EARLY CLASSICAL GREEK ART

Greece is considered the birthplace of Western civilization and whether you realize it or not, you already are somewhat familiar with Greek art. Many buildings in cities across America were influenced by the classical style of architecture that evolved in Greece and the Greek colonies from about 1100 BC to the first-century BC.

How did these ancient people manage to build such an influential civilization?

OBJECTIVES

• Identify three works of the prehistoric Aegean cultures.

• Describe characteristics of early Greek pottery.

• Discuss the evolution of Greek sculpture.

• Explain the purposes of early Greek architecture.

VOCABULARY

Greek art and architecture are customarily divided into periods reflecting changes in style. In this lesson, we'll look at the following eras:

• Prehistoric Aegean (2000-1100 BC)

• Geometric and Orientalizing periods (1100-650 BC)

• Archaic period (660-475 BC)

In the next lesson, we'll examine the classical era of Greek art. As we go through the different periods, notice what seems to be consistent and what changes.

The Aegean Sea lies between modern-day Greece and Asia Minor. The surrounding area was the center of one of the earliest known European civilizations. With the rise of the ancient Greek and Middle Eastern cultures, these early civilizations gave way to the great Greek city-states. But the art of these earlier civilizations influenced those that followed.

In the land surrounding the Aegean Sea, marble was a readily available material for creating artwork. Like the Stone Age peoples before them, the Aegeans created statues of female figures like the one above which utilized triangular geometric shapes.

This statue, which is approximately eighteen inches high, was created between 2500 and 2300 BC. It is now housed at the National Archaeological Museum in Athens.

Finally, we should mention the sumptuous works of gold created during the prehistoric era. A cultural group called the Mycenaeans inhabited the mainland of Greece. They built impressive tombs and fortresses. They also buried treasure at their gravesites. The gold mask, which you can see here: golden mask, was found in an area that archaeologists call Grave Circle A. It was made from beaten gold sometime between 1600 and 1500 BC. It is approximately one foot high. Do you wonder why they might have buried treasure at gravesites? Perhaps their beliefs were similar to those of the Egyptians you studied earlier.

Humans were the primary focus of Greek art. The artists were concerned with creating natural-looking human figures. It was important that the proportions be correct. Unlike Egyptians, the primary subject matter was the relationship of action and emotion of the human figure. Its primary subject matter is the human figure. The human figure was not only representative of living people, but it was also representative of the gods: Zeus, Athena, Apollo and the others all had a human shape.

The chief themes of Greek art come from:

• myth

• literature

• daily life

While many pieces of early Greek art such as paintings and statues no longer survive, travelers such as the Greek geographer Pausanias recorded their impressions of these works, and their writings tell us much about the artists and their creations.

Here Pausanias provides a description of Athens:

"On entering the city there is a building for the preparation of the processions, which are held in some cases every year, in others at longer intervals. Hard by is a temple of Demeter, with images of the goddess herself and of her daughter, and of Iacchus holding a torch. On the wall, in Attic characters, is written that they are works of Praxiteles a famous Greek sculptor. Not far from the temple is a statue of Poseidon god of the sea on horseback, hurling a spear against the giant Polybotes . . . From the gate to the Cerameicus there are porticoes, and in front of them brazen statues of such as had some title to fame, both men and women." — Pausanias, Description of the Greeks

During this period, architecture, painting, and large sculpture served a public function. These objects celebrated the gods or important athletic events. Even back then, sports was almost a religion.

The Temple of Zeus was built at the beginning of the Classical period, which you will study in further depth in the next lesson, but earlier temples occupied the site during the Archaic period.

Although the larger arts of sculpture and architecture were for public monuments, decorative arts, such as vases, figurines, and household utensils were mainly for private use. Many homes possessed beautifully painted terra-cotta vases. Wealthy families also had bronze vessels and mirrors. Small figures and reliefs were incorporated into many of these utensils.

Greek pottery has emerged as this period’s most important artifacts. Vases found from this period are decorated with geometric designs of both rectilinear and curvilinear elements. Later, it seems, slim, abstract humans and animals were introduced. Some early examples included the dead warrior and the horses with chariot. 

Click the forward arrows through this site to read about the different types of Greek pottery and take notes regarding the following:

• What were the different periods of pottery and art called (dates and names)?

• What were the characteristics of these different periods?

• How is Athenian pottery similar to Egyptian art?

During the seventh century BC, the Greeks had increasing contact with other cultures, and the style of vase painting changed. Vase painting of this period soon introduced such realistic forms as the lotus, lion and sphinx.

Statuary

The early Greeks also began to carve in stone. Like their Egyptian models, these freestanding figures are solid with a frontal stance. In trying to capture a figure in movement, the Greek sculptors created forms that were more dynamic than the sculptures created by their Egyptian counterparts.

Characteristics of the Archaic statues include:

• the Archaic smile

• motion rather than stability

• concern with the ideal human body

Can you see how the artists are grappling with creating the likeness of the human figure? The examples emphasize the essential aspects of the human figure. Did you notice the attention to the musculature and skeletal structure in the standing male? Did you notice the attention to detail in the hair and in the drapery of the standing female? 

Seventh-century Greeks built uniquely styled stone temples. These rectangular temples stood on a low, stepped terrace. These temples were typically divided into two categories. The smaller temples often included a two-columned front porch; in many versions, there was a portico included in the structure. The larger temples, in contrast, included a porch and portico at least three times the size of the smaller versions.

The Greeks typically utilized two different types of columns

1. The Doric

   • No base

   • Tapered

   • Includes carvings of vertical triglyphs

2. The Ionic

   • Slender shaft

   • Shafts are spread farther apart

   • Highly decorated gutter

Vase Painting

As early as 675 BC, Corinthian vase painters decorated their art with figures typically in black silhouette. Numerous artifacts still remain displaying the fully developed Corinthian style. These artifacts include vases overflowing with floral backgrounds. In this style, the figures are often set against these backgrounds

An amphora was a popular vase. Look at this red-figure amphora. Athenian vases have been found all over the Ancient Mediterranean World. 

Athenian pottery was popular for several reasons, including:

• Practicality

• Pleasing proportions

• Beautiful jet-black finish

• Exciting or lively scenes

Athenian vases were decorated in the black-figure style. Details were incised. Red and white highlights added three-dimensionality. Some artists also used foreshortening and shading to create a sense of three-dimensionality.

To deepen your understanding of vase art, consider the example of this vase painted with Achilles and Ajax playing a dice game, and record your impressions in your notes. 

Before this time, most artists remained anonymous. We have no idea who created the great treasures found in the Egyptian tombs. But the Greek artists of this time period began identifying themselves by making inscriptions on the vases. 

Read the article "Athenian Vase Painting: Black- and Red-Figure Techniques", from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York on Athenian vase painting. The black-figure style continued to dominate throughout the Archaic period, but the red-figure style gradually became more widely used. 

The Archaic period ended with the onset of the Persian Wars (480 to 448 BC). 

• What were the three bodies of government in Athenian society?

• How did their skills at sea travel enable the Greeks to flourish? (And their art to develop and spread?)

• What two city-states joined together to defy the Persians?

Watch the video for a recap of Greek history up to the Persian Wars.

LET'S REVIEW!

In this lesson, you covered the following concepts:

• The ancient Greeks were the first to develop a democratic form of government.

• They also created the first Olympics.

• The art of the earliest people who inhabited the area around the Aegean Sea included pottery, figurines, temples, and gold decorative pieces.

• The earliest Greeks developed a style we now call "geometric" because of the geometric shapes decorating the painted vases.

• In the Archaic period, sculptors created large statues that were more lifelike and dynamic than statues of the past.

• New techniques such as black-figure and red-figure painting began to be used on vases that became valued in other countries.

Complete the quiz before moving on.