Ancient Greek Art

Form: marble with remains of paint, 6 ft 4 in, rectangular shape represents stone

Content: integration of muscles harmonize together, fists attached together, idealized type - value intellect and strength, naked (sees good in human form), naturalistic face, realistic proportions

Context: found in graves, young man who died in battle, sense of mourning

Function: idealized grave markers 

Form: parian marble, once had bright pigments, skirt had animals, missing left arm, tightened waste, free standing, 3 ft 10 in

Content: broken hand - what was there may have shown it was Artemis, tight waist & defined breasts, naturalistic face and hair, clothed unlike male statues, holes in head (maybe crown), archaic smile (symbol of wellbeing, ideal femininity 

Context: located in Acropolis, worship of gods & goddesses were very present 

Function: broken hand indicates special decoration of goddess, not a votive figure, could be to honor or depict a goddess

Form: copy made of marble (original made of bronze), 6 ft 11 in, tree trunk and brace added by Romans, contrapposto - proportions

Content: this statue created as an idealized/perfected naturalism of human - math of proportion, breaks symmetry, aloof expression yet so retired and excellent, used to hold an iron spear

Context: not the original Doryphoros of Polykleitos - lost and recreated by Romans, found in Pompeii gym, Polykleitos wrote an essay called canon (set of rules and proportions) - Doryphoros is the canon

Function: is the canon for Greeks; for the Romans, is is an idealized type in gym 

Form: perfect proportions and harmony, caryatids present, three Greek styles of columns - Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian - main way to distinguish is through capitals, most of Acropolis is combination of Ionic and Doric

Content: has Erechtheion, Parthenon, Propylaea, and Temple of Athena Nike; caryatids show people, specifically women, are power and support

Context: previously destroyed, Delian League used to fund rebuilding, displays that the citizens are important

Function: dedicated to Athena, symbol of wealth, place of worship

Form: 100 x 200 ft, Doric & Ionic columns (34.2 ft tall), pentelic marble, perfect proportions, adjusted columns for eyes to see as perfect proportions, used to have color, Athena made of gold and ivory, golden ratio used (y = 2x + 1)

Content: no altar, perfect imperfections (added organic feel), worship Athena - most valuable materials used for her statue, outside metopes depict war, Doric outside and Ionic inside

Context: symbol of the birth of democracy, power, and wealth, on a hill overlooking city, building was stripped of gold and destroyed many times

Function: dedicated to Athena, symbol of wealth and power, was a treasury

Form: marble, triangular flow (is in pediment of Parthenon), complex drapery, mark temples for gods

Content: naturalistic and relaxed, Dionysos is idealized and relaxed, dynamic motion shown in motion and drapery, Helios the sun god rides his horse drawn chariot to control sunrise and sunset

Context: depicting birth of Athena - coming out of Zeus' forehead

Function: to honor Athena's birth

Form: pentelic marble, 3' 2" x 6' 8", high relief on top and bas relief on bottom creates naturalistic perception by audience, originally painted, isocephalism - heads on same level

Content: acute awareness of human figure, mastery of anatomy, movement and emotion, idealized figures of Athena, depicts citizens, bottom of garments are similar to columns - shows a fluidity and organic flow

Context: outside of mythology, showcases Panathenaic procession, contrapposto, shows procession of Ergastine

Function: represent glory of Athena, celebrate citizenry 

Form: Ionic frieze, outside sculptures, Phidian architecture, high relief, excess negative space

Content: within temple of Nike, removal of sandal represents sacred space, specific proportions, Nike has wings to keep her up, variation of rhythm, extended contrapposto

Context: moving outside of high Classical period, increased presence of movement - moving into Hellenistic

Function: victory sculpture, decoration of parapet (railing to keep people from falling), celebrate Greek victory

Form: frieze is part of series of images at temple, Ionic columns fatter than usual to blend in with propylaea, 'wet drapery' style, smallest temple, cella was the only part of temple

Content: nike shown with wings, beautifully balanced, harmony through relation of columns and propylaea, frieze inside & outside

Context: Acropolis depicted much of Athena's story - combined Athena with Nike, ruins of Mycenaean age

Function: temple to pay homage to gods for prosperous war, worship goddess of victory, religious rituals usually occurred outside of temple

Form: marble, 5 ft 2 in, stele, style similar to Parthenon frieze

Content: Hegeso opens jewelry box given by servant, shown in domestic setting ("women's place"), inscription represents her father, feet on foot rest, appropriate for solemn mood of grave stele, simple servant contrasts with elaborate drapery of Hegeso

Context: after high Classical period (resurgence of funerary sculptures in Athens), found in Diplyon cemetery

Form: grave marker

Form: bronze, sculpture in the round, increased negative space, 4 ft 2 in while seated, eyes would have been filled

Content: not in formal pose, different idealized sculpture, man has been beaten up - depicts more of reality, could have depicted victory but maybe also defeat - sense of perseverance

Context: Hellenistic sculpture (Hellenistic began with death of Alexander the Great), shows movement and emotion, wider range of realistic modeling

Function: put in athletic complex maybe for inspiration, athletes may have touched feet for good luck 

Form: parian marble, 2.5 meters

Content: dramatic, Phidian style, wings back in triumph, chest puffed, head up, high contrast, depicts Nike - goddess of victory, contrapposto but move away from high Classical

Context: Hellenistic - dynamic, used to be an installation

Function: celebrating naval victory (used to be on front of ship), votive offering for deity 

Form: red clay pot with black coating, "red figure" technique, very geometric figures

Content: characters depicted in random organization - chaos of violence; myth of Artemis, Apollos, and Queen Niobe; rigid painting style; gods and mortals same size, other size depicts battle

Context: 460-450 BCE, early Classical period (pre Acropolis), could have been copying the artist Polygnotos, gods depicted very stiff

Function: reduce intoxication - ancient Greek punch bowl

Form: stoa - columns open on one side and covered on top, freely interacting market and space; tholos - developed from burial monument, senators always there, round building; bouleuterion - more complex, peristyle, courtyard out front and theater in back for senator discussions

Content: market grounds, city space in middle

Context: focus of democracy - government center, started as market from ancient times and became civic space, heart of Athenian democracy

Function: strong center for politically based interaction, civil space with markets, religious temples built around  

Form: used to be painted marble, high relief, largest known Greek altar

Content: gigantomachy - battle between giants and Olympic gods, Athena remains graceful and Nike is crowing her, emotion and dramatic expressions, showcases Olympic gods winning

Context: 166-156 BCE, Hellenistic age, ancient city of Pergamon, Greek culture spreading 

Function: showcases spreading of Greek culture, honors victory, worship Zeus and Athena

Form: 8' 11" x 16' 10", ~1.5 million tesserae, earthy tone, foreshortening to create depth, open negative space to emphasize chaos of soldiers

Content: natural emotion and tension in figures' faces, naturalistic modeling, solder watching himself die in mirror, Alexander the Great on his horse but without helmet, Darius being defeated, climatic moment of battle

Context: battle of Issus, 333 BCE, was preserved by ash in Pompeii

Function: covered floor in House of Faun in Pompeii, Roman copy, impress guests and symbolize wealth, original function depicts Alexander the Great's power and strength