Greek Art

A brief study of the Greek art periods: the Early Period, the Hellenistic Age and the Byzantine Period.
2002, 500 words, 0 source(s).

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"For convenience Greek art will be treated in three periods: Early, 1500-480 B.C.; the Golden Age, 480-323 B.C.; the Hellenistic Age, 323 323 B.C. to the Byzantine period. Early Period. Waves of migration began to come down into Greece probaly as early as 2000 B.C., and by 1500 B.C. they were established in some sections. They were a people of great physical, mental, and moral power. They soon developed the artistic impulse, and as they had the works of Asia Minor, Crete, and Egypt before them, they made rapid progress. This early period was characterized by freshness, orginality, simpilicity, vitality, and dignity. At first the Greeks developed the minor arts, cheifly vase making, and proceeded gradually to the major arts. Their sculpture had for it's main purpose the representation of the human form. From the very beginning of their culture the Greeks had the idea "of the natural development of the natural man in the natural world." Their country with its clear sky, picturesque mountains, plains, and valleys and with the blue Mediteranean invading the deep inlets and bays gave them the backgrounf of nature and beauty. The Greeks enjoyed their physical life ina most natural way, being extremely athletic. Hence the Greeks very early gave attention to the representation of the nude male figure both in sculpture and painting. Two such statues were the "Archer" from the temple of Aegina and "Apollo" of Tenea. The Golden Age. Arhitecture and sculpture. Probaly the most famous buildinf in European history is the Parthenon at Athens. It's classical lines (post and lintel structure) and its massive yet graceful rows of columns made a combination never surpassed in dignity and beauty of architecture design. Other buildings were erected on the Acropolis at Athens ans elsewhere in Greece that were extreme beuty and magnificence, especially the Temple of Zeus at Olympia and the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus. The cheif architect of the Parthenon was Ictinus. The cheif sculptor was Phidias . Phidias' cheif works were the statue of Zeus in the great temple at Olympia and the Athena Parthenos, for whose dwelling the Parthenon was built. The pastic decorations of these buildings are to this day the wonder and the envy of sculptors provided by the state for the adorment of the temples and public buildings, there were provided by private commissions innumerable statues of such beauty and dignity as to be models of perfect art today. The Hellenistic Age. War is the greatest emeny of art. The Peloponnesian War destroyed the leadership of Athens and paved the way for the conquest of Greece by Philip of Macedon. In this period there was a transistion from the serene and universal type of art to more individualistic and personal type. Praxiteles, Scopas, and Lysippus may be looked upon as the greatest sculptors of this period. In Praxiteles' Hermes at Olympia and his Cnidian Aphrodite there is a human charm that is most pleasing, though they lack the lofty idealisim of the figures of Phidias. The Venus de Milo (Aphrodite of Melos is her Greek name) is one of the world's art treasures. Scopas was the sculptor of passion and violent action. Lysippus' greatest fame is as a sculptor of athletes and court sculptor to Philip and Alexander of Macedon."