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Greek Art 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 probably 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, originality, simplicity, vitality, and dignity. At first the Greeks developed the minor arts, chiefly vase making, and proceeded gradually to the major arts. Their sculpture had for its 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 Mediterranean invading the deep inlets and bays gave them the background 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 Teen. The Golden Age. Architecture and sculpture. Probably the most famous building in European history is the Parthenon at Athens. Its 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 but and magnificence, especially the Temple of Zeus at Olympia and the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus. The check architect of the Parthenon was Ictinus. The check sculptor was Phidias. Phidias check works were the statue of Zeus in the great temple at Olympia and the Athena Parthenos, for whose dwelling the Parthenon was built.
The plastic decorations of these buildings are to this day the wonder and the envy of sculptors provided by the state for the adornment 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 even 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 transition 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 Canadian Aphrodite there is a human charm that is most pleasing, though they lack the lofty idealism of the figures of Phidias. The Venus de Milo (Aphrodite of Melos is her Greek name) is one of the worlds 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.
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Research essay sample on Golden Age Early Period
