GREEK ART
Ancient Greece can feel strangely familiar. From the exploits of Achilles and Odysseus, to the treatises of Aristotle,
from the exacting measurements of the Parthenon to the rhythmic chaos of the Laocoön, ancient Greek culture has
shaped our world. Thanks largely to notable archaeological sites, well-known literary sources, and the impact of
Hollywood (Clash of the Titans, for example), this civilization is embedded in our collective consciousness—
prompting visions of epic battles, erudite philosophers, gleaming white temples, and limbless nudes (we now know
the sculptures—even the ones that decorated temples like the Parthenon—were brightly painted, and, of course,
the fact that the figures are often missing limbs is the result of the ravages of time).
Athanadoros, Hagesandros, and Polydoros of
Rhodes, Laocoön and his Sons, early first century
C.E., marble, 7'10 1/2" high (Vatican Museums;
photo: Steven Zucker, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
Dispersed around the Mediterranean and divided into self-governing units called poleis or city-states, the ancient
Greeks were united by a shared language, religion, and culture. Strengthening these bonds further were the so-
called “Panhellenic” sanctuaries and festivals that embraced “all Greeks” and encouraged interaction, competition,
and exchange (for example the Olympics, which were held at the Panhellenic sanctuary at Olympia). Although
popular modern understanding of the ancient Greek world is based on the classical art of fifth century B.C.E. Athens,
it is important to recognize that Greek civilization was vast and did not develop overnight.
The Dark Ages (c. 1100–c. 800 B.C.E.) to the Orientalizing Period (c. 700–600 B.C.E.)
The discovery and continuous excavation of a site known
as Lefkandi, however, drastically alters this impression.
Located just north of Athens, Lefkandi has yielded an
immense apsidal structure (almost fifty meters long), a
massive network of graves, and two heroic burials replete
with gold objects and valuable horse sacrifices. One of the
most interesting artifacts, ritually buried in two separate
graves, is a centaur figurine. At fourteen inches high, the
terracotta creature is composed of a equine (horse) torso
made on a potter’s wheel and hand-formed human limbs
and features. Alluding to mythology and perhaps a
particular story, this centaur embodies the cultural richness
of this period.
Centaur, c. 900 B.C.E. (Proto-Geometric period), terracotta, 14 inches high, the head was found in tomb 1 and the
body was found in tomb 3 in the cemetery of Toumba, Lefkandi, Greece (detail of head photo: Dan Diffendale CC BY-
NC-SA 2)
The Archaic Period (c. 600–480/479 B.C.E.)
While Greek artisans continued to develop their individual crafts, storytelling ability, and more realistic portrayals of
human figures throughout the Archaic Period, the city of Athens witnessed the rise and fall of tyrants and the
introduction of democracy by the statesman Kleisthenes in the years 508 and 507 B.C.E.
Visually, the period is known for large-scale marble kouros (male
youth) and kore (female youth) sculptures. Showing the influence of
ancient Egyptian sculpture (like this example of the Pharaoh
Menkaure and his wife in the MFA, Boston), the kouros stands rigidly
with both arms extended at the side and one leg advanced.
Frequently employed as grave markers, these sculptural types
displayed unabashed nudity, highlighting their complicated hairstyles
and abstracted musculature. The kore, on the other hand, was never
nude. Not only was her form draped in layers of fabric, but she was also ornamented with jewelry and adorned with
a crown.
Left: Anavysos (Kroisos) Kouros, c. 530 B.C.E., marble, 6′ 4″ (National Archaeological Museum, Athens), photo: Steven
Zucker Right: Aristion of Paros, Phrasikleia Kore, c. 550 – 540 B.C.E. Parian marble with traces of pigment, 211 cm
high (National Archaeological Museum, Athens) (photo: Asaf Braverman, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
The Classical Period (480/479–323 B.C.E.)
Though experimentation in realistic movement began
before the end of the Archaic Period, it was not until
the Classical Period that two- and three-dimensional
forms achieved proportions and postures that were
naturalistic. The “Early Classical Period” (480/479–
450 B.C.E.) was a period of transition when some
sculptural work displayed archaizing holdovers
alongside the so-called “Severe Style.” For painters,
the development of perspective and multiple ground
lines enriched compositions, as can be seen on
the Niobid Painter’s vase in the Louvre.
Niobid Painter, Niobid Krater, Attic red-figure calyx-
krater, c. 460-50 B.C.E., 54 x 56 cm (Musée du Louvre, Paris)
Despite continued military activity throughout the “Late Classical Period” (400–323 B.C.E.), artistic production and
development continued apace. In addition to a new figural aesthetic in the fourth century known for its longer torsos
and limbs, and smaller heads (for example, the Apoxyomenos), the first female nude was produced. Known as
the Aphrodite of Knidos, c. 350 B.C.E.
The Hellenistic Period and Beyond (323 B.C.E.–31 B.C.E.)
Architecturally, the scale of structures vastly increased, as
can be seen with the Temple of Apollo at Didyma, and
some complexes even terraced their surrounding
landscape in order to create spectacular vistas as can be
seem at the Sanctuary of Asklepios on Kos. Upon the
defeat of Cleopatra at the Battle of Actium in 31 B.C.E., the
Ptolemaic dynasty that ruled Egypt and, simultaneously,
the Hellenistic Period came to a close. With the Roman
admiration of and predilection for Greek art and culture,
however, Classical aesthetics and teachings continued to
endure from antiquity to the modern era.
Athena defeats Alkyoneus (detail), The Pergamon Altar, c. 200-150 B.C.E. (Hellenistic Period), 35.64 x 33.4 meters,
marble (Pergamon Museum, Berlin)
