Geometric krater, from the Dipylon cemetery
Date: 740 BCE
Period/Style: Geometric
Artist/Architect:
Patron: N/A
O Location: Athens, Greece
Material/Technique: abstract motifs; depicts a funeral; designs are two-dimensional; artist focused on specifying gender, not the accuracy; highly stylized; human figure and narratives revived; women pulling hair out bc they're stressed; artist tried to cover all empty spaces with shapes- circles or M-shaped designs; meander- key, pattern on the rim
Function: grave marker; offering to the dead
Context: found in the Dipylon cemetery of Athens; now in the MET NY
Descriptive terms: geometric, patterns
Plan of Temple A
Date: 625 BCE
Period/Style: Geometric
Artist/Architect: N/A
Patron: N/A
O Location: Prinias, Greece
Material/Technique: stone, resemble a Mycenaean megaron
Function: honors an unknown deity, flat rood, two interior columns, limestone lintel, sculpted decoration
Context: facade had thee great piers
Descriptive terms: simple, decorated
Kouros
Date: 600 BCE
Period/Style: Archaic
Artist/Architect: N/A
Patron: N/A
O Location: in countryside near Athens
Material/Technique: kouros(pl. kouroi)=youth; emulates stance of Egyptian statues; = rigidly frontal, left foot slightly forward; arms on the side of body, fists clenched, thumbs forward; Egyptians- permanence & stability, Greeks- motion; triangular head and hair; flat face (Daedalic style); slim waist; v-shaped ridge of hips; archaic smile: cheeks are chubby, eyes are almond shaped and goofy smile
Function: funerary statue; decorative
Context: stood over a grave somewhere near Athens; now in the MET, NY
Descriptive terms: nude, bronze, detailed, sculpted
Calf Bearer
Date: 560 BCE
Period/Style: Archaic period
Artist: unknown
Patron: Rhonbos
O Location: Acropolis, Athens, Greece
Material/Technique: marble. An archaic smile that shows that the statue/person is still alive. The archaic smile signified different intentions from their Egyptian counterparts.
Function: statue of Rhonbos, the calf bearer himself, bringing an offering to Athena during Thanksgiving for his prosperity. since he is not a Kouros (youth) he should not be depicted as nude. The patterns of an X for unity are shown with Rhonbos and the calf together.
Context: stands in the manner of the kouroi, but he has a beard and he is not young. He is clothed with a thin cloak indicating that the mature gentleman is a respectable citizen. The calf and the arms of the bearer make an X shape that unifies the bodies formally and physically. The sculpture is smiling which indicates the Archaic smile technique that shows they are alive.
Descriptive terms: peaceful, respectable citizen, symbolized unity, noble perfection of the bearer and calf
I
Peplos Kore
Date: 530 BCE
Artist: unknown sculptor
Period/Style: Archaic period
Patron: a maiden, or a goddess like Athena herself. votive offering.
O Location: Acropolis, Athens, Greece
Material/Technique: marble. sculpted wearing a peplos (simple, long woolen belted garment that gives the appearance of a column). Drapery concealed her entire body, the softer treatment of the flesh sharply differentiates later korai from contemporary kourai. The light linen Ionian chiton worn with the himation (mantle) was a fashionable garment choice for women.
Function: votive offering to the goddesses; women are never portrayed nude; made to contrast with the Lady of Auxere; not nude, which indicates respect and importance.
Context: stylistic "sister" to the Anavysas kouros. She was buried to preserve her colors from the Persians attacking Acropolis. The Peplos Kore is the latest peplos - clad dedications on the Acropolis. Sculptors rendered intricate patterns created by the cascading folds of thin, soft material. The kore postures are fixed like their male counterparts.
Descriptive terms: soft colors, more colorful, natural looking, Archaic smile, broken from the Persians attacking, beautiful.
Temple of Hera I, "Basilica"
Date: 550 BCE
Artist/Architect: N/A
Period/Style: Archaic
Patron: N/A
O Location: Paestum, Italy
Material/Technique: huge, 80x170 ft; called "Basilica"- after Roman columnar hall building type; central row of columns dividing the cella sets it apart from most Greek temples; interior has many disadvantages: no central statue, no central doorway, capitals compressed by overbearing weight; 18 columns on each side of temple; Doric capitals; heavy-looking design
Function: temple for Hera; to glorify Hera
Context: Architects at the time were afraid of creating slender capitals from fear that the buildings might collapse; overtime, this formality changed.
Descriptive terms: repertitive, stable
Andokides Painter, Achilles and Ajax playing a dice game
Date: 525-520 BCE
Artist: Andokides Painter
Period/Style: Archaic
Patron: N/A
O Location: Orvieto, Italy
Material/Technique: bilingual, red-figure technique, black glaze used to outline the figures and then colored the background black
Function: revolutionized painting
Context: Achilles and Ajax playing a dice game
Descriptive terms: stands outs, detailed, elegant, expensive
Euphronios, Herakles wrestling Antaios
Date: 510 BCE
Artist: Euphronios
Period/Style: Archaic
Patron: N/A
O Location: Orvieto, Italy
Material/Technique: thinned glaze to delineate the muscles of both figures, showed that the figures occupied space; rejected composite view and attempted a single viewpoint
Function: revolutionized painting
Context: depicted stuggle between Herakles and Antaios; calyx crater
Descriptive terms: disproportionate, patterns, dominance
East Pediment from the Temple of Zeus
Date: 470-456 BCE
Artist: N/A
Period/Style: Early/ High Classical
Patron: N/A
O Location: Olympia,Greece
Material/Technique: marble
Function: decoration?
Context: chariot race between Pelops and King Oinomaos
Descriptive terms: detailed, treachery, curse
Dying Warrior, from the west pediment
Date: 500-490 BCE
Artist: N/A
Period/Style: Greek/Geometric and Archaic
Patron: N/A
O Location: Aphaia, Aegina, Greece
Material/Technique: marble, torso is rigidly frontal, looks out,
Function: different than otehrs
Context: smiles in spite of punctured chest
Descriptive terms: nude, clear, white, soft?
Kritios Boy
Date: 480 BCE
Period/Style: Early Classical
Artist/Architect: N/A
Patron: N/A
O Location: Athens, Greece
Material/Technique: made of marble; hair is stylized; slight dip to right hip, right leg is bent, head is slightly turned to the right- contrapposto (weight shift)- separates Classical from Archaic Greek; archaic smile is gone
Function: decorative, depiction of boy
Context: Athens, Greece, now in Acropolis Museum, Athens; Once thought the sculptor Kritios carved it
Descriptive terms: plain, simple, white, realistic proportions
Myron, Diskobolos ( Discus Thrower)
Date: 450 BCE
Period/Style: Early Classical
Artist/Architect: Myron
Patron: N/A
O Location: Terme, Rome
Material/Technique: originally bronze, but original copy is lost; many marble copies; 5'1" high; almost Archaic- profile limbs, nearly frontal chest; right arm reaching apex of the arm, holding a disk; two intersecting arcs: discus to left hand and head to right knee;
Function: action statue
Context: many marble copies by Romans, original lost; Archaic athletes performed for spectators, but Classical works such as Diskobolos concentrate on what they are doing.
Descriptive terms: bronze, action, realistic, muscular
Polykleitos, Doryphoros (Spear Bearer)
Date: 450 BCE
Period/Style: Classical
Artist/Architect: Polykleitos
Patron: N/A
O Location:Pompeii, Italy
Material/Technique: ideal statue of nude male/athlete; culmination of Greek statuary; contrapposto: right arm and left leg relaxed, head turns to the right, hips twist to the left; dynamis asymmetrical balance
Function: depict human movement; Imposes Polykleitan style: to perfect human movement, harmonic proportions, cross balance
Context: best replica in Pompeii, Italy
Descriptive terms: idealistic, detailed, perfect
Aerial view of the Acropolis
Date: 447-438 BCE
Period/Style: High Classical
Artist/Architect: Pericle
Patron: Pericle?
O Location: Athens, Greece
Material/Technique: in situ,
Function: four bulildings, used for different religions
Context: sculptural ornamentation,
Descriptive terms: busy, detailed, large
Hermes & Infant Dionysos
Name: Hermes & Infant Dionysos
Date: 350 BCE
Period/Style: Late Classical
Artist/Architect: Praxiteles?
Patron:
Material/Technique: made of marble; 7'1" high; god gazes dreamily into space; very sensuous; Hermes leans into a tree trunk, holds a grape in temptation for the child (Dionysos- god of the vine/ of wine); Hermes is in "Tyra Banks" - curve of the hip, S-curve
Function: decorative or honorary to the gods
Context: from Temple of Hera, Olympia, Greece
Ideas: depicts human experience that previous statues lacked; maybe a replica of Praxiteles' work or an original work by a son or grandson
Aphrodite of Knidos
LATE CLASSICAL/4TH CENTURY
Name: Aphrodite of Knidos
Date: 350-340 BCE
Period/Style: Late Classical
Artist/Architect: Praxiteles
Patron:
Material/Technique: original is carved from Parian marble; retains superhuman beauty, but is more sensuous; made Knidos famous bc he depicted a naked goddess, which was uncommon at the time; about to take a bath; garment is draped over a water pitcher (hydria); shields pelvis with right hand
Function: to honor or depict Aphrodite in a more sensual manner
Context: was in Tholos, Delphi, Greece
Ideas: This statue was very famous at the time--many people would sail just to see it bc it was sensual and beautiful, and it was the first depiction of a nude goddess.
Grave stele of a young hunter
Name: Grave stele of a young hunter
Date: 340 BCE
Period/Style: Late Classical
Artist/Architect: Skopas of Paros
Patron:
Material/Technique: relief is higher, parts of the figure carved in the round; depicts overt mourning, heads (young boy and dog) dropped in sorrow, father leans in with stick; hunter looks out at viewer
Function: narrative to depict intense emotion
Context: found near the Ilissos River in Athens
Ideas: High classical period depicted works that created emotional bridge between the art and the viewer
Apoxyomenos (Scraper)
LATE CLASSICAL/4TH CENTURY
Name: Apoxyomenos (Scraper)
Date: 330 BCE
Period/Style: Late Classical
Artist/Architect: Lysippos
Patron:
Material/Technique: Full name: Apoxyomenos; 6'9" high; New concept of motion in space; Roman marble copy of bronze original; arms are out, engaging in space; scraping oil off his body; encourages viewers to look at the work from different angles
Function: statue to show movement
Context: Lysippos stretches proportion to 1:8--more accurate
Theater of Epidauros
Name: Theater of Epidauros
Date: 350 BCE
Period/Style: Late Classical
Artist/Architect: Polykleitos the Younger
Patron:
Material/Technique: seated on a hillside; cavea was composed of wedge-shaped sections (cunie/ cuneus) of stone benches separated by stairs; auditorium is 387 ft. in diameter; 55 rows; capacity: 12,000 ppl;
Function: theater where ancient rites, songs, dances, and plays were performed; projects music well
Context: Epidauros, Greece
Ideas: uses nature to blend in like the Temple of Hatshepsut
Dying Gaul
Name: Dying Gaul
Date: 230-220 BCE
Period/Style: Hellenistic
Artist/Architect: Epigonos?
Patron:
Material/Technique: marble copies of bronze original; gauls shown as barbarians with bushy hair, mustaches, and neck bands, but also shown as courageous nobles; gaul dying on large oval shield; very dramatic- pain is shown in his face as he looks down; muscle is exaggerated;
Function: mythological depiction
Context: Museo Capitolino, Rome (replica)
Ideas: drama and suffering is more pronounced than other Gaul sculptures
Barberini Faun
Name: Barberini Faun
Date: 230-200 BCE
Period/Style: Hellenistic
Artist/Architect:
Patron:
Material/Technique: "sleeping satyr/drunk satyr"; has horns; members of the Dionysos cult; passed out, rough night; overtly sexual; nose thoughtfully done, as well as eyelashes; Pergamene manor; drunk fell asleep on a rock; brows are furrowed
Function: antithesis to Classical ideals; decorative
Context: Rome, Italy; now in Glyptothek, Munich
Ideas: Hellenistic sculptors depicted sleep, unlike Archaic and Classical statues.
Nike of Samothrace
Name: Nike of Samothrace
Date: 190 BCE
Period/Style: Hellenistic
Artist/Architect:
Patron:
Material/Technique: "Winged Victory"; top of staircase in the Louvre; standing on representation of boat; crowning victory; Athena's partner is Nike; Reliefs; Very realistic; Wind hitting her body; Made of marble; very theatrical;
Function: to honor Athena/Nike
Context: Samothrace, Greece
Ideas: rejection of Polykleitan conception of being very idealized; Hellenistic statues interact with environment
Venus de Milo
Name: Venus de Milo
Date: 150-125 BCE
Period/Style: Hellenistic
Artist/Architect: Alexandros of Antioch-on-the-Meander
Patron:
Material/Technique: Venus=Aphrodite; Very long torso; Hip is emphasized; Arms are missing; Scantily clad; Would've been holding golden apple=beauty; made of marble; right hand would've been holding the drapery; overtly sexual, but teases the viewer from the drapery of the garment
Function: to honor Aphrodite
Context: Melos, Greece
Ideas: more modestly draped than Aphrodite of Knidos
Old Market Woman
Name: Old Market Woman
Date: 150-100 BCE
Period/Style: Hellenistic
Artist/Architect:
Patron:
Material/Technique: made of marble; 4' 1/2" high; bringing chickens and basket of fruits and vegetables to the market; impoverished, exahusted;
Function: N/A- interest in socialism
Context: now in the MET in NY
Ideas: reflection of the social life--people could not avoid eachother; the cosmopolitan caused people to constantly see eachother and interact with eachother
Laocoon and Sons
Name: Laocoon and Sons
Date: early 1st century
Period/Style: Hellenistic
Artist/Architect: Athanadoros , Hadesandros, and Polydoros of Rhodes
Patron:
Material/Technique: made of marble; 7' 10 1/2" high; Laocoon- priest; Shows perfect bodies; Gods were mad so they try to kill him with the snakes; Meant to walk around it; they writhe in pain as they struggle to free themselves from serpents; one serpent bites in Laocoon's hip
Function: mythological narrative
Context: Rome, Italy
Ideas: a second son was added to the this group sculpture to correlate with Vergil's Aenid.