Dr. J. Taylor
Greek art and architecture
Hum 2220
Chapter 6, pages 168-169 and Chapter 7 pages 196-202 from Sayre’s textbook
Architecture
1. What is the Acropolis of Athens? What happened to it during the Persian Wars?
2. Who planned the rebuilding program for Athens? Where did the money come from?
3. Who supervised the sculptures on the Acropolis as well as built the 40ft tall statue of Athena?
4. Describe the Doric and Ionic orders of Architecture. What are their major differences? How
can you recognize them?
5. What architectural order was used to construct the Parthenon? Why is this temple so
important? How is it unique?
6. What optical refinements were made to the construction of the Parthenon?
7. What event does the Erechtheum mark? What style of architecture was used? What is unique
about the south porch?
8. What optical refinements were made to the Erechtheum?
9. What was the temple of Athena Nike? Where is it? What style is it in?
10. What is the Propylaea? What style of architecture was used to construct it?
Sculpture:
Chapter 6, pages 170-172 for Archaic, and page 185 for transition to Classical.
Chapter 7, pages 193-194 and 212-213for Classical.
Chapter 7, pages 215-218 for Hellenistic.
1. Describe the characteristics of Archaic Sculpture. How can you recognize an archaic piece of
Greek sculpture?
2. Describe the characteristics of Classical Sculpture. How can you recognize a classical piece
of Greek sculpture?
3. How does the Kritios Boy differ from the archaic Kouros sculptures?
4. What is contrapposto?
5. What is the canon of proportions? Who developed it?
6. Who sculpted the Spear Bearer (Doryphorus)?
7. Who sculpted the Aphrodite of Cnidos? Why is this sculpture unique?
8. Who sculpted the 40ft tall sculpture of Athena and oversaw the rest of the sculpture on the
Parthenon?
9. What style of sculpture is the Bronze Zeus of Artemisium? Why are bronze sculptures so
rare?
10. Who sculpted the Discus Thrower (Discobolus)?
11. What are the characteristics of the Hellenistic style? How can you tell it apart from the
Classical style?
12. Who sculpted the Laocoon? What story does it tell?
13. Why is the Nike of Samothrace Hellenistic?
14. What is unusual about the construction of the Altar of Zeus? How does it demonstrate
Hellenistic qualities?
15. Why are there so few Bronze statues left from ancient Greece?
16. Why do so many of the marble statues not stand on their own two feet, but have supports or
props?
17. What event(s) did the Altar of Zeus as well as the Dying Gaul collection commemorate?
18. What caused the transformation of the art style from Classical to Hellenistic around 323 BC?
19. What parts of the world did Alexander the Great conquer? (pages 210-211)
20. What happened to Alexander’s empire after he died?
Sculptures:
Kouros
Kore
Calf-bearer
Charioteer
Zeus of Artemisium
Kritios Boy
Spear-bearer
Discus Thrower
Athena Lemnia
Aphrodite of Cnidos
Hermes and the Infant Dionysos
Dying Gaul
Altar of Zeus – Athena panel
Old Market Woman
Nike of Samothrace
Laocoon
Sculptors:
Phidias
Polykleitos (Polycleitus)
Myron
Praxiteles
Pythocritus
The Rhodes group (worked on Laocoon)