Download Laura Cook, Ibtissam Gad, and Angela Li

Cook, Gad, Li 1
Laura Cook, Ibtissam Gad, and Angela Li
Mr. Clarkson
Honors English 10
23 April 2009
Ancient Literature Report: Greek Arts
The arts are crucial to society of any time or age; they alleviate the human being, and
allow him to express his ideas and believe boundlessly. Every age of art provides modern society
with history and beauty to cherish. Ancient Greece, one of the many influential ancient societies,
provided people all around the world with works of art to ponder. The Greeks produced some of
the most influential art in all of history. Since the Greek society saw individual worth and
freedom as important, their arts reflected their love of men. Art honored the gods, another
important part of the culture, as well. The Greek arts continue to bewilder and inspire us today,
whether in sculpture, architecture, or theatre.
Sculpture was a popular form of Greek art. Greek sculpture began during the Archaic
period, around 600 BC. Most of the statues from this time are made of marble. The ancient
Egyptians influenced these statues of men, Kouros, and women, Kore, standing in rigid poses.
Sculptors followed a formula that divided the body into realistic proportions. The sculptor did
not need to work hard to produce a Kouros or Kore statue. The carving formula that developed
over time and the rigid poses reduced the difficulty ("Classical Greek Sculpture," "Archaic
Sculpture"). Later, around 480 BC, the Classical period began. “During the classical period the
Greek artists replaced the stiff vertical figures of the Archaic period with three-dimensional snap
shots of figures in action” ("Classical Sculpture"). The bronze or marble statues of the Classical
period celebrated the human body as a work of art. Around 323 BC, the Hellenistic period of art
Cook, Gad, Li 2
began. Hellenistic statues appeared similar to classical ones, but sculptors, according to “Greek
Statues and Ancient Greek Sculpture,” placed “an even greater emphasis ...on … dynamic
movement and extreme poses in the art." The sculptors created bolder and more dynamic pieces.
All sculptures, however, shared some elements. Sculptors hired someone to paint their completed
creations and finish them with a sealant of some kind. The sealant helped to keep paint from
chipping. Unfortunately, the colors of Greek statues have faded away after thousands of years
("Classical Greek Sculpture"). Even without the colorful additions, we can still appreciate the
beauty of Greek sculpture.
Architecture, the art of building, was prevalent during Greek times, and now Greek
architecture influences many buildings in contemporary times. The Romans used the art as
inspiration, too. The most popular buildings during Ancient Greek times were temples because
of the importance of religion. Builders used mud and wood to make buildings in the Archaic and
Early Classical period. Marble and limestone buildings from the Classical and Hellenistic
periods provide the most Ancient Greek architectural knowledge. Greek architecture consists of
three main orders: Doric and Ionic, the two most common of the three, and also the Corinthian
order. The Doric style, the first of the three, started in the 7th century BC. The Doric column,
commonly found in mainland Greece, stands sturdy and formal with a plain capital, or the top of
the column. The Doric column also did not sit on a base, or a platform at the bottom of the
column. The Parthenon, built in the 5th century BC, contains Doric columns. The Ionic style had
a more elegant column, which sat at a base. The capital had a scroll design on both sides of the
column, called a volute. Examples of the "slender columned" order, commonly found in eastern
Greece, are the Temple of Athena Nike, built in 300 BC, and the Temple of Apollo and Didyma,
built between 421 and 405 BC. The least common and most ornate order is the Corinthian order.
Cook, Gad, Li 3
The columns have a capital decorated with acanthus leaves. Slender like the Ionic style, it also
stood on a base. An example of a building from the Corinthian order is the Temple of Zeus at
Athens, completed in the 2nd century AD. A small, but valuable, amount of Greek architecture
sill stands today for all to admire ("Art"; Hemingway).
Greek theater differs from theater today in several ways. First, actors wore large masks to
portray characters to the large audience. With a large mask, even members of the audience who
were the farthest away could see the characters’ expressions. Then, most of the time, members of
a small cast would act out many different roles in the same play. Third, the acting style was
overdramatic and exaggerated, different from subtle acting used in modern films. Finally, the
chorus served as a narrator, and it also helped to explain the play as the story went along (“Greek
Theatre”).
The Greeks were truly amazing artists whose works influence our culture today. Their
sculptures and architecture inspired many modern statues and buildings. Museums treasure
Greek statues today. The architecture's mighty and royal nature affects modern buildings, such as
the Capitol Building and the Lincoln Memorial both in Washington DC, and Greek theatre was
the beginning for modern theatrical productions. Anyone today can admire the beauty and
ingenuity of these art forms.
Cook, Gad, Li 4
Works Cited
"Art." Ancient Greece. 2008. University Press Inc. 31 March 2009.
<http://www.ancientgreece.com/s/Art/>.
"Archaic Sculpture." Greek Landscapes: Photo Travel Guide to Greece. Ed. Thomas Sakoulas.
Greek Landscapes.com. 25 Mar. 2009.
<http://www.greeklandscapes.com/greece/athens_museum_archaic.html>.
"Classical Greek Sculpture: Methods: Marble." Oracle ThinkQuest Library. Oracle Education
Foundation. 25 Mar. 2009.
<http://library.thinkquest.org/23492/data/marble.htm#marble,%20the%20method>.
"Classical Sculpture." Greek Landscapes: Photo Travel Guide to Greece. Ed. Thomas Sakoulas.
Greek Landscapes.com. 25 Mar. 2009.
<http://www.greeklandscapes.com/greece/athens_museum_classical.html>.
"Greek Statues and Ancient Greek Sculpture." Statue.com | Home and Garden Statues, Fountains,
and Statuary. Statue.com. 25 Mar. 2009. <http://www.statue.com/greek-statues.html>.
"Greek Theatre - Ancient Greece." Ancient Greece - History, mythology, art, war, culture,
society, and architecture. University Press Inc. 22 Apr. 2009
<http://www.ancientgreece.com/s/Theatre/>.
Hemingway, Colette. "Architecture in Ancient Greece". Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History.
October 2003. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. 30 March 2009.
<http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/grarc/hd_grarc.htm>.