Aegean Greece
Aegean Greece
 Main Periods of Greek History
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3500 – 1100 BCE – Helladic Age
1100 – 800 BCE – Doric Dark Ages
800 – 400 BCE – Classical Greece
332 – 30 BCE – Hellenistic Civilization
Aegean Greece
 Ancient Aegean History – Chronology
 3000 – 2000 BCE – Cycladic Civilization appears
and develops on Cycladic Islands
 3000 – 1450 BCE – Minoan Civilization appears
and develops on Crete – use of Linear A
 1623 BCE – Eruption of volcano on Thera
 1600 – 1100 BCE – Mycenaean Civilization
appears on Peloponnesian Peninsula (southern
part of mainland Greece)
 1460 BCE – Mycenaeans invade and conquer
Minoan capital of Knossos
Aegean Greece
 1400 BCE – Mainland Greeks destroy Knossos –
and most traces of Minoan culture disappear.
Linear B in general use at this time
 1250 – 1240 BCE – Trojan war
 1100 BCE – Dorian invasion, fall of Mycenaean
civilization; Beginning of dark ages
 800 BCE – The Iliad and The Odyssey written
down as Greeks adopt Phoenician alphabet and
dark ages end
Aegean Greece
 Cycladic Civilization
 Cycladic Islands are so-named because
they ‘cycle’ around the birthplace of Apollo
and his twin sister Artemis
 No written records, so their artwork is a
main source of information about them
 Their culture was mainly Neolithic
Aegean Greece
 Minoan civilization
 The Minoan civilization is named after the
legendary king Minos who was the fabled ruler of
Crete
 Minoans were mainly a maritime culture : dealing
with trading and fishing
 The center of Minoan culture was the palace some
examples are at Knossos, Phaistos and Mallia
 Knossos was the center of political life (the capital)
Aegean Greece
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Characteristics of Minoan Art:
Dynamic Colors
Swirling Patterns
Organic themes – Marine life the
predominant motif
 Playful
 Decorative Designs
Minoan vs. Egyptian Painting
Aegean Greece
 Mycenaean Civilization
 Culture is named after the major city
Mycenae, although sometimes called
Achaeans - especially by Homer in the Iliad
and Odyssey
 Art was heavily influenced by Minoans, with
an additional focus on power by the
Mycenaeans
 Mycenaeans were warlike and aggressive
Aegean Greece - Corbelling
Aegean Greece
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Mycenaean and Archaic Greek Civilizations
Developed on mainland Greece
First true Greek speakers
Archaic Greeks Divide into 3 groups:
Aeolians
Ionians
Dorians
Aegean Greek - Art
 Cycladic Female
Figure
 3rd Millennium BCE
 Cycladic Islands,
Greece
 Sculpture
 Thought to have a
connection with fertility
and also with death
 Appears similar to
modern art
Statuette of Seated Harp Player
ca. 2,800-2,700 B.C.E.
Cyclades
Sculpture
marble
11 1/2 in. high
Possibly related to mythology / Orpheus
Minoan Art
 Spring Fresco
(Landscape)
 1630 – 1500 BCE
 Akrotiri, Thera
 Painting
 Natural world is focus,
use of color
 Landscape with
Flowers
 Not an attempt at
exactitude and realism
Minoan Art
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Palace of Knossos
1700 - 1300 BCE
Knossos, Crete
Architecture
Palace structure with
courtyard – first
building with running
plumbing
 Also had a labyrinth
Palace at Knossos (plumbing)
Crete, Greece
ca. 1,700-1,300 B.C.E.
Knossos
Minoan Art
 Palace of Knossos
(Minos)
 1700 – 1300 BCE
 Knossos, Crete
 Architecture
 The Minoans used
inverted columns that
tapered down rather
than up
Minoan Art
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Bull Leaping Fresco (Toreador Fresco)
1550 – 1450 BCE
Knossos, Crete
Painting
Fresco is a painting technique using wet plaster
Coming of age trial or religious ceremony
Dolphin Fresco
ca. 1,450-1,400 B.C.E.
Knossos, Greece
Fresco Painting
Located in the Queen’s megaron (bedroom)
Marine life was key Minoan theme
Marine style octopus jar
ca. 1,500 B.C.E.
Palaikastro, Greece
Pottery
11 in. high
Marine theme the focus even in pottery
Minoan Art
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Kamares Ware
(Three handled pithos)
1800 BCE
Phaistos, Crete
Pottery
Made of terra cotta
Kamares ware is
recognized by its color
 Most pottery motifs
were related to the sea
Minoan Art
 Palace Style 3 Handled
Vase
 1400 BCE
 Knossos, Crete
 Pottery
 Made of terra cotta
 Design is more linear than
circular – plants seem to
sprout up the vase
 Natural world is a main
motif
Snake Goddess
ca. 1,600 B.C.E.
Knossos, Greece
Sculpture faience
13 1/2 in. high
Made of ivory – proves trade was going on
with Egypt
Related to some goddess cult – different types
Flotilla, detail of Miniature Ships Fresco from Room 5, West House
ca. 1,650 B.C.E.
Akrotiri, Thera, Greece
Painting Fresco
approximately 17 in. high
Island was destroyed by volcanic eruption, shows how important the sea
was to daily life
Minoan Art
Aegean Greece
 Mycenaean Art Characteristics
 Heavy use of gold
 Large stone buildings and fortifications
(Cyclopean Stones)
 Painting is same as Minoan, except for
themes
 Focus on power and aggression
Mycenaean Art
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The Lion Gate
1250 BCE
Mycenae, Greece
Architecture/Relief
Sculpture
 Example of Cyclopean
stones (large stones
thought be Greeks to be
built by Cyclops)
 Lion’s used to portray
power, intimidate and
protect city
 Entrance to city of
Mycenae
Mycenaean Art
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Treasury of Atreus
1300 – 1250 BCE
Mycenae, Greece
Architecture
Believed to be the tomb of
the Atreus family - King
Agamemnon from Homer’s
Iliad
 Called Bee-hive tombs
because of their shape
 Use of corbelled roofing
Mycenaean Art
Mycenaean Art
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Mask of Agamemnon
1250 – 1200 BCE
Mycenae, Greece
Relief Sculpture
Made of gold, actual death
mask of the deceased
 Attributed to Agamemnon
but not verified – if true it
would be the only artifact
of a man involved in Trojan
War
Inlaid dagger blade with lion hunt from
Grave Circle A
ca. 1,600-1,500 B.C.E.
Mycenae, Greece
Craftwork
bronze, inlaid with gold, silver and niello
9 in. long
Symbols of power prevail and use of precious
metals
Mycenaean Art
Early Greece
 1000 – 800 BCE – Rise of the Greek city-states
 900 – 725 BCE – Geometric Style is used
 776 BCE – First Olympic Games (Greeks
measured time from this occasion)
 750 BCE – Phalanx with Hoplites is used as basic
battle formation
 750 – 550 BCE – Greeks begin to colonize
Mediterranean
 725 – 650 BCE – Orientalizing Style is used
Archaic Period
 650 – 480 BCE – Archaic Period
 621 BCE – Draco establishes Athenian laws
 594 BCE – Solon elected Archon begins
democratization of Athens “Architect of
Democracy”
 570 BCE – First silver coins minted in Athens
(Attic Silver Drachma)
 518 - 438 BCE – Pindar’s life – Ancient Greece’s
greatest lyric poet
 510 – 508 BCE – Athens created the first
democracy
Archaic vs. Egyptian Sculpture
Archaic Art – Classical Orders
Archaic Greece - Art
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Dipylon Krater
750 BCE
Athens, Greece
Pottery
In geometric style –
shapes are
predominant motif –
 Even animals and
people are in shapes
rather than realistic
Archaic Greek Art
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Horse
8th century BCE
Athens, Greece
Sculpture
Even sculpture of the
period was in
geometric style
 Forms of nature were
simplified into shapes
Archaic Greek Art
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Levy Oinochoe
650 BCE
Eastern Greece
Pottery
Orientalizing style breaks
from geometric shapes
 Eastern motifs like lotuses,
rosettes derived form
Egypt and Mesopotamia
 Figures become more
important
Archaic Greece - Art
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Achilles and Ajax
550-525 BCE
Athens, Greece
Pottery
Artist: Exekias
Black figured style –
showing scene from
mythology
 Painted with black
glaze on red clay
Archaic Greek Art
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Death of Sarpedon
515 BCE
Athens, Greece
Pottery
Artists: Euxitheos and
Euphronius
 Red figure style –
replaced black figure
style as is allowed for
more emotional
scenes to be portrayed
Archaic Greece - Art
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Paestum Temples
Hera I and Hera II
560 BCE & 500 BC
Architecture
Paestum, Italy
Doric Temple style
Best preserved early
Greek temples
Archaic Greece - Art
 Hera I is in enneastyle
– 9 columns on sides
 Hera II is in hexastyle
– 6 columns on sides
Hera I and Hera II
Archaic Greece - Art
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Standing Youth (Kouros)
600 - 590BCE
Attic, Greece
Sculpture
First nude in ancient art; note
again similarities to Egyptian
sculpture
Although foot is forward weight
is still equally distributed
Note almost fully free standing
as opposed to Egyptian
Known as New York Kouros
because of its location today
Kouros means standing male
nude
Archaic Greece - Art
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Kore from Chios
520 BCE
Chios, Greece
Sculpture
The stiffness is gone, the
drapery is refined and
even flows about her body;
she is wearing a garment
called a Chiton; traces of
color exist; considered the
best Kore
 Kore mean standing
female
Temple of Aphaia
ca. 500-490 B.C.E.
Aegina, Greece
Architecture
Typical Early Greek/Classical Temple
Open on all sides, 3 steps up
Unique because ramp for livestock still exists
Temple of Aphaia
Plan
West pediment of the Temple of Aphaia
ca. 500-490 B.C.E.
Aegina, Greece
Relief Sculpture
marble
approximately 5 ft. 8 in. high at center
Sculptures were arranged to fit inside pediment triangle exactly
Dying warrior from the West pediment Temple of Aphaia
ca. 500-490 B.C.E.
Aegina, Greece
Relief Sculpture
marble
approximately 5 ft. 2 1/2 in. long
Note the emotionless and even the smile
Dying warrior from the East Pediment Temple of Aphaia
ca. 490-480 B.C.E.
Aegina, Greece
Relief Sculpture
marble
approximately 6 ft. 1 in. long
Dramatic change in art in a short 10 year span
Ancient colors
Aegean Art
 The End . . .
Next Lecture . . .
 Classical and Hellenistic Greece