Greek Art Flashcards
What are Kouros
Statues of nude young men
What were kore
Statues of clothed young women
What were the functions of the kouros and kore
Some were funerary monuments, others were found in sanctuaries where they were placed as offerings to the gods
What did the kouros and kore represent
They did not represent a specific person. They represented youthfulness and vigour, a stage of life that humans experience for a wile during their lifetime, but gods experienced it eternally. They also represented the self confidence and pride in physical appearance associated with a male dominated society
How were the kouros portrayed
Archaic artists portrayed idealistic versions of young men and avoided the portrayal of specific people
What happened at the olympics
Only males were able to participate and would wear not clothing. The early belief was that worship without clothes shows the human without any worldly possessions.
Who is one of the most famous kouroi
Kouros from Tenea near Corinth
What time period were the kouro and kore from
The archaic period
How tall is Kouros from Tenea
1.52m
How old is Kouros from Tenea
He dates back to 570BC
Where was Kouros from Tenea found
Next to a grave which makes him a funerary monument
What is so special about Kouros from Tenea
Some of the characteristics of him and Egyptian statues share. They are both standing very rigid, straight, hands in a fist, one foot slightly forward
What contribute to the athletic appearance of his youth
His calf muscles, narrowness of waist and roundness of thighs and buttocks
What is the smile of the Kouros from Tenea Allen
The archaic smile
What material was the Discobolos created in
Bronze
Who sculpted Discobolos
Myron
What was Myron known for
Creating naturalistic sculptures in which the figures are causght in a moment of action
What was the Discobolos originally created in
Bronze
What was Discobolos famous for
He became very popular with the Romans because of the representation of the athletic ideal. The made a number of marble copies of it.
What does Discobolos show us about how art was changing
It shows how the sculptors of that time were freed from the rigid poses of archaic art. Sculptors began to incorporate movement into their sculptures.
What was the case with Discobolos when it came to sculpting movement
It was achieved greatly.
How is Discobolos depicted
He is shown at the moment before he swings the heavy disc forward to release it.
What is rhythmos/ pattern
It is the placement of the arms and legs and the use of body weight together with the shape of the muscles
What two ones intersect in the Discobolos
The curve created by the line stretching through the arms intersects with the curve created by the bent knee. The forward leaning torso also intersects with and links the two other arches
What is the difference between the top and bottom half of the Discobolos sculpture
The top half is more smooth and open. The bottom half consists of angular overlapping forms
What does the compositional effect of the Discobolos sculpture lead to
To a disruption in symmetry which contributes to the sense of blame that was achieved.
What is the facial exprsssion of the Discobolos
Relatively emotionless. This is a sign of strength and power associated with the excellence of the athlete.
What does the Discobolos sculpture show
It shows the Classical Greek ideals of an equilibrium between realistic representation of human forms and the rules of perfect visual composition
What is the difference between idealism and naturalism
Idealism is nonrealistic, it is the perfect image of a thing (human). Naturalism on the other hand focuses on the real human figure, it shows humans as they really are.
What is the contraposto stance
It is an Italian term that means counterpose. It is when a sculpture is standing with most of its weight on one foot so that its shoulders and arms twist off-axis from the hips and legs. The carrying the weight is known as the engaged leg and the other leg is called the free leg
What are the characteristics of Hellenistic art
Age
Emotion
Imperfection
