Hellenistic Period

Alexander the Great
Altar of Zeus
at Pergamon

Hellenistic art:
dramatic
expressionistic

Laocoon Group

Corera Marble

Italian Artist?

Portrays Latin Myth-devored with two children, 

suggests Roman creation (copy) added the second son

Classical 4th Century Painting

Alexander the Great

Roman copy of Lysippos Sculpture

Alexander the Great-young man, comes to the throne around age 18, his father is Ruler of Macedonia

Empire of Alexander the Great

Campaigns to battle the Persians, defeats the Persian Ruler, and takes of Persian Empire. Largest Empire.

Philoxenos of Eretria (artisit)

Battle of Issus

Mosaic

310 BC

Pompeii, late second, or early first century

Copied 200 years later

Tessera/tesserae

greeks are victorious in defeating the persians, neutral colors, no background elements

Details:

Alexander is always shown:

un bearded

mane of hair

Pella, Northern Greece

large scale pebble mosaic

Gnosis (artist)

Stag Hunt

Pella, Greece

Pebble Mosaic

shown nude, although they don't hunt nude, heads are bigger than most 4th century sculpture

Vergina, Greece

Great Tumulus

Tombs I-III

cemetery

3 tombs found

I young woman

III young boy-alexander's only son?

II Older man, wealthy-alexander's father?

Tomb II

unrobbed, bronze items, silver vessels, gold, ivory, 2 chambers, armor for lower legs

suggests a rush to the burial

Fresco

Hunt Scene

4th Century

nude, hunting stags, simple backgrounds

Tomb I

Fresco

Hades abducting Persephone

sketchy face, red color (rare)

Classical 4th Century Architecture

Choragic (chorus) Monument of Lysikrates

Athens

victory, Corinthian order

Priene (Turkey)

Hippodamus

Hippodamian (orthogonal) plan

grid plan, N/S roads very steep

Hellenistic Art and Architecture

divided amongst generals

High Classical Sculpture

5th Century

Polykleitos (artist) Spear Bearer

Pliny the Elder (author), Natural History, chapters on the history of art

Canon of Proportions - based on the head, developed by Polykleitos

(copy because of the base and the tree trunk, not in bronze)

Pliny the Elder, author, died in the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius

(in text reader)

Classical 4th Century Sculpture-Late Classical

Mausoleum of Halikarnasos (Turkey)

Classical 4th Century

square base, raised up as a pyramid, sculptural group on top of horses and the couple in a chariot, decorated by the greeks

1 of the 7 wonders of the ancient world

Mausolos, Persian satrap

Wife Artemisia

Sculpture from the Mausoleum of Halikarnasos

smaller head, persians (bigger body), idealized, but more of a portrait, no more wet drapery, wool clothing, deeper inset of eyes which makes them look sad, contrasting textures

Frieze from the Mausoleum of Halikarnasos

fighting the Amazons, amazon girl is being shown nude

CHANGES:

Different proportions

Deeper carved eyes

Female nudity

Contrasting textures

Praxiteles (artist) Hermes and the Infant Dionysos

Temple of Hera, Olympia

is it a copy or not? baby of Zeus, due to an affair, given to Hermes the messenger, dangling grapes in front of Dionysos (god of wine), S curve-trademark of Praxiteles

Praxiteles (artist) Aphrodite of Knidos

copy, female nudity, Aphrodite is often nude because she embodies perfection, ready for a bath

Lysippos (artist) Scraper-using a strigil)

Canon of Proportions

cleaning himself, Lysippos is credited for writing down canon of proportions and for making truly 3D sculptures

Lysippos (artist), Weary Herakales

copy, larger than the original, Herakles carries the lion skin and the club, apples in his hand

High Classical Art: Athens Acropolis

Early Classical-Temple of Zeus, Olympia
-expressionless, idealized, athletic build, peplos dress (plain), broad cheeks, big chins, few details, "severe style"

High Classical-Acropolis, Athens
-more details, prettier faces, finer details and facial structure

Acropolis

Perikles (architect), Periklean building program

Athens Acropolis (high city, old citadel, religious center)

High Classical 450-400 BC

Marble

Four Buildings:

Nike Temple (tiny temple, temple to Athena nike (victory)) - tiny building by entry way

Propylaia (opening, entry gate) - far left, upper portion, in grey

Erechtheion (Erecthius's palace, legendary)

Parthenon (Athena as virgin) - large grey building, upper portion

Temple of Athena Nike

Acropolis

Athens

Ionic 

Nike Temple frieze

battle, shown nude (didn't fight nude, makes them look heroic), shows fighting easterners, most likely persians, most likely the Marathon battle

Nike Temple parapet and bastion

Nike-shown as a winged figure of victory, (later an angel), taking off sandal to show that it is sacred ground

Nike offers a trophy to athena (athena is athens)

Victory of the Athenians over the Persians-war monument

Evolution in the art:

Wet drapery-shows body underneath, clings to body

Propyleia

(Front Gate)

Exterior-Doric

Interior-Ionic

Erectheion

Acropolis

Athens

Used to be a frieze, 3 porches, unusual place for a building, ionic

Change in ground line, trying to enclose several sacred places (palace of Erecthius, olive tree, and broken rock from Poseidon, statue of Athena-wore wood and real clothing)

Athena Polios - Athena of the City

Caryatid Porch

Erectheion

Contopposto

Parthenon

Temple of Athena

Acropolis

Athens

Exterior-doric

Interior-doric and ionic

highly decorated, continuous frieze

Parthenon Optical Refinements

Stylobate curvature

bulge in center of columns, no 90 degree angles

Can see the curvature if you are looking for it

West pediment

Competition between Athena and Poseidon

composition of the "V" - reference to Athens at its high point

East Pediment

Birth of Athena

trying to show time of day, Athena was born at dawn, so the chariot is bringing the sun

some experimentation

Three Goddesses of the East Pediment

METOPES

South: Lapis fighting the Centaur

West: Greeks fighting Amazons

North: Greeks fighting Trojans

East: Gods fighting Giants

Greek Victory!

Parthenon Frieze: Panathenaic Procession

Panathenaic Festival Frieze

Parthenon

Acropolis, Athens

Pihdias

Athena Parthanon

Model of the lost chryselephantine statue

gold

Transitional or Early Classical Greek Art and Athletics

Kritios Boy is dated around 480 BC. But this date is debated because of a battle.

Battle of Marathon, 490 BC
Persians invaded the Greeks
Greeks defeat them
Marathon based on the messenger who ran to tell the greeks not to worry.
Persians invade again, 480 BC
Battle at Thermopylae 479: Athens sacked
Stopped by 300 Spartans - eventually all 300 are killed.
"Go tell the Spartans, strangers passing by
That obedient to their laws, we lie."
Persians destroy everything.
Beat the Persian fleet at sea.
Persians don't invade again.

Early Classical 480-450

Charioteer

Delphi

Early Classical 470 BC

Bronze

contrapposto stance, can't see legs though

zoomed in 

severe style, big, strong, eyelashes, copper on lips, korous, big chin, no indentation at top of nose

Myron (artist) Discus Thrower

Early Classical

Many different angles of the body, pent up energy, Myronian

All we have are copies of Myron's bronze statue. Romans copied much of greek art in marble. Marble needs support, but bronze doesn't. Romans often used tree trunks as support.

Point Process-way of copying a statue

Sanctuary of Zeus at Olympia

Greece

plan

model

people read the inscriptions aloud (as is the statues are alive)

Temple of Zeus at Olympia

Libon of Elis Architect

Early Classical 470 BC

East pediment from the Temple of Zeus

Olympia

Marble

Chariot Race of Pelops and Oinomaos

walking into the temple

race to he death, Oinomaos has a sacred chariot

Pelops replaces Oinomaos's pin with wax, so he wins. 

He kills Oinomaos and marries the girl.

Figure from the East Pediment

balding, has a belly, wrinkles-very unusual, old seeer (can see the future)

Wet Pediment (back Side)

Temple Of Zeus

OlympiaEarly Classical

Lapiths and Centaurs

expressionless, not a lot of detail

Metopes

Temple of Zeus

Olympia

Early Classical

12 Labors of Herakles

myth influenced by the art

Athena, Herkales, and Atlas

metope from the Temple of Zeus

Olympia

Early Classical

last labor, he outsmarts atlas

Statue of Zeus

Olympia

Pheidias (artisit)

High Classical

Chryselephantine-gold and ivory

One hand with scepter