| From its beginnings in the Minoan Civilization to the | | | | can be seen in the "red figure" technique, in which |
| age of Hellenistic art, Ancient Greek art remains | | | | human images were not painted but instead |
| an important time period in the advancement of | | | | formed when a black background was applied |
| artistic techniques and approaches. Each new | | | | around them, letting the red clay show through. |
| century brought profound changes to the | | | | "Pallas Athena" (480 BC) and "The End of the |
| Egyptian art that preceded it. From the Bronze | | | | Party" (490 BC) are two important examples of |
| Age to the birth of the Roman Empire, Greece | | | | this style. |
| dominated the art world, and its influence | | | | Portraying the Human Form |
| continues to the present day. | | | | The focus on the human figure is first seen in |
| Minoan Art | | | | Greek pottery and later in sculpture. The |
| The earliest Greek art, indeed in Europe, dates | | | | portrayal of the human body by the Greeks in |
| back to the Bronze Age. On the small Aegean | | | | their artwork had a direct impact on its inclusion |
| island of Crete (now a part of Greece), the | | | | and development in Roman art, and later in |
| Minoan Civilization developed, roughly in parallel with | | | | Western art in general. The early Greek statues, |
| that of Ancient Egypt. For example, Minoan art | | | | such as "Kouros" (late 6th century BC) were |
| relied on a schematic style (repetition of human | | | | based on the Egyptian grid system. Gradually the |
| figures, for example) that was commonly found in | | | | lines of the body lost their stiffness--as seen in |
| Egyptian art as well. Art was comprised of | | | | "Kritios Boy" (480 BC)--and eventually emerge |
| carvings and painted pottery until 1500 BC, when | | | | into sculptures that capture the musculature of a |
| what is frequently called the "Palace Period" | | | | natural human form, as in "Discus Thrower" (450 |
| emerged, and wall painting first appeared in | | | | BC). |
| Europe, although only fragments survive today. | | | | Etruscan Painting |
| Unlike Egyptian art, however, Minoan art reveals a | | | | With the expansion of the Ancient Greek |
| naturalism and subtlety not seen in the art of | | | | Civilization came a new artistic development, |
| Egypt. Their seafaring orientation lent a natural | | | | found on the Italian peninsula in the 8th century |
| subject matter, which is reflected in Minoan | | | | BC. Influenced by Greek artistic changes, yet |
| painting. "Frescoe with Dolphins" (1500-1450 BC) | | | | uniquely its own, the Etruscan style was greatly |
| that today still hangs in the remains of the Palace | | | | admired by the Greeks. Early Etruscan art was |
| of Knossos, Crete, shows an amazing knowledge | | | | typified by wall painting, and an important example |
| of the oceans and sea animals, like the dolphins. | | | | remains in the "Tomb of the Leopards" (470 BC) |
| Another fragmentary painting that remains from | | | | at Tarquinia. The mural shows a joyful group of |
| the Minoan Civilization is "Toreador Fresco" (1500 | | | | revelers, drinking and playing instruments. |
| BC). Encapsulated in this artwork is one of the | | | | Much of Etruscan work, however, had a sinister |
| recurring themes of Minoan culture and art, bull | | | | edge, fixated on the fleeting nature of life. In |
| jumping. Thought in some way to be connected | | | | "Mourning Women" (late 5th century BC), a fresco |
| to Minoan religious practices, the painting depicts 3 | | | | from a tomb at Rivo di Puglia, the scene depicts |
| acrobats leaping over the horns of a bull. The | | | | brightly colored mourners who lament the |
| fresco is most unusual in that it depicts a time | | | | inescapable advance of time. |
| lapse sequence, in which we see the acrobats | | | | Classical Period |
| grabbing the bull's horns, then another mid-vault, | | | | The most important painter of the Classical Period |
| and the final acrobat landing with arms | | | | of Ancient Greek art (475-450 BC) was |
| outstretched. | | | | Polyanotos, yet none of his work remains. We |
| Mycenaean Art | | | | know of his most famous painting "Discus |
| Succeeding the Minoan Civilization, on mainland | | | | Thrower" only from the writings of ancient |
| Greece, the Bronze Age Mycenaean Civilization | | | | Greeks. The most important surviving painting |
| was in full flower. Its history and legends were | | | | from the 4th century BC is "The Rape of |
| captured by Homer in his epic poems, "Iliad" and | | | | Persephone" (340 BC), which is located in a tomb |
| the "Odyssey," which reflect the end of the | | | | complex that also contained the remains of Philip |
| Mycenaean period ("the heroic age"). One of the | | | | II of Macedon. |
| most enduring artworks from the time is a | | | | Full of richness and life, this naturalistic painting is |
| "Funeral Mask" (1500 BC) thought to be that of | | | | the explanation by the Greeks of seasons. |
| King Agamemnon, who led the Greeks to victory | | | | Persephone is the daughter of Demeter, goddess |
| in the Trojan Wars. All that is truly known is that | | | | of fertility, who is carried off to the underworld |
| the golden death mask is from a royal tomb. | | | | and will re-emerge as Spring. |
| Fragments of Mycenaean paintings were found at | | | | Hellenistic Art |
| two sites: Tiryns and Pylos, with scenes from | | | | Following the death of Alexander the Great in 323 |
| everyday life. In contrast to Minoan art, | | | | BC, the rise of the city-state emerged, and so did |
| Mycenaean was much more serious in nature. The | | | | Hellenistic art in Ancient Greece. Alexander's |
| Mycenaean Civilization collapsed around 1100 BC, | | | | cosmopolitan influence had already taken place |
| marking the end of the Bronze Age and the end | | | | and was flourishing through a mix of Eastern and |
| of pre-history (that is, the period of history | | | | Western styles. Hellenistic culture prevailed in the |
| before written records existed). By 650 BC, | | | | region until well after the Roman Empire took hold. |
| Greece had emerged as Europe's most advanced | | | | The Eastern influence meant a blossoming of art |
| civilization. | | | | for its own sake, with more decorative |
| Emergence of Greek Pottery | | | | embellishment, and religion relegated to the |
| Following the Minoan and Mycenaean Civilizations, a | | | | background. In place of religious subjects, art |
| record of painting is nearly lost in Greek art. | | | | focused instead on gardens, still life, portraiture, |
| Where the Egyptians, Minoans, and Mycenaeans | | | | and capturing the daily life of Greeks. The art was |
| used frescoes, later Greeks painted on wooden | | | | also much more widespread. Paintings could be |
| panels that disintegrated over time, and the main | | | | found in barbers' and cobblers' shops as well as |
| artistic record is instead found in pottery remains. | | | | palaces (as recorded in ancient writings). |
| Pottery always served a specific use (storage | | | | Art during the Hellenistic age was also more |
| jars, drinking vessels, containers for perfume, and | | | | focused on "truth," even when this meant the |
| so on). On this pottery, a new trend was | | | | depiction of violent, dramatic scenes. The |
| foreshadowed: the Greek fixation on the human | | | | definitive example of this philosophy can be seen |
| figure, something that would become a central | | | | in "Laocoon and His Two Sons" (1st century AD), |
| motif of Ancient Greek art. | | | | a sculpture that depicts a horrifying scene. Taken |
| Exekias, one of the most famous known potters, | | | | from Virgil's "Aeneid," the sculpture depicts a |
| signed at least two of his works (black figure | | | | Trojan priest and his two sons in the process of |
| pots) that remain to this day. His most famous, | | | | being strangled by sea monsters, a revenge from |
| "Dyonysos in His Boat" (540 BC) is important not | | | | the gods. |
| only because of its perfect balance, but also | | | | Rediscovered in 1506, the sculpture had an |
| because it signals the new direction that | | | | important effect on Renaissance artists, such as |
| representation would take--away from symbols | | | | Michelangelo, who called "Laocoon and His Two |
| to a style that shows the world more as it | | | | Sons" a "singular miracle of art." The sculpture's |
| actually is. | | | | influence continued, and El Greco later painted |
| Another change in the development of pottery | | | | three works based on the Laocoon story as well. |