Research Paper On Ancient Greek Art

Final Exam Essay

Greek Art Art created during the time of ancient Greece is some of the worlds most spectacular works ever seen. Four different periods evolved over several hundred years and for this paper I will look closer at the artwork created during the three latter periods; Archaic, Classical, and Hellenistic. The Archaic Period emerged from the Dark Ages and was a time of rapid growth and evolution with the rise of the Greek city-states. Artists began exploring new techniques and methods after all other forms of art had all but faded. Part of this exploration included re- creating the human form in a more realistic way instead of using the more basic shapes that defined the period before, the Geometric Period. Although they

Pheidias, the most famous sculptor of the period and also a mathematician, applied these calculations to sculpture. The calculations were also used in part in the construction of the Parthenon. The use of the formula in sculpture resulted in masterful, realistic creations of the human form. "Grave Stele with a Family Group" is an example of sculpture from the period using marble as the medium created as a funerary monument http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/11.100.2. This time in Greece is also referred to as the "Golden Age." The Greek had defeated the invading Persians and Athens had risen in power, prevailing over the rest of Greece in the political, cultural and economic arenas. Athens erected a temple, The Parthenon, dedicated to the goddess Athena using an order of architecture referred to as "The Doric Order." There were three orders used in ancient Greek architecture, Doric being the earliest and simplest of the three. The Ionic order was the next to be used

During this time the conquests of Alexander the Great helped to export Greek art Eastward throughout the world. The rest of the known world could now combine techniques with the ones perfected in the Classical period to create works that were "Greek like." The term literally means "to imitate Greeks." Hellenistic art is mainly identified by its use of illusion to increase realism as seen on coins and in sculpture. Building upon the Classical era sculptors were creating intricate, narrative scenes, depicting dramatic emotion that appeared to be disconnected from the background when part of temple architecture and three dimensional on its base such as this piece http://earlyworldhistory.blogspot.com/2012/03/hellenistic-art.html and although much of Greek art has disappeared it 's influence