Greek Art History

The Hellenistic period of Greek art spans from the time of Alexander the Great’s death in 323 to 30 B.C.E. (“Hellenistic Period” 1). However there have been controversies of precisely how long the Hellenistic period lasted. Some argue that from C. 400; to the first century can be classified as “Pre-Hellenistic” (Janson 138-139). “Hellenistic, is a term meant to convey the

wall painting survive most of the art work that survives is there pottery. The late

Kreis, Steven. "Lectures on Ancient and Medieval European History." The History Guide. 15 May 2004. 3 Oct. 2004. http://www.historyguide.org/.

Throughout the times in Greek art, Archaic, Classical and Hellenistic periods have changed overtime from the sculptures in the form, style, and symmetry.

Hemingway, C., & Hemingway, S. (n.d.). Heilbronn Timeline of Art History. The Art of Classical Greece (ca. 480–323 B.C.). Retrieved June 22, 2014, from http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/tacg/hd_tacg.htm

The St. Petersburg Museum of Fine Arts stands out from its surrounding with is dimensions alone, being only two-stories it is dramatically shorter than any other building and its width covering near a city block makes it wider than any other building in the vicinity. The exterior of the museum constructed in a similar design to that of Greek

The Cambridge illustrated history of ancient Greece is a Modern source offering interpretations of Greek culture and history. This book assesses the social, economic and intellectual aspects particularly to that of Alexander the Great.

The word “renaissance” which is the Latin word for rebirth refers to the flourishing of literature and arts in fifteenth century Italy. Ancient culture played a big role in this new and exciting movement. It was the source of creativity for the new up-and-coming Italian artists, it set a platform of ideas for these new artists to use as a blueprint. Competing with ancient Greek and Roman art, Italian artists were aiming to emulate the achievements of the ancient culture and were looking for a new form of expression; therefore, they used the ancient Greek and Roman art for inspiration.

Greek art has changed throughout the years, yet some basic forms have remained. Time, technique, as well as historical events have helped shape the way art has evolved since 600 B.C. Three important periods in Greek art are the Archaic, Classical, and Hellenistic periods. We will discuss how art has changed throughout these periods, what influences led to change, as well as why it changed. We will also discuss what has remained constant through these periods. Since people’s perceptions and taste of art are different, some would say that art has become better with time, whereas others would say the opposite, but nonetheless, it has evolved.

of the Museum of Fine Arts, as it is an original relief from the Early Classical Period of Greek

Neoclassical art in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries emerged from both a movement away from the ‘frivolous’ style of Rococo art that came before it, and also the impact of the unprecedented archaeological discoveries of antiquity during this period. Artists drew on the themes of antiquity in order to develop a timeless mode of expression. They did not aim to simply imitate the art of the antiquity but rather strove to create a ‘pure’ or ‘ideal’ form of art inspired by the moral concepts of ancient times, as reflected in their material and stylistic elements. This aim reveals less about the cultures of the Greek and Romans, who Neoclassical artists drew inspiration from, but rather conveys more about the artist and their audience’s historical context. Ultimately, the values of Neoclassicism, which was not only present as an artistic style but also permeated throughout all aspects of society, aimed for a sense of validation of the present in an age of expansion and change through the imitation of the past. This is evident in the sculpture Narcissus (1829) by English artist John Gibson and French artist Jacques Louis David’s painting The Death of Socrates (1787), which, despite obvious differences in material and historical context, both exhibit Neoclassical qualities that strive towards a validation of the dynamic, shaping events of their respective periods.

Ancient Greek art has been around the world since the beginning of the history of vases, temples, and human sculptures. More specifically, Greek art is renowned for its precision to detail and the meaning of every aspect in the fine arts. The Muse Terpsichore’s sculpture will be described, compared to the statue of Venus de Milo and analyzed in the eyes of ancient Greek’s mythological knowledge.

The transition between Hellenic periods to Hellenistic period became tangible in every element of life due to dilution of Greek culture by the globalization of Macedonia of Alexander the great. Undoubtedly, the art went into change in first hand, hence it’s the reflection of life. So to say, the Hellenic art evolved to a type art which is more empiricist, individualist, realistic and still respectful for the art discipline of the ancient Greeks. Even though the evolution of Hellenic art is perceivable in almost every branch of it, the drama is the one which is most useful for determination of the differences caused by the changes occurred in social life, politics, religion/ethic and science in Greek nation. While Hellenic period’s drama identified by the genre “tragedy”, “new comedy” which is former properly to the evolved art became in the ascendant in Hellenistic period. Herein, analyzing of these pieces with their best examples; Oedipus the King for tragedy and Dyskolos for new comedy is crucial for a better comprehension of differences between these periods.

Statuary art is the style of art consisting of three-dimensional figures created by artists to display a person in the form of a statue as a symbol of honor or respect. Statues majorly evolved within Classical Greece, between the years 479-323 BCE, and during the Roman Empire times. Although during both eras they may have both been using the art of statuary and in which they exhibited similarities, they were in fact, very different. It began with the Greeks, using the form of art to display idealism, then the Romans continued to practice the art to display realism.

Throughout the Ancient Greek history numerous works of art were produced that are still trending in twenty first century. Ancient Greeks demonstrated their valuable artistic skills in various fields. Every piece that was created by Ancient Greeks was more than art, their artistic skills were not only based on visual beautifulness, but on storytelling also. Ancient Greeks were telling their story and describing their society to the world by their works of art. On type of art that I found quite distinctive was pottery. Greek potter is a general term and could divided into many works of art. However, the specific pottery that will be used as an example is Ancient Greek vase - Lekythos. By analyzing different depicted images on these works of art and understanding the painter’s messages we could get a little taste of Ancient Greek culture and the lifestyle of its people.