Ancient Greek Art Analysis

Ancient Greek art is something to be admired; the accuracy of the figures, compared to Egyptian art is commendable. The art works show great depths of emotion and detail. The “Grave stele of a little girl” is a beautiful relief of what appears to be a small child holding two birds. The forearm resembles a young child’s arm because it seems that the “baby fat” is still present, but it is strange that the face has less-childish features. The figure is in strict profile, which possibly suggests a Greek sculptor, in addition to the intricate detail and the contrapposto. Egyptian sculptors did not have

There are many significances of Ancient Greek sculpture. The ancient Greeks never made their sculptures with flaws. There were three main periods in Greek sculpture, the Classical period, the Hellenistic period, and the Archaic period. The first period was the Archaic period, followed by the Classical Period, then the Hellenistic period.

The statues, Heyl Aphrodite and Capitoline Gaul, both contain human-like features, but only one shows the ideal woman figure. By observing Heyl Aphrodite, viewers notice her soft, curvaceous figure. Her body is proportional creating balance and harmony. Fabric hugs the goddess’s body, draping over her right breast, while exposing the left, conveying a sense of sexuality. Her lack of eye contact expresses weakness, while her body posture, with the aid of the fabric, shows movement. Merker compares the artwork in her book, when she writes, “The raised right shoulder gives a sense of movement; although there is no torsion, one feels there ought to be and is reminded of the unstable, twisting movement of the Heyl Aphrodite in

For my essay, I chose to discuss Alexanders of Antioch’s, Aphrodite, or Venus De Milo. Although not the most elaborate sculpture, Venus De Milo tells a story in itself. It is believed to depict Aphrodite, the Greek Goddess of love, beauty and pleasure and in some instances, honored as the Goddess of War. Its association with graceful beauty, as well as eroticism for the age, helps depict a multi-dimensional sense for the period and its common depictions.

When examining the statue, there is an old woman bent and weary. Her posture helps clue us in, with her age and the state of her health. The figure is dressed in cloth that drapes off her body as she carries a basket that is filled with what we may think are offerings. On her head, there are vines that create a band around the top of her head used to signify the festival that was going on during that time. The specific detail that is seen on this statue persuades us to want to know the story of this woman. Doing so, the process involves lots of research about the time and art. During the hellenistic period, artists begin to introduce more inner beauty than physical beauty. There is an opportunity to learn more about the structure itself, then settle for what is given and seen.

The Ancient Greek Era in a whole was a exotic and refreshing time for art and human

I was drawn to this time period as well as these two sculptures. As I researched both sculptures I was fascinated by how much respect the people of that time had for their women. Not only for what they could do for them, but also for what they looked like. They didn’t see the weight and size as a grotesque thing; but more as a thing of beauty. In

Whether in the fifth century B.C.E or the first century C.E, Greek art has maintained continuity among its theories since its inception. Throughout history, the Greeks have been perfecting their human sculptures. The Metropolitan Kouros (600 B.C.E) and the Spear Bearer (450 B.C.E) are made centuries apart but have the same Greek interest of the human anatomy. However, because of the time difference, it is clear that the Spear Bearer is more advanced. The same idea goes to the marble grave Stele of a Little Girl (440 B.C.E) and the bronze statue of Eros Sleeping (1st century C.E). They share many similarities such as the Greek touch; conversely, they have their differences.

Hello Aurelia, I completely agree with you. The views of the human body have shifted and changed throughout time. What I found interesting was that once the Greeks achieved their “perfect” image of the human body, they didn’t seem satisfied. We as humans are driven not only by our culture, but by the need to exaggerate (Nigel Spivey, Episode 1). In my opinion, this means that maybe we are not always satisfied with the realistic perception but rather the exaggerated one. There can be a variety of reasons for this. I also have seen some of these pieces of artwork, but I have not researched their meanings or why they were ever created. Watching this video did give me some knowledge about the things that influenced their artwork. As you mentioned

As we know, what constitute art are learned behaviors that are influenced by class, gender, race, geography, and economic status, as well as by education (p. 19). Thus, keeping within its cultural context and time--the Neolithic and early Bronze Ages--the Figure of a Woman… represents a female of the Ancient Greece and the Aegean world. Yet, this figure conforms to the template of modern sculpturing.

There were many changes that arose in Ancient Greece within the Hellenistic Age. Including a change in the percepted importance of the arts. Poetry, literature, art, and architecture all somewhat flourished in this age, and the common focus was that of man, itself. There were rises in the sculptures and paintings of man, as well as written depictions of the accounts of emphasizing the significance in stories of man, heroes, and gods. In sciences, the practices of algebra and geometry were developed, and widely accepted during this period, as well as the understanding that the Earth was indeed, round. In government, it may seem as if there were no threats due to the advances of excellence in art and in sciences, but that is a large misconception. Threats rang out over danger

Arts and Architecture held a big part in life in Ancient Greece. Art was pretty unique in quite a way in Greece, they used the human body a lot in their art. Ancient Greek architects strove for the precision and excellence of workmanship that are the hallmarks of Greek art in general.

The evolution of Greek art has expanded over hundreds of years and has contributed to many artistic developments, especially in sculpture. The depiction of the human figure has drastically changed over time from an undeveloped form to a more detailed rendering. This transformation can be seen from Early Bronze Age figurine models to Ancient Hellenistic sculptures. Examples of early figurines are small with disproportionate and unusual bodies while much later sculptures are large scale showing the importance of corrected bodily proportions. Tiny figures generally had the same poses lacking facial and body definition details while later sculptures have exquisite, clear facial features, and deeply chiseled bodies. The developments of sculptors overtime produced advancements in Greek sculpture. This can be seen especially in certain sculpture subjects like Greek athletics, mythology, political depictions, as well as scenes of tragedy or death. Athletic Greek sculpture was an important way in which “statues were intended to immortalize successful athletes.” The development of these statues became more realistic and idealized as time progressed, especially

During the fourth century B.C.E, where philosophers came to gather to exchange the ideas or “axial” about the religion, by the time of where believes of many Gods. This beautiful panel of Arts housed within the New York Museum, this work of art had made from mosaic from the Roman city of Pompeii depicts a gathering of Greek philosophers at school of Plato (Duiker-99). This significant art represent the philosophers where Plato and Aristotle had view of different point about the nature of reality (Duiker-99). However, those societies consequently emergence by characterized of the religions, when

I enjoyed her nudity and ambiguous beauty because although her sculptures did not break barriers for women, it did at least break some barriers for artists. Because sculptures of Aphrodite have changed over time, artists were able to evolved, and women have been able to see themselves as or more beautiful than Aphrodite. Overall, the Archaic period, the Classical period, and the Hellenistic Period engendered their own unique response to ancient Greece’s rise and fall, for these sculptures show how the human spirit can use its experiences, and surroundings to convey values and beliefs through the power of visual literacy.