Ancient Aegean and Greek Art

1
Ancient Aegean and Greek Art

• Part I Ancient Aegean Art
• The origins of the Greek world.

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Map of the Eastern Mediterranean
3
Map of the Eastern Mediterranean
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Timeline for Early Aegean Art
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Cycladic Art

• Cycladic artcomes from thesouthern
  AegeanCycladic Islands.
• Most has beenfound on Naxos,Paros, Syros,
  andThera(Santorini).

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Image of a Woman from SyrosG,79

• The strikingsimilarity ofCycladicsculpture
  tomodern art hasled to its beingin high
  demandamongstcollectors.

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Cycladic Images of MusiciansG.80

• Images of aharpist and adouble
  fluteplayer,sculpted inmarble

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Cycladic Images of Musicians

• The Cycladicsculpture of theseated harpist
  (orlyre player), seenfrom another angle.
• Found on the islandof Keroi, it datesfrom
  2700-2500BCE.

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Cycladic Frescoes, G-85

• The most famousof the Cycladicfrescoes is
  theimage of theyoung fisher, withhis catch
  (perhapsa votive offering),from
  Thera(Santorini) shownhere.

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Akrotiki

• Akrotiri is Greecesequivalent to Pompeii.
• Buried by the ash fromthe volcanic eruptionon
  Thera, it is beingexcavated to reveal
  aremarkably well-preserved city.

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Akrotiki

• Akrotirisfrescoesrevel a greatdeal aboutlife
  onTheranearly 3500years ago.

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The Palace at Knossos, G,82

• Aerial view of the Palace at Knossos, associated
  withthe story of the Minotaur and the labyrinth.

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The Palace at Knossos

• Plan of thePalace atKnossos,excavated bySir
  ArthurEvans, whoattributed it tothe
  legendaryKing Minos

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Palace of Minos at Knossos

• Stairwell of the Palace at Knossos.

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Palace at Knossos

• Sir Arthur Evans excavations of the palace at
  Knossos showed that the Minoans enjoyed all the
  latest modern conveniences, including plumbing.
• This is a bath room from the royal apartments.
  Note the wave motif fresco above the stone bath
  tub.
• Flushing toilets were also found at Knossos.

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La Parisienne from Minos, G83

• Image of a woman,perhaps a dancer orgoddess,
  according tovarious interpretations.
• Fragment of a frescofrom the walls of thepalace
  at Knossos.

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Frescoed Walls from Knossos

• Frescoed wallsin the palace atKnossos.
• The upperpanel featuresdolphins.
• Note the spiralchain patternbeneath
  thedolphins.

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Minoan Bull-leaping Fresco
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Minoan Bull-leaping Images

• The image of thebull-leapingacrobat
  appearsfrequently inMinoan art,includingdecora
  tive arts,ornaments, andsculptures, aswell as
  frescoes.

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Minoan Bull-fighting Image
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Minoan Snake Goddess

• A recurringtheme inMinoan art isthe
  SnakeGoddess,shown in twosculpturalversions
  onthis slide.

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Faience Snake Goddess G89

• The mother goddess, also known as thesnake
  goddess, is the source of all lifeand the
  central figure in Minoanreligion. Here she is
  represented inelaborate court dress, exposing
  herbreasts. She holds two snakes whichsymbolize
  the mysterious life. On herhat sits a lion.
• This anatomically improbable figure ofthe snake
  goddess has been made usingthe faience
  technique, which involvespainting brightly
  coloured glazes onfired clay. It dates from c
  1600 BCE.

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Bulls Head Vessel Rhyton,J86

• Rhyton, or ritual vessel, in the shapeof a
  bulls head, made of carvedstone, with inlaid
  shell, jasper andcrystal. It  dates between the
  17th-15th centuries BCE and was found
  atKnossos.
• The horns have been restored theywere probably
  originally made ofwood. The piece is hollow with
  a holein the top where liquid could bepoured
  in when the head was tippedthe liquid would
  pour out from themouth.

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Harvester Vase,G89

• The harvester vase, carved insteatite, a soft
  stone, from HagiaTriada Crete, c.1550-1500 BCE.
• A masterpiece of stone carving, theHarvester
  Vase shows a priestleading a group of men on
  their wayhome from harvesting crops. Thewarmth
  and high spirits captured onthe vase is uniquely
  Minoan.
• The black colour of the vase wouldbecome one of
  the common coloursfor Greek pottery

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Harvester Vase from Hagia Triada

• This detail shows theextent to which
  thesculptor has been able torepresent
  humanexpressions of emotionnaturalistically.
• It also showsconsiderable attention
  toanatomical detail.

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Sarcophagus from Hagia Triada

• Unique stonesarcophagus fromHagia Triada
  decoratedon four sides in frescowith religious
  scenes,possibly  a celebrationof the dead
  figurerising from the groundon the right.
• While the runningwave pattern is clearlyMinoan,
  the style of thefigure painting isclosely
  related to theEgyptian style.

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Hagia Triada Sarcophagus (detail)

• This detail from the HagiaTriada Sarcophagus
  shows aMinoan priestess at an altar.Notice the
  decorative treatmentof the altar piece with
  theabstract running wave patternseen on the
  tomb itself.
• From a chamber-tomb near thepalace of Hagia
  Triada, c.1400BCE. Now in the Museum
  ofHerakleion, Crete.

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Aegean Systems of Writing

• When Arthur Evans excavatedKnossos, he found
  three types ofscript. He called them
  hieroglyphic,linear A, and linear B (bottom).
• Minoan hieroglyphics wereimpressed into clay
  sealstones (topleft) to depict physical objects
  or torecord quantities.
• Over time, Minoan hieroglyphicsbecame more
  stylized and linear,evolving into Linear A,
  withroughly 90 symbols. The glyphswere incised
  with a stylus (topright). Quantities were
  representedby numerals, not multipleimpressions
  of the same sign.

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The Mycenaean World
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A Vanished Culture
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Linear B

• Mycenaean clay jar used to store olive oil or
  wine, decorated with Linear B script.The
  Mycenaeans spoke and wrote an early form of
  Greek. The written language was called Linear B
  by archeologist Sir Arthur Evans.
• By 1952 enough tablets of linear B had been found
  (mostly at Pylos) that Michael Ventris, an
  English architect, was able to solve the puzzle.
  He discovered that there were 89 characters and
  that it was a syllabic script. Most of the
  phonetic values were represented by one consonant
  and one vowel. Though Linear B can now be
  translated, Linear A still remains a mystery.

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Mycenae

• Mycenae, the legendary home of theAtreides, is
  situated upon a smallhill-top on the lower
  slopes of MountEuboea, between two of its peaks.
• The site, inhabited from Neolithictimes (about
  4000 BCE), reached itspeak during the Late
  Bronze Age(1350-1200 BCE), giving its name toa
  civilization which spreadthroughout the Greek
  world. Duringthat period, the acropolis
  wassurrounded by massive walls excepton its SE
  flank where a steep ravineprovided natural
  defense.

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Mycenae

• Mycenae was occupiedwithout interruptionuntil
  468 BCE, when itwas conquered by thecity of
  Argos and itspopulation banished.
• Reoccupied in the 3rdcentury BCE for a
  shorttime, Mycenae had beenabandoned for
  sometime when Pausaniasvisited the site
  duringthe 2nd century CE.

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 Lions Gate at Mycenae, G92

• The Lions Gate atMycenae is a vaultedcorbel
  which movesweight to the sides sothe lintel
  will notbreak under it. Therelief carved on
  theslab is the oldestreally monumentalsculpture
  known inthe European world.

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The Lions Gate at Mycenae

• The relief carved onthe slab is the
  oldestreally monumentalsculpture known inthe
  European world.
• Weighing more than acar, it is a
  majorengineeringachievement that theMycenaeans
  wereable to move thisstone into place.

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The Corbelled Arch, G91

• The corbelled archused by theMycenaeans was
  alsoused in Egypt, inSouth East Asia, andin
  Mexico, where it isa common feature ofMayan
  architecture.

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The Megaron

• A unique feature ofMycenaean  constructionis
  the Megaron, a large,closed room with acircular
  hearth in thecentre. Around the hearthstood
  four columns abovethe hearth was a
  circularopening in the roof toventilate the
  smoke. If themegaron was the throneroom of the
  palace, thethrone would be againstthe wall
  directly acrossfrom the hearth.

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The Megaron

• All that remainstoday of theMycenaeanMegaron
  are theruins of thecircular hearthand the
  bases ofthe four columnsthat oncesurrounded
  it.

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The Treasures of Mycenae

• In 1876, the Germanarchaeologist
  HeinrichSchliemann beganexcavating
  Mycenae.Within the wallsSchliemann uncovered
  aseries of royal graves.
• Grave Circle A, shownhere, would rival thetomb
  of Tutankhamenfor the richness of itscontents,
  untouched byrobbers.

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Treasures of Mycenae, G93

• Schliemann found bodieswith gold masks,
  breastplates,armbands, and girdles. In
  thewomens graves were goldendiadems, gold
  laurel leaves,and exquisite ornamentsshaped
  like animals, flowers,butterflies, and
  cuttlefish.
• The most famous item is thisbeaten gold funerary
  maskthat Schliemann misattributedas belonging
  to the legendaryMycenaean KingAgamemnon.

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The Treasures of Mycenae

• Inlaid dagger blade with lion hunt, from Grave
  Circle A,Mycenae, Greece, c. 1600-1500 BCE.
  Bronze, inlaid with gold,silver and niello,
  approximately 24 cm long, NationalArchaeological
  Museum, Athens.

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The Treasury of Atreus
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The Treasury of Atreus

• Cutaway view of the Treasury of Atreus,
  Mycenae,Greece, c. 1300-1250 BCE.
• The tholos is made of thirty-three superposed
  rings of conglomerate ashlar blocks, perfectly
  fitted so that eachslightly projected beyond the
  edge of the one below it.

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The Treasury of Atreus

• The Treasure ofAtreus is a tholos orbee-hive
  shapeddome tomb found atMycenae.
• It represents one ofthe largest domesbuilt
  prior to theItalian Renaissance.

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Mycenaean Sculpture, G94

• Head of a woman  (sphinx ?),from Mycenae, c.
  1300-1250BCE. Painted Plaster, approx.18 cm
  High. NationalArchaeological Museum,Athens.
• The cheeks and chin aredecorated with red
  circlessurrounded by a ring of reddots
  recalling the facial paintor tattoos recorded on
  EarlyCycladic figurines of women.

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Mycenaean Ceramic Art Warrior Krater

• This ceramic shape is akrater, a large bowl
  formixing wine and water.
• The subject of thepainting rendered on it isa
  set of Mycenaeansoldiers marching in afile.
• At the beginning of theline is a woman
  wavingthem off in departure.

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Narrative Themes

• How do these two sets of images tell stories?
• How do the stories they tell differ?

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Reviews and Useful Links forChapter 4

• http//www.hart.k12.ca.us/valencia/directory/jmarc
  ucilli/page/Notes/aegean.htm
• http//wcuvax1.wcu.edu/nsmith/StuGu4.htm
• http//www.public.iastate.edu/tart/fall2003arth28
  0website/aegean.html

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Part II Ancient Greek Art
The origins of the classical ideal.
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The World of Ancient Greece
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Ancient Greece City States and Colonies
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Timeline for Early Greek Art

• Interactive Timelines of Greek Art - click on
  the URL to go tothe site.http//www.worldhistory
  -poster.com/en/timeline_frame.html?screenshots/gre
  ek_art.htmlhttp//www.metmuseum.org/toah/ht/04/eu
  sb/ht04eusb.htm

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Geometric Period

• Bronze statuette group ofhero and
  centaur(Herakles and Nessos?),believed to be
  fromOlympia Temple modelfrom sanctuary of
  Heranear Argos

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Geometric Period Vase Painting

• Detail, Dipylon Vase,showing clearly
  theabstract elements thatlead this style to
  becalled geometric.
• Note the use of the keypattern in the
  upperregister of this section.

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Geometric Period Vase Painting

• Dipylon Krater c. 750 BCE. 1 m.high.
  Metropolitan Museum of Art,New York.
• This wine mixing jar with a widemouth is done in
  the geometricstyle, which gets its name from
  theabstract and stylized forms thepainters of
  this period employed.
• This vase was unearthed at theDipylon Cemetery
  in Athens.  Thecentre of the ceramics industry
  waslocated here at the cemetery in anarea known
  as the Kerameikos, theorigin of our word
  ceramics.

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The Geometric Style

• 9th and 8th century BCE
• Pottery is the main medium through which this
  style was expressed.
• Very precise, but mostly just shapes and
  decorations
• Representations of gods, animals and men
• But only abstract representations
• Repetitive patterns rather than individual
  studies
• Parts of the body arranged as triangles, sticks
  and blobs
• Figures are reduced to geometric patterns

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Orientalizing Period
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The Lady of Auxerre

• The Lady of Auxerre is an example of
  theso-called Daedalic style cultivated in the
  Greekworld of the seventh century BCE.  Typical,
  inthis respect, is her wig (which could
  beEgyptian) and triangular face, while her
  dressis of the ancient Cretan type.  Therefore,
  shewas classified as "Greek Cretan". 
  TheDaedalic type is characteristic rather of
  minorarts, almost the only type of art existing
  duringthis so-called orientalizing period of
  Greek art.
• Her pose prefigures the korei of the
  Archaicperiod.nLimestone, approx. 65 cm high,
  Louvre.

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Egyptian and Greek Images
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Archaic Kouros and Kore

• Life-sized or over-life-sized sculpturewas was
  not introduced to Greeceuntil the seventh
  century BCE thefollowing 150 years saw very
  fewchanges in the presentation of thehuman
  form. The kouros, or standing,naked male form,
  and the kore, thedraped, female figure,
  wereparticularly popular. In imitation ofthe
  style of standing figures fromEgypt, these
  statues were rigidlyposed, with the weight of
  the bodyequally distributed on both legs.
  Theirsmiling faces stared straight ahead.

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Archaic Kouroi

• Archaic kouroi (sing. kouros)are not portrait
  sculptures ofindividuals. Often used asgrave
  markers, they arestylized representations of
  theideal male form and physicalpresence.
• Left Kroisos kouros from Anavysos, Grave marker,
  c. 540-515 BCE. Painted marble, 2 metres high,
  Athens, NationalMuseum of Archaeology.Right
  Kouros, c. 590580 BCE, Naxian marble, 193 cm
  high. Metropolitan Museum of Art.

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The Calf-Bearer

• Moschophoros (calf-bearer). Archaicstatue of a
  bearded man carrying a calf onhis shoulders.
  According to the inscriptionon the base, it was
  offered by Rhombos.
• His cloak was once painted. The eyes ofthe
  figure were originally inset withpolished stone.
• Note the geometric composition formed bythe
  calfs legs and the mans arms, also thearchaic
  smile on the mans face.
• Lifesize marble, c.570 BCE, AcropolisMuseum,
  Athens.

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Archaic Korai

• The korai of the Archaic periodare not portrait
  scuptures ofindividual women of the
  time.Rather, they are stylizedrepresentations
  of the ideal femaleform and physical
  presence.Kore in Greek means maiden.

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Archaic Kore from the Acropolis

• Kore with almond-shaped eyes found atthe
  Acropolis.
• The young woman is clad in a chiton andshort
  himation, which buttons on the leftshoulder.
• A band with a painted maeanderornamented the
  diadem on her hair andgarments.
• Life size marble, c. 500 BCE, AcropolisMuseum,
  Athens.

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Archaic Black Figure Style

• Black on reddish clay
• Details can be scratchedinto clay and appear
  aswhite lines, so the artistscould be more
  detailed
• The primary problem ofBlack Figured Ware washow
  to represent distanceand perspective.
• Butstill difficult to showshading

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Archaic Black Figure Style (detail)

• In the archaic period,artists begin to
  signtheir works, whichoften have
  narrativethemes drawn fromGreek myths
  orHomers Odyssey.Some importantpainters of
  this periodare Exekias, Psiax,Douris, and
  theAmasis painter.

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Archaic Black Figure Style (detail)

• Detail of theMusic Lessonby Douris

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Archaic Red Figure Style

• Opposite ofBlack Figurenred on blackbackground
• This meant thatshading couldbe applied onby
  brush andthe figurescould be moredetailed.

Psiax, Herakles Wrestling a Lion, Attic Black
Figure Amphora, c. 530 BCE
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Archaic Red Figure Style

• In early examples of red-figuredecoration
  figures are stiff andungraceful with expressions
  thatrecall earlier styles hair and beardare
  arranged with care and draperiesfall straight to
  ground. Later, stiffattitudes give way to
  figures ofyouthful grace and charm withpleated
  draperies that float aboutlimbs and a subtlety
  of facialexpression. Many remains of RedFigured
  Ware have been found underdebris of Parthenon
  burnt by thePersians in 480 BCE.

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The Sarpedon Vase
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The Sarpedon Vase detail
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Bilingual amphora

• Ajax and AchillesPlaying a Gamebilingual
  amphorapainted by theAndokides Painterc.
  525-520 BCE

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Individuality and the Artists Ego

• Much pride taken in paintingthe beautiful
  archaic pots.There was good naturedcompetition
  betweenworkshops.
• This amphora byEuthymides is signed"Euthymides
  painted me asnever Euphronios could" !