figure in painting or sculpture in which the hips and legs are turned in a different direction from that of the shoulders and head; the twisting of a figure. Especially a way of sculpting a human figure in a natural pose with the weight of one leg, the shoulder, and hips counterbalancing each other. This allows the sculpture to stand on it’s own.
The body has a faint S-curve
Natural stance, the body is relaxed (at ease as opposed to attention)

8. 340 BC bronze statue found in the Antikythera shipwreck attributed to the sculpturer Euphranor

10. THE THREE GODDESSES (435 BCE)
Found in the eastern pediment of the Parthenon (see Architecture next section)
Pediment- a triangular area on top of the entablature (which is on top of the columns), where sculptures can be placed.
Marble, over life size
Drapery clings to their bodies; it is no longer stylized or severe.
Folds create visual movement.
The Parthenon is dedicated to the birth of Athena and the goddesses are looking towards a sculpture portraying this birth.
The Greek legend states that Athena burst out of her father’s head as an adult wearing full body armor.

11. Sphinx?
340 BC

12. HELLENISTIC PERIOD- Sculpture:
- Concerned with action and emotion
Dying Gaul ( BCE)
This is a Roman copy of the original Greek sculpture
Nike of Samothrace (190 BCE)
Marble, 8’ (244 cm ) high
Movement. Drama. Dynamism.
Nike- Goddess of Victory, she considered to represent the victory of the Olympians over the Titans
Life size
Shows the struggle of a wounded man about to die
Figure leans heavily on his arm
There is agony in the pose

14. Aphrodite of Melos (Venus de Milo)(150-100 BCE)
The marble statue is one of the most recognizable works of art from the ancient world.
Also referred to as Venus de Milo (Venus is the Roman version of Aphrodite's name), the goddess of love
elegantly twisting pose (and of course, those memorable missing arms), has become an icon of Western art
though created during the Hellenistic period, the form of the statue recalls the grand achievements of the Classical style
one Hellenistic detail is the drapery around Aphrodite's hips and legs. This drapery, with its intricately carved folds, resembles the swirling garments worn by another famous Hellenistic statue - the glorious Nike of Samothrace.

15. contrast

16. Acropolis

17. ARCHITECTURE CLASSICAL PERIOD
The Parthenon ( BCE)
The most famous surviving building of Ancient Greece and one of the most famous buildings in the world
Temple of Athena, located on the Acropolis in Athens
Structure known for it’s balance and unity
Doric columns (strength and stability)
Made of marble, transported from Mount Pentelicus about 16km from Athens
Though the pure white marble survives today, like all ancient buildings, wasat least partially painted (though scholars do not know which colours were used)

18. The temple originally contained a 40 foot tall statue of Athena sculpted by Phidias.
In 1801 Lord Elgin of Britain asked the Turkish rulers for permission to take the sculptures from the Parthenon which had inscriptions in order to save them from destruction. Lord Elgin took many more sculptures than the Greeks anticipated, and today the majority of the sculptures from the Parthenon are housed in the British museum. The frieze, in fact, was virtually stripped of all its sculptures.

21. Temple of Athena Nike (425 BCE)
Also found on the Acropolis
Ionic columns
Like the Parthenon dedicated to Athena Goddess of War
Porch of the Maidens ( BCE)
Also found on the Acropolis
Columns are six female figures, called a Caryatid-which is a support or column in the form of a human figure)

23. HELLENISTIC PERIOD Temple of Olympian Zeus (174 BCE)
Corinthian columns
Acanthus leaves are at the top of each column
Decorative and graceful

25. Acropolis

26. Mrs. Amor’s way to remember the different columns:
Doric- D is for dull and these are the plainest columns.
Ionic- sounds like an eye and the swirly tops look like crazy ‘spaced out’ eyes
Corinthian- fine Corinthian leather is very expensive and these are the fanciest columns

27. Parts of Greek Architectural Buildings

28. PAINTINGS AND ART OBJECTS
The Greeks were proud if the large and colourful paintings decorating their walls, but not even one remains today
Therefore, people study the paintings on vases to study their style
Also Roman copies of the paintings (sometimes done in mosaics) to help us understand the earlier Greek artwork
Death of Sarpedon (512 BCE)
Painted terrracota 18”
Red figure vase- vases made out of red clay with black backgrounds and black brush lines to outline and detail the red figures and decoration.
Shows the body of Sarpedon (Trojan warrior who was killed in battle) being carried off the battlefield by Sleep and Death