Greek Art
S.SHARONART HISTORY Notes through October 27, 2016
Greek Art.
Minoan Civilization ( p. 114-116)
The Palace at Knossos
*Looks confusing so people trying to get in got lost and confused
* Civilization was very successful and was the most advanced of their time
* The palace complex was a language of Community. Not one building stood out.
* the middle area is open yard
* No Walls-peaceful and did not think of needing walls for protection
* Advanced navy
* Bull was the animal of their culture and horns are often seen in their architecture—the myth of the Minotaur. The Queen’s megaron in the palace has a fresco painting of the leaping bull. The sacrifice of the bull or athletes or both.
Boxing Children (p. 120) fresco. Painted eyes are still frontal. Curved lines. ? What is significance. Maybe a painting of a coming-of-age ritual?
Mycenaean Civilization (p. 121)
MEGARON- Greek palace. (figure 4.17)
· Rectangle building
· One opening into front porch with 2 columns
· Antechamber into a throne room where 4 columns surround a circular hearth. The king’s throne was centered.
· This structure was elaborated in later Greek architecture.
“Man is the Measure of All Things”
*Gods were anthropomorphic—human in form
* Greek art moved rapidly from stylization toward naturalism
*Greeks first to sign their works
* female and male artists
Pottery-
Archaic Style vases-black-figure on tarra cotta. (p. 137)
Late archaic pottery-red figure painting
Mosaic- from Hellenistic period. (p. 141)
“Alexander Mosaic” roman copy of a greek fresco painting-there are records which describe the painting.
*Full of emotion-King Darius’ face is full of emotion.
*Moment of the action.
*Top of picture is plain-it was probably meant to be viewed at eye level.
* (5.15) soldier looks at himself in the shield.
*Use of overlapping and shadowing makes a 3D form and depth perception
GREEK SCULPTURE
ARCHAIC STYLE-Life sized statues of standing males-have to support the head so there is long hair sculpted
Biggest indication of Archaic style is the “silly smile” trying to replicate human facial features but not exactly able to create the smile or emotion accurately
The Kouro s. (P. 143)
*Maintains the standard Egyptian frontal pose.
*Left extends forward-no bend at knee, hips, or waist.
*Hands at sides
*emphasis of human anatomy
*cut away from block of marble
*Compare to sculpture of Hatshepsut. Greeks looked to Egyptian sculpture for inspiration.
*Nude
Kore- same as Kouros but female-not nude. They did not idealize the female body
*dressed
*silly smile
*Block style
*proportions still off
BEGINNING CLASSICAL PERIOD
1. ** KRITIOS BOY (Acropolis, Athens) (P. 145)
*beginning to have more defined muscles and bones.
*no support for the head.
*Movement-knees are different height. This is a Roman Copy.
* Contrapposto pose-body in balance with movement. Allows the viewer to feel the inner workings of the human body.
2. ** Poseidon/Zeus (p. 147) Bronze
(Unusual to still find bronze sculpture because bronze was often melted down for things like weapons)
*hands are away from the body
*body position complete movement
*it is occurring either before or after the dramatic moment
*NO SMILE
*body is becoming more idealized. Defined muscles but arms and legs are longer than normal –exaggerated size
Lost wax process (p. 146) –very expensive
CLASSIC PERIOD
3. ** Myron Diskobolos (Discus Thrower) Marble copy of a bronze sculpture
**moment berfore the Drama
*no smile
*athletic idealized naked male
*strong diagonal and curved lines
*everything is calculated and balanced
ETHOS-keeping all emotions inside. (classic period)
PATHOS-shows emotion (Hellenistic period)
4. Warrior from Riace –pair of original Greek bronze scultprues found in the sea off the coast of Italy in 1972. Very rare to have this find.
*classic period-face without emotion
*Have moved so far into idealizing the body that it is exaggerated beyond what is natural. Buttocks too large,spine too deep, muscles too exaggerated, elongated legs.
*contrapostal-sense of balance
Polykleitos-wrote the treatise that deals with the mathematical equations for proportions. He created The Canon-the Spear Bearer-to represent this idea of perfect proportions. (p. 150)
* Doryphoro s (spear bearer)
Sense of balance. Weight bearing, bent left foot to balance bent left elbow.
Ethos-no emotion
(in the Renaissance period they go back to this naturalistic style. Compare to sculpture by Michealangelo of DAVID. Very naturalistic.
THE DEVELOPMENT OF GREEK ARCHITECTURE AND ARCHITECTURE
(p. 152)
*Plan of the temple at Apollo or Corinth (Archaic)
*View of the temple of Apollo-Doric-no base at bottom of columns
*The Naos-the inner sanctuary-where the gods statue was placed.
*The Pronaos-front porch with two columns
*Relief sculpture-seated gods frieze of the siphnian treasury=archaic-know because no smile, hair style.
GREEK ORDERS
1. Doric-lines, squares, geometrical (no scrolls or plants), no base
The frieze is the top of the column-in doric this is very geometrical. Cornice (very top is angular)
2. Ionic-elongated triglyph (picture, no lines between), scroll at top of column “capital”. Base at bottom of column. (top is angular)
3. Corinthian-Capital always looks like a plant or leaves. (cornice is decorated)
Temple of Zeus—early classic.. it is Doric. No base. Capital is geometrical. No scroll or plants. P. 156.
Sculpture (p. 172) Aphrodite of Knidos
*Very late classical period
*She is coming out of the water
*she is nude because of the story not because of philosophy of an idealized body.
*she looks ashamed of her body/
HELLENISTIC PERIOD-Emotion. Subjects occurring during the drama.
*no longer idealized body
*much more realistic-
1. Demosthenes-old man sculpture (p. 175) of famous Greek orator. Roman copy
· Old Age and death common subjects.
2. Winged Nike-victory. Full of Movement and motion. Very dramatic. Huge diagonal lines.
3. Boxer-face is full of emotion—pathos means showing emotion. (verse ethos-no display of emotions)
4. Laocoon and His Two Sons- (p. 178) not organized-very dramatic. At the moment of the drama. Snake is wrapped around. Full of emotion in the face. Melodrama. Roman adaptation of a Hellenistic work. Depicts an incident from the end of the Trojan War. Violent movement.