Greek art and architecture

Question 1

During what civilization and time period did the Greek art flourished?

Answer 1

-1050 – 31 BC.

-Began in the Cycladic and Minoan civilization, and gave birth to Western
classical art.

Question 2

Ancient Greek civilization included? (state the locations)

Answer 2

Mainland Greece

Southern Italy and Sicily

Aegean islands

Egypt, Syria and Near East lands

Ionia (western coast of Turkey)

Question 3

Give the significance of Greek art and architecture to the Western Culture.

Answer 3

1. Established many enduring themes, attitudes and forms of Western
   culture.
2. Greek heroes and mythology continue to form a common ground for the art, literature and popular culture of the Western world.
3. Greek artists were first to establish mimesis (imitation of nature) as a
   guiding principle for art.
4. Greek humanism, a belief that “Man is the measure of all things” is first shown in repeated depiction of nude human figure.

Question 4

Give the Greek classical Ideas and their meanings.

Answer 4

1. Emphasis of form- mostly paid attention to detail.
2. Intellectual order- Greek philosophical system flourished due to their love for reason.
3. Harmony- all elements and details bring a form of significance to the whole piece.
4. Proportion-related to the maxim, “Man is the measure of all things.”
5. Balance- it is the well-coordinated growth and expression of an organism, related to the principle of moderation – “Nothing in excess.”

Question 5

Give the best known Greek art expressions or forms.

Answer 5

1. Architecture
2. Sculpture
3. Paintings (frescoes, mosaics)
4. Pottery
5. Jewelry & metalworks

Question 6

Give the 3 Major Categories of Greek Sculpture.

Answer 6

1. Free-standing statues
2. Architectural sculptures (on pediments, metopes and friezes)
3. Non-architectural reliefs (e.g. carved gravestones)

Question 7

What were the different subjects of Greek sculptures?

Answer 7

1. Gods and deities
2. Heroes of legends
3. Athletes
4. Maidens intended to demonstrate ideals of beauty
5. Youth
6. Portraits
7. Animals (horses, lions, etc.)
8. Imaginary monsters (sphinxes, etc.)

Question 8

Give the Characteristics of Greek Sculpture.

Answer 8

• religious in function
  -to thank the divinities or grave markers
  -Architectural sculptures were for temples,
  treasuries or tombs.
  -Medium used: stone (marble), bronze, wood, clay, gold, ivory, silver.

Question 9

Give the classical Greek historical Periods.

Answer 9

1. Geometric Period (1100 – 750 BC)
2. Archaic Period (750- 480 BC)
3. Classical/ Hellenic Period (480- 323 BC)
   a. Athenian Empire (480-359 BC)
   b. Macedonian Supremacy (359- 323 BC)
4. Hellenistic Period (323 – 31 BC)

Question 10

Explain the Geometric Period (1100- 750 BC)

Answer 10

1100- bronze age, north Dorian evasion, and fall of Mycenaean civilization.

abstract style of pottery decoration ,influenced by close contacts with the Near Eastern and Mediterranean cultures;

Period of relative impoverishment, depopulation, cultural isolation and constant warfare; trade, farming & the arts were disrupted; and Ionian migrations.

independently governed city-states (aristocracies).

776 BC – first Olympic games

950 BC – first recognizable wooden Greek architectural style emerges in Euboea;

Art shows Egyptian and Aegean influence.

Question 11

Give the basic Greek pottery shapes.

Answer 11

1. Lekythos
2. Aryballos
3. Hydria
4. Oenochoe
5. Krater
6. Amphora
7. Kylix
8. Alabastron
9. Skyphos

Question 12

What is a Panathenaic Amphora?

Answer 12

• made of terracotta
  -a prize to the victor of the Panathenaic games in Athens,
  -Decorated in black-figure technique, its
  standard size is equivalent to 42 quarts.

Question 13

What is the archaic period. (750-480BC)

Answer 13

Successful trade from the east and west led to new prosperity for Greece,

political change, development of intellectual freedom and concern for personal prosperity;

Emergence of tyrannies and powerful dictators except in Athens;

City-states competed to erect the most beautiful buildings at religious sanctuaries;

Question 14

Give the art characteristics of the Archaic Period.

Answer 14

1. Vase painting and sculpture began to reflect Greek ideals:
   a. Stylized Kouros (nude male statues) and female Kore statues were created

b. Vase painting reached a level of technical and artistic excellence and perfected in this era.
2. Art was primarily concerned with representation of the human figure.

Question 15

Give the general features of the Korus/Kore

Answer 15

1. Life-sized
2. Closed-form (adhered from one block of stone)
3. Formal
4. Proportions were awkward and poses stiff/rigid (having flexed muscles)
5. “Archaic” smile
6. One leg behind, frontal stance
7. Bulging eyes
8. Painted in gaudy colors (polychrome)
9. Primarily nude males, well-muscled, anonymous and blank-faced.

Question 16

Describe the Calf-bearer (Moscophoros) sculpture.

Answer 16

made in 560 BC
5’5”, Marble encaustic
Acropolis
Polychromed
Bearing Archaic smile
Probably used as votive figure

Question 17

Describe the Classical Period (480-323BC)

Answer 17

Culmination of Greek art, architecture and drama;
Dominated by the rivalry between Athens and Sparta

Peloponnesian War (431-404 BC);
Late Classical period (4th c.) was the great era of Greek philosophy;

Defeat of the Greeks by Macedonia and Alexander the Great; end of independent city- states.

Question 18

Give the characteristics of Greek art.

Answer 18

Enjoyed joyous freedom of movement, expression, and celebrates mankind as an independent entity (atomo).

• sculptures, were idealized and static.
• free-flowing form (more true to life), while they approached an ideal aesthetic vision through stone and bronze.
• The human body as the subject of study and gods depicted as excuse to study human form.
• Art depicted lines, shadows, dramatic poses and light used.
• Suppressed emotions were a characteristic of civilized men (public display of human emotion was a sign of barbarism) – thus the archaic smile was replaced by a solemn facial expression.

Question 19

Give characteristics of Classical Sculptures.

Answer 19

completely technical, anatomical and
aesthetic mastery of human figure;

• Broke from the rigidity by a relaxed but balanced pose.
explored inner character and emotions of subjects.

• Developed the “contrapposto” , term that
describes a human figure standing with most of its
weight. also known as the S pose; created to give more “human” characteristics.

Question 20

Describe the Hellenistic Period (323 –31 BC)

Answer 20

Greek word Hellen meaning “Greek”; Hellenistic means “Greek-like”

Hellenistic kingdoms (Egypt, Asia, Macedonia & Pergamum) rose from among Alexander the Great’s empire.

Question 21

Give the art Hellenistic characteristics.

Answer 21

-Depicted more emotions; portraying the dramatic features of different emotions including old age and sleep.

-Detail as shown in draperies and muscles bulging
and torsos twisting.

• More concerned with the human form and human expression.
• Created figures with realistic depiction of the human physique and facial features.
• Sculptures were carved in a manner that allowed them to be admired from all angles.
• Sculptures were naturalistic, expressionistic and very dramatic (almost theatrical)

Question 22

Give a summary of Greek periods.

Answer 22

Ancient Greek art was naturalistic but idealized depictions of the human body as the focus of innovation.

• It emphasized the importance and accomplishments of human beings in the philosophy: “Man is the measure of all things.”
• Historical Periods : Archaic, Classical and Hellenistic
• Greek Classical Ideals: Emphasis of form, Intellectual order, Harmony, Proportion & Balance
• Visual Art is best shown in their : architecture, sculpture, paintings & mosaics, pottery and decorative arts like jewelry and metal works
• Subject matter/ themes : gods/deities, heroes/heroine, athletes, maidens, youth, portraits, animals, & imaginary or mythological creatures (centaurs, sphinxes, minotaur’s, etc.)
• Greek sculpture evolved from rigid poses with the Archaic smile; to the formal, proportioned with a sense of movement.

(Classical); to emotional, dramatic and detailed

(Hellenistic) human figures.