 Ancient Times
 The Greeks & Their Predecessors
 Antiquity – 100BC
 The Birth of Art
 Art was born around 25,000 years ago
•
Although early artists are anonymous, most of what we know about their societies
comes from the art they left behind
 Art from this time is categorized into 3 art forms:
•
Painting
•
Sculpture
•
Architecture
 Prehistoric Art
 The oldest surviving art objects are sculptures made from bone, ivory, or antlers
•
Venus of Willendorf is a small stone figure found in Austria dating around 20,000BC
 Venus of Willendorf
 Cave Paintings in Lascaux, France
 Egypt
 15,000 years later (5000BC – 1000BC) Egypt was the site of an extraordinary evolution of the
visual arts
 Egyptians worshiped a huge array of gods & goddesses represented in art by both human &
animal figures
 Central to Egyptian religion was a deep concern for life after death
•
Elaborately decorated tombs to provide a permanent residence for the deceased
 Pyramids
 Pyramids are lasting images associated with Egyptian architecture & have long been considered
masterpieces of ancient art
 Step Pyramid of Saqqara
 Pyramids
 The Great Sphinx at Giza
 The Discovery of King Tut’s Tomb
 The Discovery of King Tut’s Tomb
 Egyptian Music
 Since no notated Egyptian music exists, much less is known about music than about the other
arts
•
There is, however, written evidence of music in Egyptian culture, including choral groups
in the service of Egyptian kings
•
There are also visual representations of musicians performing on instruments
 Feast at the Home of Nakht
 Greece
 For a brief Golden Age from 480-430BC, an explosion of creativity resulted in an unparalleled
level of excellence in art, architecture, poetry, drama, philosophy, government, law, logic,
history, & mathematics
•
This age is considered the high point of Greek culture
•
There occurred such a development in drama, architecture, sculpture, and music that
the age is still looked upon as the source from which our own culture emerged
 The Golden Age
 The end of the lengthy Persian wars in 480BC precipitated a flood of artistic energy resulting in
this age of Greek art
 The ending of war provided the necessary wealth for artistic patronage, and the stability of a
world at peace gave artists the confidence & incentive for renewed creative output
•
They believed that the gods must have approved of their actions to have given them the
victory over the Persians

 Athens
In homage to their gods, the Greeks undertook a great program of public
building in which architecture, sculpture, pottery, painting, literature, drama,
and music played important roles
 When Pericles came to power he embarked on a program designed to make Athens the cultural
and artistic center of Greece
•
The core of the program was the construction of a group of buildings on the Acropolis
 Athens attracted the finest scholars & artists from the entire Greek world.
•
This was the age of Plato,
Aristotle, Pythagoras…
 Athenians
 To live beautifully and happily was the aim of the Athenians
•
They believed that man was the measure of all things
 The Greeks were driven to master the world by knowing it and reducing it to logical explanations
•
Unlike Egyptians, life after death held little interest for them
 Pursuit of Knowledge
 Greek thinkers began to refuse to accept the blind will of their gods as an explanation of the
universe
 They pursued knowledge
 It was the basic structure of the universe that they were seeking, and to them geometry and
numbers described it
 This mathematical reasoning dominated much of their lives, including their art and music
 The Greeks began to push earlier superstitions and magic aside in favor of logic and reason
 Greek Art
 All Greek art, architecture, and sculpture, as well as music, is permeated with this element of
mathematical exactness
 Painting
 The Greeks were skilled painters
 Greek artists achieved a breakthrough in realistic
•
Their paintings were extremely lifelike
 Unfortunately, very few of these paintings exist
•
Ancient forms of murals (wall paintings)
 Vase Painting
•
Vase paintings told stories about gods and heroes of Greek myths as well as other
stories such as warfare and drinking parties
 Sculpture
 The deep-rooted belief
that the gods could be
approached and
worshipped through an
image in stone brought
forth the highest talents
of Greek sculptures
 They sought to portray
two human behaviors:
passion & reason
•
The Greeks invented the nude
in art
 Realism - Exaggeration
 Laocoon and His Two Sons
 Music
 The word music is of Greek origin
 There is no way of knowing exactly what Greek music sounded like
•
All information we have about Greek music comes through the writings of philosophers
and scholars, paintings of instruments in Greek art works, and a few dozen fragments of
stone with music notation inscribed
 Greek music most often combined poetry, music, & dancing
 Music (continued)
 As in architecture and sculpture, music frequently had close associations with religion and was
used as communication between the Greeks and their gods
 Greek music must have sounded very different from what we are accustomed to hearing today
 Music was very important in Greek drama and was probably sung by many voices
•
Our word chorus comes from a Greek word
 Ethos
 The Greeks believed that certain scales (also known as modes) possessed moral and ethical
values in terms of emotional responses they produced in listeners
•
They believed music could influence human will in at least three ways:

Music could spur to action

Music could lead to the strengthening of the whole being or undermine mental
and spiritual balance

Music could suspend completely the normal willpower, rendering people
unconscious of their actions
 Architecture
 Monuments were treated by the Greeks as large sculpture and were built with the same rules of
symmetry and ideal proportions
 Main Features of a Greek Temple
 Orders
 In Greek architecture, several major styles governed the form of columns & other elements
 There were 3 styles (or 3 orders):
•
Doric
•
Ionic
•
Corinthian
 Orders (continued)
 The Roman Empire & the Early Christians
 100BC – AD500
 Rome first rose to a position of importance around 400BC
 The Romans gradually came to think of themselves as a people with a destiny to fulfill-a mission
to bring law and order to all peoples by conquering the whole (then-known) world
 Roman “Art”
 The Romans recognized the greatness of the Greek culture and they sought to acquire the
glories of Greek art by possessing it themselves
•
•
When they conquered Greek cities, they stripped the temples & public buildings of their
statues

There are records of Roman generals returning with enormous quantities of art
objects which then found their way into Roman homes

When this supply was exhausted, the Romans began importing artists to make
copies of captured art & to create works in the Grecian style
Therefore, the influence of Greek culture was spread throughout the Western world by
the Roman conquerors

Later, however, Romans put their own spin on Greek art
 Roman Culture
 Romans placed greater faith in the strength of their armies than in their gods
 They had only a vague concern for life after death & put little credence in any idea of
immortality
 The Romans were systematizers, excelling in architecture, engineering, and law
 Roman law has been the basis of all legal systems of Western civilization
 Their law was based on the standards of justice determined by common citizens using plain and
simple good sense
 Architecture
 The architectural needs of the Romans were very different from those of the Greeks
•
Public arenas were more important than temples
•
The Romans required public buildings where thousands could be accommodated as
spectators at public games & entertainments
 This gave rise to the dome which is now recognized as a symbol of authority because of its
extensive use by the Romans in public buildings
 Roman builders not only developed the arch, vault, & dome but pioneered the creative use of
concrete
 Pantheon
 Colosseum
 A huge open-air arena used for games and gladiatorial combats
 It is one of the most remarkable structures of its age because of its size and utility
•
Today, even in decayed condition, it is a main tourist attraction
 Underneath the seats were countless rooms for attendants, cages for wild animals, & even small
shops
 It was built in such a manner that the floor of the arena could be flooded & on these occasions
audiences could enjoy the sight of naval battles fought before their very eyes
 Colosseum
 Roman Sculpture
 Not all Roman art was imitative of Greek models
 The Romans excelled in portrait sculpture
•
In order to honor their soldiers, prominent citizens, & merchants, they created
sculptural likenesses of them for prominent places in public buildings, as well as homes
 Augustus of Prima Porta
 Perspective
 A lasting innovation of Roman sculptors was the perspective created in groups of figures carved
in relief
•
By making distant figures smaller and placing them behind foreground figures, artists
created an illusion of space
 Ara Pacis Frieze
 Roman Music
 Music had practical applications in the Roman society
 It accompanied processionals, was an essential part of theatrical entertainments, and was a part
of gladiatorial spectacles
•
Similar to the marching band at football games
 Unfortunately, they had no system of notation denying us the possibility of even approximating
the sounds of their music
 The Middle Ages
 The Middle Ages (Medieval Period) extends from 5th – 15th Centuries (ca.400 – 1400)
•
From the fall of Rome until the Renaissance
 During the initial period (Dark Ages), barbarians destroyed what had taken 3,000 years to build
 Two major “shifts” occurred that had far-reaching effects on Western Civilization:
•
Christianity triumphed over paganism & barbarism
•
Emphasis shifted from the here-and-now to the hereafter

With that, from the body as beautiful to the body as corrupt
 The Medieval Period
 Divided into three important subperiods:
•
Byzantine
•
Romanesque
•
Gothic
 Because the Church was the supreme power, art had to have a religious function
•
Illiteracy was almost universal so biblical stories were taught through the visual arts

Paintings, stained glass, & sculpture served as tools of religious education
 The Church & Medieval Art
 Artists were given exact specifications as to what they could create
 The artists were bound by strict rules governing how sacred subjects were to be depicted
•
These rules were intended to help the observer identify religious figures
 The structure of churches & cathedrals were also subject to certain rules
•
Decoration was not determined by the artistic taste but by theology
 Early Christian Art
 During its early days, Christianity had little place for visual art of any kind
•
Why?
•

It had no wealth

It was considered an abomination
After the Church became well organized & accepted, its more wealthy converts desired
churches built in a more elaborate fashion
 Christian focus was on salvation for a glorious afterlife, interest in realistically representing
objects of the world disappeared
•
Nudes were forbidden
•
Instead, Medieval artisans were interested exclusively in the soul, especially in
instructing new believers in church principles
 Early Christian Art (cont.)
 Art became the servant of the church
 Theologians believed church members would come to appreciate divine beauty through
material beauty
•
Therefore, lavish mosaics, paintings, and sculptures were the result and architecture
took on a new form
 Byzantine Art
 Byzantine refers to eastern Mediterranean art from AD330 when Constantine transferred the
seat of the Roman Empire to Byzantium until the city’s fall to the Turks in 1453
•
Later called Constantinople
 Mosaics
 Mosaics were one of the predominant Byzantine art forms
•
Consisted of small colored bits of tile & glass commonly used to form geometric
patterns
 Icons
 Icons were small wood-panel paintings believed to possess supernatural powers
•
Images of saints of “holy persons” often with halos and staring, wide eyes
•
Believers carried them into battle or wore away their faces by kissing them

Icons were later banned from 726 – 843 as a violation of the commandment
against idolatry
 Early Christian Music
 The earliest Christians had little opportunity to develop art & this equally applied to music
 Inadequate system of notation
 Jewish Psalms were incorporated into the Christian liturgy
•
These chants served as their greatest source of music
•
Psalms were sung unaccompanied by instruments
 Early Christian Music (cont.)
 The text was of primary importance in each of these musical expressions
 The melodic lines of early Christian music spanned a narrow range & emphasized the words at
the expense of the music
 As Christianity grew, there were many who came into the Church knowing “popular songs”
•
Believing these songs to be evil influences, the Church made every effort to purge this
popular music from the services
•
Music in the church at this time served one purpose, to serve God & could not exist for
its own sake as an expressive art form
 The Romanesque Period:
The Reign of Religion 500 - 1100
 The term Romanesque refers to the artistic styles influenced by the Romans
•
This style is marked by its sheer simplicity & its use of the rounded arch
 The Church, now well organized, reeducated its people in mind, manners, and morals
•
Provided moral & spiritual motivation for new art forms
•
Romanesque architecture, sculpture, painting, literature, & music reflected the culture
of the Church
 Architecture
 Romanesque architects & builders adapted the stone arch of the Romans
 Arches were of great solidity & strength capable of bearing tremendous weight
•
The necessity for fireproof buildings led to the use of heavy stone roofs
 Other characteristics: thick walls with few windows and heavily vaulted ceilings
 Notre Dame la Grande at Poitiers, France
 Sculpture
 According to Pope Gregory (AD600), painting & sculpture were supposed to teach: “What the
literate learn by reading, the uneducated learn by looking at pictures.”
 In addition, sculpture was almost always conceived as an architectural decoration, as well as an
educational object
 Sculpture (cont.)
 The sculpture from this time seems archaic
 The figures portrayed on the cathedrals were often elongated and like skeletons simply covered
with fabric rather than living forms
 The distortion of human form was motivated by two beliefs:
 Portal of St. Trophime c.1105
Arles, France
 Painting
 There are few original examples of Romanesque paintings because they were usually painted on
wood
•
Either fire or normal decay destroyed most of them
 Music
 Vocal sound was predominant in the music of the religious service; it had to be simple
•
Instruments were commonly used for secular purposes; therefore, banned from use in
church
 Several styles of chant were developed
•
Monophonic vocal music – music consisting of a single vocal part
•
Ex: Dies Irae
 Music
 Vocal sound was predominant in the music of the religious service; it had to be simple
•
Instruments were commonly used for secular purposes; therefore, banned from use in
church
 Several styles of chant were developed
•
Monophonic vocal music – music consisting of a single vocal part
•
Ex: Dies Irae
 Gregorian Chant
 Chant used in Rome became known as Gregorian Chant (named after Pope Gregory)
 Guido of Arezzo contributed much to the development of notation & the singing style of
Gregorian Chant
 All chants shared 4 characteristics:
•
Based on church modes
•
Rhythms came from Latin texts
•
Monophonic
•
Composers were unknown
 Mass
 The Mass was one of the most important developments central to the church services
•
11 pieces of music were normally needed for the sung portion of the mass
•
These 11 pieces were divided into 2 sections:

Ordinary – constant; used the same texts for every service

Proper – changed texts from service to service according to the needs of the
Church calendar
 The Medieval Gothic Period
1100 - 1400
 Bridging the gap between the Romanesque Period & the Renaissance Period
•
Cultivation of humanism
 Architecture
 The Gothic architectural style began in France
 Gothic builders wanted their buildings to reach greater heights
•
Their ingenuity & experimentation created the pointed arch
 Reims Cathedral
Reims, France
 Salisbury Cathedral
Salisbury, England
 Stained Glass
 Stained glass was a craft developed from the mosaics of the Byzantine art
 Stained glass windows served many purposes
•
Admitted the much needed light that was absent in the Romanesque period
•
Magnificent decorations giving the interior a warm atmosphere
•
Means of instruction serving as illuminated paintings for religious education
 Medieval Rose Windows
 Sculpture
 Sculpture was still an important part of architecture
•
In many structures, every space not occupied by stained glass carried a message in
stone (sculpture)
 Almost every cathedral had a special statue of the Virgin Mary
•
In fact, the Virgin became so popular that the artistic portrayal of Jesus was largely
replaced by that of His mother
 Innovations made it possible to achieve effects of movement & space
 Gothic Sculpture
 Painting
 During the Gothic period, the art of painting was considered a minor art
 The most famous painter of the Gothic age was Giotto from Italy
•
Art historians look upon his works as the beginning of a new era in painting
 Fresco – a technique of painting on wet plaster (combining plaster & paint)
 Giotto’s Life of Christ
 Music
 Gothic music, like Gothic art, broke with the past in its move toward humanism
 New innovations:
•
Polyphony – two or more independent melodic lines
•
Organum – style of polyphony that was greatly influenced by the traditional music of the
medieval church
 Guido of Arezzo made the preservation of Gothic music possible
 Secular Music
 In contrast to the sacred works, there is a large number of secular songs from the Gothic period
 Troubadours (from southern France), trouveres (from northern France), & minnesingers (from
Germany) set poems with secular themes to melodies that they composed or to well-known
tunes of the day
 Bernart de Ventadorn
 The winter that comes to me
is white red yellow flowers;
my goo luck grows
with the wind and the rain,
and so my song mounts up, rises,
and my worth increases.
I have such love in my heart,
such joy, such sweetness,
the ice I see is a flower,
that snow, green things that grow
 Hildegard von Bingen
 Among the earliest composers of Gothic music known by name was Hildegard
•
She is one of the earliest identified women composers known