Archaic Style, Exekias, amphora showing Achilles
and Atlas playing a board game, c. 540-530 B.C.,
Achilles is portrayed as younger and taller in
stature showing his dominance in the game and in
strength
Late Archaic to Early Classical, Penthesilea painter,
cup showing Achilles and Penthesilea, c. 455 B.C.,
shows red-figure, permits freer painting and more
naturalistic style, myth is that Achilles was fighting
Penthesilea (an amazon) and at the time that he
strikes her, he looks into her eyes and falls in love
with her.
Archaic, Peplos Kore, c. 530 B.C., named for the
woolen dress she wears, “peplos” – woolen dress
pinned at the shoulders, “kore” – girl, shows the
“archaic smile”, solid stance, there are traces of
encaustic painting left in her dress and in her eyes.
Early Classical, The Kritios Boy, Athens, c. 480 B.C.,
when Greece finally defeated the Persians there
was a shift in cultural pride. The Greeks embraced
their heritage and were pompous about who they
are. A change happens in the study of the human
form. Contrapposto is introduced and naturalism
becomes the convention. Stylized hair is the only
lasting archaic convention.
Classical, Polykleitos, Doryphoros (Spear Bearer),
c. 440 B.C., original was bronze, this is a marble
roman replica, it shows strong thick musculature,
bulging knees, ribs and veins; the head is still
dome shaped but the hair is longer, naturalistic
and wavy rather than stylized. The result is a figure
showing organic animation.
Classical, The Parthenon, the temple of Athena,
the patron goddess of Athens, architecture was
designed by Iktinos and Kallikrates, artistic design
was by Phidias, here is shown a Doric and Ionic
style frieze showing the harmony between the two
areas of Greece. The Parthenon was named as
such because Athena was said to have sprung from
Zeus’ forehead thus giving her a virgin birth.
(“parthenos” – virgin)
Classical: The temple of Athena Nike, Nike
Adjusting Her Sandal, c. 410 – 409 B.C., relief
sculpture from the balustrade at the temple on the
east side of the acropolis. Shows “wet drapery”,
sheer almost transparent fabric in very elegant
folds.
Late Classical: Lysippos, Apoxyomenos (athlete
with a strigil),roman copy, c. 320 B.C., Lysippos
preferred thinner bodies, smaller heads, more
detailed hair and an increase in surface
movement. The result was a taller, lighter
appearance and livelier movement (compare to
the spear bearer). Lysippos was the official royal
sculptor for Alexander the Great.
Hellenistic: Winged Nike (Winged Victory),from
Samothrace, c. 190 B.C. shows Hellenistic
command of form and motion in space
Hellenistic: Laocoon and His Two Sons, shows the
Hellenistic melodrama and pathos, struggle and
over stressed musculature, everything is more
dramatic
Classical: The Erechtheum, a temple built for
Erechtheus, a king who was worshipped along with
Athena and other gods. Shown is the caryatid
porch (females forming the columns)
Plan of the Parthenon, peripteral style – columns
make up the walls to create an open air building,
know the names of the sections, opisthodomosback porch, treasury, naos – inner sanctuary,
pronaos – front porch, colonnade
Early Classical: Myron, Diskobolos (Discus
Thrower), c. 460-450 B.C., Two overlapping arcs
create a circular motion in the piece, along with
the domed head, disc and rounded base. There is
still stylized hair showing early classical style.
Classical to Late Classical: The Battle of Issos, from
Pompeii, floor mosaic called tesserae “little tiles”
or opus vermiculatum “worm work”, this piece
shows the naturalism of the hair and
foreshortening in the rear of the horse.