Greek Architecture, Archaic, & Classical Flashcards
What is the primary function of a Greek temple?
What does tripartite mean and what are the primary three parts of the temple?
House of the Gods. Rituals did not play out in the actual temple.
Tripartite — Sectioned into three parts.
(1) Pronaos (Porch)
(2) Cella; Naos (Statue Chamber)
(3) Opisthodomos (Back Chamber)
GREEK ARCH
Instead of using the term style, what does the term order mean for the architect?
Orders (Styles) — Established set of rules and regulations
GREEK ARCH
Capital
Abecus (top) and Echinus (bottom)
Ment to serve as a transition from round column to the square block.
Flutes
Gauges in the shaft.
Echinus
Ment to transition round shape of the shaft.
Abacus
Square block
Architrave
Lintel block; plain, no carving.
Doric Frieze
Triglyph and Metope
Triglyph
Three bands carved in; end of roof beams
DORIC
Metope
Blank/intermediary form between the tryglphs.
DORIC
Entablature
Cornice, Frieze, and Architrave
Cornice
Horizontal Geison and Rakign Geison — Gutters
Pediment
Middle triangle created by the cornice gutters.
What are the differences between the Doric and Ionic orders?
Ionic:
(1) has a base below shaft (2) narrower and lighter (3) frieze isn’t decorated.
GREEK ARCH
What is the term used for the outward curvature of the columns?
Entasis
What is the reason that the Medusa figure is on the Temple of Artemis, Corfu, (ca 600-580 BC) pediment?
Apotropaic
GREEK ARCH
What is the order used on the Treasury of the Athenians, (ca 490 BC)?
Doric
GREEK ARCH
What is the order used on the Treasury of the Siphnians, (ca 525 BC)?
What is the specific adaptation of the columns and what are they called?
Ionic
Statues instead of columns — Caryatid’s
GREEK ARCH
What is a gigantomachy?
Battle between gods and giants.
Who are the twin god and goddess in the center of the frieze?
Treasury of Siphnians
Twins — Apollo and Artemis
GREEK ARCH
Stylobate
Level on which columns stand
GREEK ARCH
Peristyle
External colonnade on all four sides
GREEK ARCH
Cella (naos)
Main chamber where statue was
GREEK ARCH
What are some similarities and differences that you may notice between the Temple of Aphaia, Aegina’s West Pediment, (ca 500 – 490 BC) and East Pediment, (ca 490 – 480 BC) especially in the fallen warrior statues?
West Pediment:
- Original
- Battle at Troy — not THE battle tho; pre-mycenaean.
- Goddess of Athena & warriors
- Fallen warrior — Smiling; doesn’t look like hes gonna die.
East Pediment:
- Fallen warrior — Face isn’t look at us. Looking down as if he knows he is going to die. No longer symbolic, more representational now.
- Signs of self-awareness
- Style is still archaic
ARCHAIC
What purpose was served by the Kouros “Kroisos”, from Anavysos (ca 530 BC)?
Grave Marker
ARCHAIC
What are some of the subtle changes that are starting to develop between the time the New York Kouros was carved and the Peplos Kore, also from the Athenian Akropolis, (ca 520 BC)?
Hair is conforming more to body — gravity playing a role
Face is becoming more naturalistic, rounder figure.
ARCHAIC
What does the beard of the Calf-Bearer, from the Athenian Akropolis, (ca 560 BC) symbolically indicate?
Beard — More mature male, older age.
ARCHAIC
Who does the New York Kouros represent?
Possible it’s just a basic representation of male youth. Embodiement of an ideal, not specific individual.
ARCHAIC
What similarities exist between the “New York Kouros” from Attica, (ca 600 BC) and the Mentuemhet statue from the Late Period (650 BC) Egypt? Differences?
Similar — Same pose, same leg projecting forward, ideal of proportion are similar.
Different — Egyptian is more naturalistic and also clothed. Purpose, egyptian is more than likely religious (statue for ka and ba), greeks is not. Different weight distribution.
ARCHAIC
What are the identifying characteristics of archaic sculpture?
Moving on from Orientalizing; return to tradition forms seen in Egyptian styles.
Rigid statue with some naturalistic qualities.
Slight smiling; weird as fuck dude.
ARCHAIC
Who is Myron?
What parts of the Diskobolos figure create a vortex or arch and counter arch that intersects?
Why is Diskobolos “Discus Thrower,” (450 BC) a marble statue?
What is added because it is marble?
Myron — Artist; one of our first named artist.
Intersecting archs — Arm to arm to leg; head to back to ass to leg
Roman copy — original most likely was Bronze
Placed support behind the figure.
EARLY CLASSICAL
What is meant by “rhythmos” such as it is depicted in the Zeus or Poseidon from Cape Artemision, (ca 460 BC)?
Rhythmos — Brief capture in time. Momentary beat in time. In-between resting and motion.
EARLY CLASSICAL
How do both Riace Warriors, “A” and “B”, from 460 BC, embody the classical style?
Contrapposto pose
Naturalism
Bearded — mature males
Twisted head
EARLY CLASSICAL
Although the Charioteer from Delphi, (470 BC) is not depicted with a contrapposto pose, what other characteristic would identify this piece as belonging to the Classical period?
Head is slightly turned.
Headband
Puffiness in the face — especially the chin
EARLY CLASSICAL
Why are Greek bronze statues so rare?
Bronze — Didn’t survive because they were melted down for different materials (coins, plowers, knifes, etc.)
EARLY CLASSICAL
What is the contrapossto pose seen in the Kritios Boy?
What new approaches to depicting the figure (think of the pose and facial expression) define the early classical sculpture?
What does this change have to do with the politics of Athens?
Weight shift; less rigid and more natural/relaxed.
(1) Head is slightly turned. (2) Idealized naturalism — ideal form but is something that is natural. (3) Hair — Short hair
Statue resembles less of an arostocricy and represents more of the middle-class.
EARLY CLASSICAL
The Greeks become the supreme power after the battle of Marathon, (490 BC) and the naval battle at Salamis (480 BC). Who were the Greeks fighting?
Persians
Battle of Marathon — Persians attacking Athenians
Naval Battle at Salamis — Persians came back to invade.
EARLY CLASSICAL
