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Greek & Roman
Art
2000 BC
GREECE:
The Birthplace of Western Civilization
Ancient Greece Map
Modern Greece Map
Brief History of Ancient Greece

Begins around 2000 BC
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Early primitive people entered the land and remained
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Culture was known as Mycenaean but was overtaken by stronger tribes
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Dorians took over changing life and co-mingling with the Mycenaean
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Towns grew into “city-states” that were independent unlike other empires
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Landscape added to this independence because of the terrain of mountains, valley and the sea
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This contributed to keeping the Greek city-states from forming a nation
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Rivalry among the city-states but none conquered the other
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Fear from Persia (Iran) united them long enough to fight the invaders during the 5th century.
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Suspecting more invasions, several city-states formed an alliance (where the smaller cities gave money.
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Because Athens was the most powerful member, it was the permanent head.
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Pericles, the Athenian leader began to use the money to rebuild & beautify Athens
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His actions were resented (especially Sparta) which led to the Peloponnesian War in 431 BC
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Because of terrible plague 1/3 of Athenians died and eventually so did Pericles.
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Athens was defeated which led to 100years of conflict among city-states eventually collapsing to foreign invaders in 338
BC
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During all of this, the Greek people made important contributions to art in architecture, temples, and of course, philosophy
The Parthenon:
Parthenon Proposed Model
The Parthenon, Acropolis
Athens, Greece c. 447 BC
Khan Academy: Parthenon
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWDflkBZC6U
Greek Vase Decoration
•
Figures on Greek vases
were often set in storytelling scenes
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Narrative art
•
Although used as jugs, later they were used
as “funeral vases” such as modern
gravestones or tombstones
Funerary Vase, Athens, Greece, c. 8th century BC, Terra cotta, 42 5/8” The Metropolitan Museum of Art,
New York, NY.
Greek Sculpture:
Evolution to Greatness

Sculpture in the Archaic Period (600 – 480 BC_
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Concentrated on carving large, freestanding figures.

KOUROS – which means “male youth”
Kouros, 530 BC, Marble, 6’7” The J. Paul Getty
Museum, Malibu, CA
Khan Academy on Kouros

https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ancient-art-civilizations/greekart/daedalic-archaic/v/kouros-youth-archaic-greek-c-590-580-b-c-e
Greek Sculpture: Classical

Abandoned straight, stiff poses
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Figures appeared to move.
Roman bronze reduction of Myron's Discobolus, 2nd century AD (Glyptothek, Munich)
Hellenistic Sculpture:
After the Peloponnesian War

https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ancient-art-civilizations/greekart/hellenistic/v/nike-winged-victory-of-samothrace-c-190-b-c-e
Winged Victory of Samothrace, 190 BC, Parian marble, 96”,
The Louvre, Paris, France.
The Winged Victory of Samothrace, discovered in 1863, is
conventionally thought to have been made to celebrate a
naval victory in 190 BC.
The History of The Parthenon

KHAN ACADEMY: THE Parthenon
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https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ancient-art-civilizations/greekart/classical/v/parthenon
ROMAN ART: Copiers of Greek Art
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Romans took over Greece
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Established a Republic government
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Eventually controlled territory from Britain to Mesopotamia
The Roman Empire Map
Roman “Plagiarism”

Admired Greek art
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Brought Greek artist to Rome to work from them
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DIFFERENCES
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More realistic
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Greek sculpture were public monuments; however, Roman sculpture was for
private patrons.
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Remind them of specific individuals
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Romans wanted the facial features and expression to show character
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Commissioned portraits of heads rather than the entire figure; whereas, the
Greeks felt like a “bust”—the head and shoulders—were incomplete
Roman Portrait Sculpture
Bust of a Man, 50 BC, 14 1/6” x 7 1/16”, Terracotta, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston MA.
Roman Architecture:
Roman Amphitheatre
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Round Arch—a wall or another arch is needed to counter the outward
force of the arch
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Keystone—top stone of the arch holding other stones in place
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Barrel Vault—a half-round stone ceiling made by placing a series of round
arches from front to back.
PANTHEON:

The Pantheon is a former Roman temple, now a church, in Rome, Italy, on
the site of an earlier temple commissioned by Marcus Agrippa during the
reign of Augustus (27 BC – 14 AD). T
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The present building was completed by the emperor Hadrian and
probably dedicated about 126 AD. He retained Agrippa's original
inscription, which has confused its date of construction as the original
Pantheon burnt down so it is not certain when the present one was built.[2]
PANTHEON: 118-128 AD, Roman
Temple. Rome, Italy
PANTHEON: YOUTUBE
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=305niNDG8c4
Roman Amphitheatre:
Arles, France, 1st Century AD.
Roman Baths:
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Baths were vast enclosed structures
that contained libraries, lecture rooms, gymnasiums,
shops, restaurants and walkways.
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Social and cultural center as well
as a place for hygiene.
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Every Roman city had its baths.
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Series of rooms with pools of progressively
cooler water: the caldarium to the frigidarium
Roman Baths, Bath, England, First Century AD.
Roman Sports: The Colosseum
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Named after a colossal statue of the Roman emperor Nero that once
stood nearby
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72-80 AD
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Covered 6 acres
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For chariot races and armed contests.
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https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ancient-artcivilizations/roman/early-empire/v/colosseum-amphitheatrum-flavium-c70-80-c-e-rome
The Colesseum
The Colosseum, Rome, Italy, 72-80
Decline Power of Rome
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Transfer of the capitol from Rome to the ancient Greek city of Byzantium—
renamed Constantinople.
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Marked the beginning of the Byzantine Empire
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Eventually invaders from the north overtook Rome after wave after wave
of barbarian invasions.
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By the end of the 5th century, the Western Roman Empire had come to an
end and the barbarian kingdoms of the Middle ages took place.