Tribes first settled in Greece in
3,000 B.C.E.
Geography of Greece
•
•
•
•
Mountainous peninsula, rugged terrain
Numerous islands
Sea serves as a mode of travel and trade
Mediterranean Climate
– Dry summer, wet winter
• Difficult for most types agriculture
• Great for olives, grapes, barley
Aegean Art
Greek art is also called Aegean art because of
the Aegean Sea. The following are the three main
cultures of Ancient Greece:
–Cycladic Art
–Minoan Art
–Mycenean Art
Cycladic Art: 2,600 – 1,100 B.C.E.
Cyclades: a collection of thirty tiny islands
in the Aegan Sea
No writing from this time has been
discovered so the exact meaning
behind their work cannot be determined.
Little art has been discovered from this time.
Mainly sculptures and vases survived.
Fine white
marble was
readily
available on
these islands
and was used
for almost
every
sculpture.
Statues found ranged from life-sized
to 1 inch in height.
Women
remained the largest source of inspiration
.
for works of art and out
numbered all other subjects by about 20 to1.
The Cyladic artists used paint and pigments to
add jewelery, facial features, body paint and
other
decoration
to their
works in an
attempt to
more
accurately
depict "real
life." Time
has worn away
those
artistic
flourishes,
leaving only
the clean
marble of the
Cycladic
idols and the
illusion of abstract simplicity
Minoan: 2700-1450 BCE
– Named after the legendary king Minos
– Located on the island of Crete
• Wealth was a result of trade with other
towns in Objects of Minoan manufacture
suggest there was a network of trade
with mainland Greece (notably
Mycenae), Cyprus, Syria, Anatolia,
Egypt, Mesopotamia, and westward as
far as the coast of Spain.
– Sudden destruction
• Natural disaster OR invasion
Minoan Art:
emphasis on depicting
nature and events instead of rulers and
deities. Minoan artists
typically portrayed
animals, flowers,
landscapes, marine
life, and scenes of
people.
Minoan Art
• Large wall frescos
• Tiny terracotta or fiaence
figurines
• Ceramics
• Stone carvings
–Aside from the frescos, the Minoans
mostly created miniature works of art.
Frescos:
• The walls and even ceilings of many of
the Minoan palaces were decorated
with large, oversized frescoes.
• The subjects of the paintings were
depicted in bright and vibrant colors.
The bull was regarded by Minoans
as a sacred animal
Mural found at Knossos (acrobat leaping over a bull).
Showing Humans in profile was adapted from Egyptian art.
Early Minoan pottery was created using hand
building using slabs or coils to build up the
form.
Once the Greeks were introduced to the
potter’s wheel, their shapes became more
dramatic and sophisticated.
The walls were often wafer thin and a small
foot ring was popular
Figurines:
• Figurines were usually intended
votives which are offerings that are
buried without the intention of discovery
or use. They were often intended to
gain favor from the Gods.
• Because votives were buried,
hundreds of examples survived.
• Made out of clay, stone, or fiaence.
Fiaence is a
glaze made
primarily of
crushed quartz.
Most figurines
were women.
Snake Goddess, from the palace at
Knossos (Crete), Greece, ca. 1600 BCE
Mycenaean Art: 3,000 – 1,050 B.C.E.
Legendary king of Agamemnon.
Famous poet: Homer
Overlapped with the Minoan period as
Crete (Minoans) was declining the
Mycenaeans on the mainland were
rising.
Trade with the Minoans was fruitful for
the Myceneans and much of their
culture was gleaned off those from
Crete (the Minoans).
Minoans vs. Mycenaeans:
The Mycenean society was monarchical
and the king amassed great wealth from
which the people did not prosper like
they did in the Minoan society. In addition,
the king was comparable to a warlord and
they were always ready for battle. The
Mycenean art therefore reflected
hunting and war. In contrast, the Minoans
surrounded themselves with delicate art
that reflected a joyous life.
They went looking for trouble…
• The Hitites and Egyptians had them in
their records as invaders.
• After the collapse of the Minoan society
(perhaps due to a series of earthquakes)
they conquered Crete and other Aegean
islands.
• Their most famous raid was that of Troy.
They also went looking for
trade:
They traded with:
 The Egyptians
 Crete (The Minoans)
 Asia Minor
They traded:
Raw Goods
Oil
Animal skins
Mycenaean Art
Large wall frescos
Ceramics
figurines
Frescos
• Repetition of certain frescos
indicate that they probably used
pattern books.
• Like the Minoans, marine animals
decorate the floor whereas people
and activities decorate the walls.
Mycenaean hunting fresco from pylos:
The Mycenaean
frescos
sometimes
included more
violent subject
matter than the
Minoans who
rarely depicted a
hunting scene.
This Bull’s
head was
used as a
ritual
sprinkler. The
Mycaeans
were very
much
Inspired by Minoan subject matter.
The mask of Agamemnon,
Mycenae
Ceramics:
• In the 14th and 13th centuries B.C.E,
they began to export their ceramics
to Egypt and as far west as Italy
and Sicily.
• However, with the decline of the
Minoan civilization, there is also a
decline in the Mycenaean’s attempt
at quality and artistic imagination.
Minoan figurines
16th century B.C.E.
Mycenean Figurines
14th century B.C.E.
What is incredible
about this period
though
is the quality of the pot
itself. This is the work
Of a craftsman.
The art of drawing and
decoration had been
lost but the technique
of pottery making and
firing remains high.
12th century B.CE. The rhythms of plant and
animal life are gone, instead are stiff and stylized
drawings of chariots, horses and armed men
bristling with helmets, spears and daggers.
1,200 B.C.E.
• Threat from foreign invaders
• Attempted to revive their culture and
build huge defensive walls around
major towns.
• Cities were being abandoned and
destroyed
• By 1,050 B.C.E. Greece went into a
dark age and the Myceneans were
completely wiped out.
Vase painting:
• Gods and heroes of Greek
myths
• Warfare and social events
Archaic Period:
• Followed Greece’s dark age
• The Archaic period was the
precursor to Classical Greek
art.
• Occurred between 750 and
480 B.C.E.
• Considered to be a great age in
vase painting.
Black-figure technique
approximately 620 to 480 B.C.E.
• The first ceramic vessels made
• Black forms on red clay.
• Black glaze was painted over the
vessel and the details were
scratched out to reveal the red clay
hidden beneath.
525 – 500 B.C.E.
Inscribed with the words
"from the games
at Athens."
This Jar was a prize for an
Olympic game called
Pankration, which was a
combination of wrestling
and boxing. The goal was
to bring the opponent to
the ground. A tainer stood
by to make sure the rules
were being followed.
Only biting and eye
gouging were against the
rules.
525 – 520 B.C.E. :
Achilles and Ajax
playing a dice game.
The vase is by
Anodokides.
550-530 B.C.E.
Two women are working the loom.
Weights tied to the ends hold it taut.
The woman on the left pushes the
thread,and the other separates the
threads with a rod. The making of
textiles was one of the most
important occupations for women in
ancient Greece. A woman would
manufacture the clothing worn by
her family, as well as other
household textiles. Fine weaving
skills were testimony to a woman's
industriousness and value. A good
weaver was considered to be an
attractive woman, as well as a good
wife
540-530 B.C.E.
Depicts a scene from Homer’s
thirteenth book of the Illiad
Red-Figure technique
Invented in Athens around 530 B.C., possibly
by the potter Andokides and his workshop.
Gradually replaced the black-figure technique.
Painting the negative space and adding fine
details to the figure was easier than carving
them.
Better suited for details, and therefore, it was
best for more natural anatomy, garments, and
emotion.
530 B.C.E.
Vase signed by
Anodokides.
Painter unknown.
One of the earliest
examples of red
figure clay.
440 B.C.E.
Theseus and the Minotaur 460 B.C.E.
Stop here.
Minoan architecture:
Graceful, beautiful, colorful
They used native stone + clay,
timber used for reinforcement
The cities were unfortified with
paved roads.
The windows let in light,
but could not be seen
through
Multistoried palaces
with many rooms +
passages.
Knossos Palace:
The most famous Minoan Palace
Knossos was the Minoans capital
150,000 square feet
- Built for King Minos
- Housed more than
1,000 interlocking
rooms.
- some rooms served
as bathrooms with
functioning toilets +
running water which
was carried through
clay pipes.
-There was also a
sanitation system that
featured an elaborate
scheme of drains and
pipes.
-
- Sir Arthur Evans,
who first
excavated the
remains at
Knossos
beginning in 1900,
gave them the
name Minoans,
convinced that
had found the
origin of the
minotaur myth.
Illustration of Knossos
Inside were colorful wall frescos
Throne of King Minos
Frescos were
often placed in
accordance with
where it would
be found in
nature. Marine
life would
decorate the
floor, nature and
people on the
walls, and birds
on the ceilings.
At the time Knossos was discovered it was
common to create frescoes by painting on wet
plaster of Paris and embedding pieces of the
original into it. This helps to preserve the pieces
and present it as it may have been presented.
Artist recreation
Some theorize
that the fresco
pieces found on
the floor were not
from the wall but
the floor above
which fell down.
What do you
think? Why?
Mycenaean Architecture
• Originally shared many characteristics with the
Minoans.
• Characteristic features:
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
the Megaron
The citadel
the use of extremely large blocks of stone
large fortification walls built around the cities
corbel vaulting
Tholos tombs
Engineered roadways and waterworks
Cyclopean architecture
Many of the Mycenaean constructions
utilized stone blocks of an enormous size.
Some of the blocks are the size of a small truck!
The use of such boulders in the construction of city
walls testifies to the engineering superiority of
the Mycenaeans at moving unbelievably heavy
loads and fitting together large stones with a great
deal of precision. The later Greeks were so
impressed by the walls built by the Mycenaeans,
that they could not believe that humans
constructed them. They thought that the giant
Cyclopes must have built them. Thus, this type of
architecture got its common name, Cyclopean
architecture
Mycenaean Palaces:
- sprawling buildings usually located
at the center of the fortified citadel
- Within the palace complex residential
space, storerooms and workshops
were arranged around the central
megaron
- Most were probably two-storied,
but in all cases the second story has
not survived and must be hypothesized
from stairways.
Pylos:
The most thoroughly excavated palace is that of
Pylos. The site is one of the few Mycenaean cities that
was left despite being in rubble.
The walls, floors and ceilings of its megaron were
covered in frescoes of bright colors.
Citadel: fortified city
The Citadel (1350 – 1200 B.C.E)
The citadel of Mycenae was
probably the greatest and the largest
of all the Mycenaean cities. The
fortified wall surrounding the city was
built up in progressive stages with the
last section completed only a short
time before the city was abandoned.
The city walls were tall, incredibly
thick, and were made of several ton
boulders.
Aerial view and
reconstructed
view of the citadel
Located on the
top of a hill, the
city was meant to
take the fullest
advantage of the
natural defenses.
Megaron:
Minoan palaces were built around a large
open courtyard, however, the Mycenaeans
preferred an indoor hall called a megaron at
the center of their palaces. Smoke from the
hearth was allowed to escape through an
opening in the roof. The ceiling was held up
by four columns that were evenly spaced.
Across from the entrance way a throne
would be situated against the wall.
Reconstructed drawing of the Megaron
at Pylos
The megaron
was a central
chamber which
was
considered to
function as the
audience
chamber for the
royals.
The Citadel’s Lion Gate
The 'Lion Gate of
Mycenae, is one of
the few examples of
a decorated
entranceway to the
Citadel. The space
above the lintel is
filled with a
sculptured image of
two lions on either
side of a Minoan
style column.
The triangle was
meant to relieve the
pressure from the
weight of the arch
similar to a keystone
which distributes the
force of the weight
laterally. This
entrance is an
excellent example of
cyclopean
architecture
combined with a
corbelled arch.
Corbel vaulting:
corbel vaulting. This
technique is often used
to lighten the weight
above doorways. The
corbel vault is created
by arranging each
successive course of
stones slightly more
into the space, until a
single stone can be
placed over the top of
the triangular arch.
How is the
Lion’s gate
bridge an
example of a
corbel arch?
Corbel or False arch
True arch
Corbeled arches were more
efficient than the post and lintel,
but were not entirely selfsupporting structures, Thus they
are sometimes called a "false
arch.“ Corbel arches require
significantly thickened walls to
counteract the effects of gravity,
which otherwise would tend to
collapse each side of the
archway inwards
Tombs
The tombs of the Mycenaeans are
famous for their unique
construction and, of course, the
amazing riches that were found in
many of them. The first style of
tomb popular on the mainland was
the shaft grave. a deep burial pit,
rectangular in shape, dug straight
down into the ground with heavy
logs place on top.
120 foot Dromos to the Treasury of
Atreus (Tomb of Agamemnon)
Dromos means entrance or
passageway
Tholos tombs
These tombs are known throughout
Greece during the Bronze Age and
are easily recognized by their beehive shape created by corbel
vaulting of a round building. The
most famous of these tholos tombs
(and largest) by far is the so-called
Treasury of Atreus The stonework
of the tholos is very much
influenced by Egyptian masonry
techniques. There are 9 at
Mycenae. Gold death masks,
weapons, and jewelry were at the
royal burial sites similar to Egyptian
practice.
200 B.C.E.
Mycenaean vs. Egyptian tombs:
• Egypt’s Pyramid age ended 700 years
before Mycenaean tombs (tholos) were
created.
• Similarities:
– 1. Corbeled arch roof
– 2. Mycenean mound that led to a central
chamber underground just like the pyramids.
– Buried the royalty with their belongings
Greek art periods:
• Geometric
• Archaic (800 – 480 B.C.E.)
• Classical (480-300 B.C.E)
• Hellenistic (300 -100 B.C.E)
Archaic Period (800 – 500 B.C.E.)
During this period sculptures on pedestals
lined temple entranceways or marked
graves. The typical statue was of either a
male or female figure assuming a rather
stiff pose. They are always featured with
an Archaic smile and are not meant to
represent anyone in particular but to
embody the soul of femaleness and
maleness.
The statues show the influence of
Egyptian art in its stiffness,
gracefulness, and idealization. But
the artists weren't quite comfortable
with achieving naturalism yet. The
archaic smile, outstretched palm,
clenched fist, and wooden posture
of a striding figure are all stylistic
devices that compensate for an
inability to portray a figure in
realistic full action during this
emerging stage of naturalism.
Kouroi
"young men"
representing gods,
warriors, and
athletes.
Korai
The female
statues are
called korai
and depict
clothed
priestesses,
goddesses,
and nymphs.
Classical Greek
Sculpture:
Characterized by freedom of
movement, natural anatomy,
solemn intellectual expressions,
and different approaches were
taken to each sculpture.
Greece reached its peak in
Athens in the 5th century
B.C.E.
In the 5th century BC, Athens was the
center of the Greek classical world.
Athens controlled a large trading
empire, Democracy grew in Athens,
and the city was a magnet for the
greatest writers, artists, and thinkers
of the age.
Pericles even said…
"Great indeed are the signs and
symbols of our power. Future
generations will wonder at us as
the world wonders at us now."
In the art of Greece during the Classical
period the characteristic smile of the
Archaic sculpture is replaced by a solemn
facial expression. Even in sculptures
which depict violent and passionate
scenes the faces betray no expression;
however, their enemies have dramatic
facial expressions. Ancient Greeks
believed that suppression of the emotions
is a noble characteristic of all civilized
men, while the public display of human
emotion is a sign of barbarism. Logic and
reason are the dominant human qualities
even during the most dramatic situations.
The most famous
Ancient Greek
sculptors are: Myron,
Phidias, Polyclitus,
Praxiteles, Scopas,
and Lysippus.
Praxiteles, Aphrodite
Most of their work
has been lost except
as it survives in
Roman and later
copies.
Roman copy of Myron’s,
Discus Thrower, marble,
400 B.C.E.
Polyclitus
Spear Bearer
Polyclitus developed a theoretical
work that discusses ideal
mathematical proportions for the parts
of the humanbody known as the his
“Canon,” where he proposed a
dynamic counterbalance—between
the relaxed and tensed body parts
and the directions in which the parts
move. In Greece this concept was
called symmetria,
Contrapposto stance:
The principle of weight shift in
the visual arts. Contrapposto
figures are depicted in a
relaxed stance, one leg
weight-bearing, the other
bent, the torso slightly shifted
off axis. The stance is also
sometimes described as an
“S-Curve.”
The statue of Zeus at Olympia:
The statue ook the
sculptor Phidias 12 years
to complete and is 40 feet
tall. Visitors from around
the ancient world flocked
to see its spendlor. It was
probably made out of
wood for the base and
covered in sheets of ivory
for the skin and gold for
the robe. Took up an entire
wall.
One hand held a small statue
of Nike and the other held an
eagle-topped scepter. His
head was crowned with an
olive wreath, and sandals on
his feet. In front of the statue,
Phidias placed a shallow pool
of oil, to prevent the ivory
from eroding in the humidity.
The sculptor lasted for about
800 years, and the cause of
its destruction is heavily
debated, but it is suggested
that it was either detroyed by
a fire or earthquake around
500 A.D.
Scopas
created many
of reliefs at the
Mausoleum at
Halicarnassus
Relief Sculptures
The earliest examples of reflief sculptures were
found in Egypt, European caves, and
Sumeria.
Relief sculptures can not be viewed “in the
round.” They can not be viewed from all
sides because they are a raised design fixed
to a flat surface. Reliefs can be considered
as low (shallow reliefs) or high reliefs.
Possible Scopas reliefs
Roman copy of
Heracles by
Lysippus
Hellenistic period (300 -100 B.C.E)
This style began after the death of Alexander the Great in 323
B.C.E
This period enhanced upon classical characteristics to
add:
 A greater sense of movement
 Heightened theatrics and story-telling
 Larger groupings of figures in action
 Facial expressions based upon inner emotions
 Reality vs. perfection
 Sensualilty as a common theme: Many statues of
Venus and nude females.
 Greater attention was paid to all aspects of the
story-telling
The Dying Gaul (230-220 BCE)by the sculptor Epigonos.
Stone Roman copy of the Bronze Greek version
Most art preceeding this period was created
almost solely for the glorification of man and it’s
accomplishments. It exalted particular
individuals such as emperors and worshipped
the Gods.
This man is a trumpeter who has collapsed from
injury. There is a gash on his chest gushing blood;
he is dying. The muscles in his body are relaxed, his
face tense and agonizing.
The Nike of
Samothrace
\
220-190 BCE
One of the most
celebrated sculptures
in the world
Housed at the
Louvre in France
Nike was the
symbol for victory
The statue is of the
Goddess Nike who
has just landed on
the bow of a ship.
Her right arm would
have been raised in
victory.
The bottom
was meant to
reflect the
boat’s image in
the water.
The Seated
Boxer
(100-50 BCE)
Original Greek
cast bronze
The boxer appears to
be very old and
battered. He may
even be looking at the
opponent who just
defeated him. Despite
his age he is still
respected and clearly
he still retains his
strength and poise,
his muscles are still
very toned.
The other details here
are also quite
revealing of his life
and trials boxing. His
nose is broken, as
are his teeth, he also
has what is
commonly referred
to as "cauliflower
ear". His face is
scarred from the
leather thongs used
to protect his skin.
Gallic Chieftain
Killing Himself and
His Wife (230-220
BCE),
This sculpture shows and
chieftain from Gual, who,
following the demise of
defeat; chooses suicide
over surrendering to his
enemies and kills his wife to
spare her being sold into
slavery.
Aphrodite, Eros,
and Pan
100 B.C.E.
Marble
Aphrodite keeps
Pan (who is being
encouraged by
Eros) at a distance
using a sandal.
Old Market Woman (150 BCE - 100 BCE).
Preceeding this era all Greek
art consisted of beautiful
pieces of the young, strong,
attractive and powerful. But
this piece shows something
quite the polar opposite of
the norm and is very
characteristic of this age.
Here we see a woman
wrinkled, tattered, bent with
age and her spirit broken.
Loacoon
and his
sons
Laocoon
was
a
Trojan priest who
was attacked and
punished by gods
favoring the Greeks
because he warned
the Trojans against
allowing the famous
Trojan horse into the
city. He was attacked
by sea snakes while
performing
A sacrifice at the
altar of Neptune.
Greek Architecture:
The Greeks followed a strict system of
proportions: Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian
• The Doric order was the oldest and
typically found in Mainland Greece.
• The Ionic order was more widespread in
Asia Minor and the Aegan.
• The Corinthian style developed much later
and was not used all that commonly.
Doric Order
The doric order was
the most simple of
the three columns.
The capital was
plain and the
column had no
base. Tapered at
the top to appear
straight at a
distance.
Ionic Order
• Taller than doric columns:
appeared more slender.
• Flutes: vertical lines
carved into the shaft.
• Entasis: The column had
a slight bulge to make the
column look even when
seen from a distance at
eye level.
• The capital included a
scroll.
• Base looked like stacked
rings.
Corinthian Order
Most decorative of all
the orders
Entasis to make the
shafts look straight.
The Corinthian capitals
have flowers and leaves
below a small scroll.
The shaft has flutes and
the base is like the
Ionian.
Unlike the Doric and
Ionian cornices, which
are at a slant, the
Corinthian roofs are flat.
The search for perfection:
The Greeks were constantly
analyzing the relationships
between columns, windows,
doorways, and other elements to
find pleasing dimensions that
were in harmony with nature and
the human body.
The Golden Ratio:
1.61803 39887 49894 84820… Sound
familiar?
To the Greeks the Golden Ratio (or mean)
was consider to be the most pleasing ratio
for architecture when applied to the length
and width of the arcitectural base.
The ratio was name “Phi” by the Greeks
after Phidias.
Phidias sculptued many of the Friezes
surrounding Parthenon in Athens Greece.
Oddly, even the spaces between the
columns on the Parthenon form Golden
Rectangles.
But… some say that the Golden Ratio was known
and used as early at 2,500 B.C.E…
The pyramid of Giza
Somebody with a lot of time on their hands discovered
that the individual florets of the daisy and sunflower
grow in two spirals extending out from the center. The
first spiral has 21 arms, while the other has 34. Do
these numbers sound familiar? They should - they are
Fibonacci numbers! And their ratio, of course, is the
Golden Ratio.
The process of the growing plant follows the
Fibonacci numbers, from the first shoot, to the
two shoots, three shoots, and five shoots, and
eight shoots, and on and on.
Many artists who lived after Phidias have
used this proportion. Leonardo called it the
"divine proportion" and featured it in many
of his paintings. The Mona Lisa is an
example of a painting which incorporates
the Golden Ratio.
Temples:
• In Greece, each temple was devoted to a
God, or a different aspect of a God, who
might be honored with several temples in
the same city.
• Temples would be arranged on a fortified
hilltop known as the Acropolis, which
means “City-on-the-height,” in Greek.
The Acropolis:
There are many Acropolises all over Greece, however,
the one located in Athens is the most spectacular and
well-known. It is therefore often called “The Acropolis.”
Reconstructed image
Greek temples were always designed in perfect
symmetry, however, they were often placed in
relationship to each other at odd angles to take
advantage of the natural landscape and its views.
The Parthenon:
• The largest temple in the Acropolis.
• Built from 447-438 during Pericles reign
which is called “The Golden Age.” Designed
by the architects Ictinus and Callicrates.
• At the time is was built Greece was divided
into three city-states. The two most powerful
were Athens and Sparta.
The Parthenon is considered to be the
supreme example of classical architecture.
The Parthenon
was built to honor
Athenia who was
the patron
goddess of
Athens. Inside
was a sculpture
of her by the artist
Phidias. This is
an artist’s
reconstruction of
what the 43 foot
high statue might
have looked like.
The Parthenon is of the Doric order, which means that it
not only had doric columns, but the floor plan that was
associated with it was also specifically doric.
However, the Parthenon was revolutionary to Greek art at the
time because it also included 4 Ionic columns supporting the
center of the Parthenon and the continuous freize surrounding
the inside walls is an Ionic concept.
The high relief that surrounds the Parthenon was
completed by the sculptor Phidias.
The Parthenon’s friezes are considered to be some of
the most superior works of art history. Many of these
sculptures were taken to Britain in the 19th century as
payment for Britain’s help in winning and maintaining
their independence from Turkey. The sculptures are
known as the Elgin Marbles and Greece has desperately
been trying to retrieve them from Britain.
Over the years, the Parthenon was often adapted to
serve different purposes and that meant that its
appearance was also adapted in the process.
This is what the Parthenon would have looked like with
all art in tact.
The Erechtheion
Construction began in 420 and its purpose was to hold
religious practices and ceremonies
A caryatid: is a sculpted female figure serving as an
architectural support taking the place of a column or a
pillar supporting an entablature on her head.
The origin of the caryatids is unknown.