Title: Classical Age
1Classical Age
2LeocharesApollo Belevedere350-325 BCEGreece
3- Boethos of Chalkedon
- Boy with a Goose
- 250 BCE
- Greece (now in the Glyptothek, Munich, Germany
4Riace Warrior B460-430 BCEOff the coast of
Reggio Calabria, Italy
- Riace Warrior A
- 460-430 BCE
- Off the coast of Reggio Calabria, Italy
5Riace Warriors
- There is no clear idea in ancient literature to
identify the athletes or heroes depicted by the
bronzes. - It is likely that the nudes originally formed
part of a group in a large sanctuary. - Tydeus and Amphiaraus, two warriors from the
Seven Against Thebes monumental group in the
polis of Argos - Athenian warriors from Delphi
- part of the monument to the battle of Marathon
- Or from Olympia.
- All three were prominent Greek sites for
dedicated sculpture of the highest quality, and
all were vulnerable to official thefts after the
Roman occupation. - Perhaps the bronzes were being transported to
Rome as treasure when a storm overtook their
ship, though no evidence of a wreck could be
found.
6The Acropolis of Athens
- Most Temples were built during the Greek Golden
Age, between 460 and 430 BCE
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10Ictinus and Phidias Parthenon447-432
BCEAcropolis, Athens, Greece
11Parthenon impressive not for sheer size, but for
proportion
- Designers were careful not to make it too tall or
too wide - Parthenon was more than 200 feet long, 100 feet
wide - Had doors, no windows
- Surrounded by tall, graceful columns
- Ruins appear white today, but parts originally
painted in vivid hues - Huge gold, ivory statue of Athena stood inside it
12PhidiasAthena Parthenos438-437 BCE(formerly in
the Parthenon, Athens, but was looted by Roman
Emperor in 400s CE)
13The Parthenon has assumed many roles
- Classical/Hellenistic Age (BCE)
- Temple to goddess, Athena
- 13th c. CE
- Converted to Christian Church
- 1456 CE
- Converted to a mosque after Athens falls to the
Ottomans - 1687 CE
- Athens sacked by Venetians and Parthenon
partially blown up by gunpowder
14What is the purpose of this style of column?
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16Above columns, Pediments of marble were carved
with scenes from myths
West Pediment depicted contest between Athena
and Poseidon to see who would become the city's
patron. They appear at the center of the
composition, diverging from one another (Athena
holding the olive tree and the god of the sea
raising his trident to strike the earth), and are
framed by two active groups of horses pulling
chariots, while a crowd of legendary
personalities from mythology fills the space
out. East Pediment narrates the birth of Athena
from the head of her father, Zeus. To alleviate
the pain of a headache, Zeus ordered Hephaestus
to strike him with his forging hammer, and when
he did, Zeus's head split open and out popped the
goddess Athena in full armor.
17East Pediment Sculptures
18 Metopes (446-440 BCE)
- 92 metopes in total
- East Side depict the mythical battles between
the Olympian gods and the Giants - West Side Depict the mythical battle of the
Athenians against the Amazons - South Side Depict the mythical battle of the
Lapiths, aided by Theseus, against the half-man,
half-horse Centaurs - North Side Though poorly preserved, seem to
depict the sack of Troy.
19West Metopes
20- Kalamis
- Lapiths Centaurs (446-440 BCE)
- Metopes, Parthenon, Athens
21Parthenon
Erechtheion
Temple of Nike
22MnesticlesErechtheion421-407 BCENorth side of
Acropolis, Athens
- Dedicated to Athena Polias and Poseidon
Erechtheus. Within the foundations lived the
sacred snake of the temple, which represented the
spirit of Cecrops and whose well-being was
thought essential for the safety of the city
23Porch of the Caryatids421-407 BCEErechtheion,
Acropolis, Athens
- Aka The Porch of the Maidens
- Six draped female figures (caryatids) are the
supporting columns, each sculpted in a manner
different from the rest and engineered in such a
way that their slenderest part, the neck, is
capable of supporting the weight of the porch
roof while remaining graceful and feminine.
24- Here, the citizens worshipped Athena as the
goddess of war and wisdom in hope of a prosperous
outcome in the long war against the Spartans and
their allies. The Temple of Athena Nike was an
expression of Athens' ambition to be the leading
Greek city state.
Temple of Athena Nike 410 BCE
Acropolis, Athens, Greece
25Hellenistic Art
26Hellenistic Greece
- Corresponds to the period between the death of
Alexander the Great in 323 BCE and the annexation
of Greece by Rome in 146 BCE. - Although the establishment of Roman rule did not
break the continuity of Hellenistic society and
culture, it did mark the end of Greek political
independence - During the Hellenistic period, the importance of
Greece proper within the Greek-speaking world
declined sharply - In literature, Hellenistic art is often described
as being decadent
Hellenistic kingdoms of Europe, Northern Africa,
the Middle East, Asia Minor, and Asia
27Boy with Thorn250 BCEGreece (now in the Palazzo
dei Conservatorio, Rome)
28Boxer of Quirinal1st c. BCEQuirinal Hill, Rome,
Italy
29Odysseus2nd c. BCEVilla of Tiberius, Sperlonga,
Italy
30Agesander, Athenodoros, PolydorusLaocoön and his
SonsApprox. 40 BCEGreece (now in the Vatican
Museum, Rome)
- Unearthed in 1506 near the Golden House of the
Emperor Nero (who reigned from 54-68 CE), and it
is possible that it belonged to Nero himself. - The discovery of the Laocoön made a great
impression on Italian sculptors and significantly
influenced Renaissance art. - Michelangelo was particularly impressed by the
large scale of the work and its Hellenistic
style, particularly its depiction of the figures. - Pliny's description of Laocoön as "a work to be
preferred to all that the arts of painting and
sculpture have produced" has led to a tradition
which debates this claim that the sculpture is
the greatest of all artworks. - Paradox (contrast) of admiring beauty while
seeing a scene of death, failure, and agony.
31In August 480 BC, Leonidas set out to meet
Xerxes' army at Thermopylae, where he was joined
by forces from other Greek city-states, to form
an army between 4,000 and 7,000 strong. This
force was assembled in an attempt to hold the
pass of Thermopylae against a massive Persian
army of between 80,000 and 290,000 men under the
rulership of Xerxes I. Xerxes waited 4 days to
attack, hoping the Greeks would disperse.
Finally, on the 5th day they attacked. Leonidas
and his men resisted the attack for the fifth and
sixth days, killing roughly 20,000 of the enemy
troops and losing about 2,500 of their own.
The Persian elite unit, "the Immortals," was held
back, and two of Xerxes' brothers (Abrocomes and
Hyperanthes) died in battle. On the seventh day
(August 11), a Malian Greek traitor named
Ephialtes led the Persians by a mountain track to
the rear of the Greeks. At that point, Leonidas
sent away all Greek troops and remained in the
pass with his 300 Spartans, 900 Helots, and 700
Thespians who refused to leave. Another 400
Thebans were kept with Leonidas as hostages. The
Thespians stayed entirely of their own will,
declaring that they would not abandon Leonidas
and his followers.
Thermopylae Pass
32King Leonidas ISparta,Greece
- Ruled Sparta from 489-480 BCE
- Believed to be a descendant of Hercules
- Led Spartan army in the Battle of Thermopylae,
along with Helots, Thespians, and Thebans
33PhidiasNike of Samothrace203 BCESamothrace,
Greece (now at the Louvre Museum, Paris)
- Was created to not only to honor the goddess,
Nike, but to honor a sea battle won by city-state
of Rhodes. - Conveys a sense of action and triumph as well as
portraying ideal beauty. - The work is notable for its naturalistic pose and
for the rendering of the figure's draped
garments, depicted as if rippling in a strong sea
breeze, which is especially compelling. - Represents the goddess as she descends from the
skies to the triumphant fleet. - Before she lost her arms, Nike's right arm was
raised,cupped round her mouth to deliver the
shout of Victory. - Despite its significant damage and
incompleteness, the Victory is held to be one of
the great surviving masterpieces of sculpture
from the Hellenistic period. - The loss of the head and arms, while regrettable
in a sense, is felt by many to enhance the
statue's depiction of the supernatural.
34Daru staircaseLouvre Museum, Paris
35Alexandros of AntiochVenus de Milo130-100
BCEMilos, Greece
36- The right arm of the
goddess was thought
to have been lowered
across
the torso with
the right hand on the
raised left knee so
the sliding drapery
wrapped around the
hips and legs could
be
held in place. - The left arm was held at just below the eye level
of the statue above a herm while holding an
apple. - The twisting stance and strong projection of the
knee, as well as the rich, three-dimensional
quality of the drapery, are typical of
Hellenistic art of the third century BCE and
later. Moreover, the sensual combination of flesh
with the texture of drapery, which seems about to
slip off, adds significant erotic tension that is
certainly Hellenistic in concept and intent.
37Myron of ThebesDrunken Woman2nd c. BCEGreece
(now in the Glyptothek, Munich, Germany
38Epigonus Dying Gaul
230-220 BCE
Capitoline Museum, Rome
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40Ionic Style
41Corinthian Style
42Athenian Treasury 5th c. BCE Delphi,
Greece
Doric Style
43Racetrack at Delphi
44Temple of Athena6th c. BCEDelphi, Greece
45Trophonios and AgamedesTemple of Apollo7th c.
BCEDelphi, Greece
- Housed the famous oracle of Delphi
- Located above a methane fissure. Potential ffects
from fumes?
46- Polykleitos the Younger
- Sanctuary of Asklepios at Epidaurus
- 4th c. BCE
- Epidaurus, Greece
47- One of the worlds first amphitheaters
- It is marveled for its exceptional acoustics,
which permit almost perfect understanding of
unamplified spoken words from the proscenium or
skene (stage) to all 15,000 spectators
48DONE!