Analysis Questions: Greek Art

Goddess of love:

Aphrodite

God of sun, light, truth, and music:

Apollo

Goddess of wisdom, war, virginity, victory:

Athena

Goddess of grain and agriculture:

Demeter

Goddess of fertility, queen of the underworld:

Persephone

Supreme God, holds scepter and lightning bolt:

Zeus

How did the rule and death of Alexander the Great influence the spread of Greek art?

Alexander's legacy ws the spread of Greek culture far beyond its original border, but artists of the Hellenistic period, which endured the break up of Alexander's empire and subsequent rule by the Romans, developed visions discernibly distinct from those of their Classical Greek predecessors. Where earlier artists sought to create and establish an artistic ideal, Hellenistic artists shifted focus to the individual and the specific. Instead of focusing on the heroic and ideal, they began to focus on the everyday. As a result, the Greeks were able to further the development of art and architecture.

God of wine, grape harvest, inspiration:

Dionysos

Young child or infant god of love

Eros

Explain the role of religion in shaping Greek architecture.

Greek architecture is shaped by religion primarily because the Greek temples were created for their gods and goddesses. From the Temple of Hera, to the Temple of Aphaia, to the Parthenon, the Greeks used the temple architecture, the statuary inside, the decorations on the frieze, pediments, and entablature as devotions to their gods and goddesses as they depicted myths and legends from Greek history.

What distinguishes Greek Hellenistic art from other Greek art?

Hellenistic artists turned away from a generalized artistic ideal to a focus on the individual and the specific. They began to depict mere mortals rather than gods and individual emotion rather than aloof serenity. Their works are distinct because they are designed to appeal the senses, the heart, and the mind through expressive subject, poses, and surface treatments.

God of the sea, holding a 3 pronged spear:

Poseidon

Describe the difference between how black figure and red figure pottery was created.

Red- as well as black-figure vases are one of the most important sources of mythology and iconography, and sometimes also for researching day-to-day ancient Greek life.The Black figure painting technique had the artist paint the positive space in the painting with slip, which turned black during firing, thus creating "Black Figures". The red-figure painting was the exact opposite since the negative spaces were painted with slip and then fired, which made the figures appear "red" like the clay.

Explain the "S-curve" in sculpture. Use a well-known Greek sculpture from this time period to illustrate.

The "S"-curve is a more technically advanced from of contrapposto that emerges in the late Classical period and is exemplified by the statue "Hermes of stone who carries the infant Dionysos", which shows Hermes with a sinewy, s-curve to his body that requires him to lean on a post, thus creating a less balanced posture.

Compare and contrast how Greek sculpture changes from the Archaic period to the Hellenistic period. Use specific examples in your response.

The Archaic period is characterized by figures heavily influenced by Egyptian and Mesopotamian statuary, with a slight forward movement, stiff pose, and stylized body. The Archaic smile is present as well, showing a lack of true emotion. The Classical period shows unprecedented realism primarily depicting idealized men, the contrapposto pose and eventually, the "S"-curve. The Hellenistic period is marked by the blending of the Greek and Persian cultures after Alexander's conquests and a new artistic style including depictions of people with imperfect bodies, real human emotion intended to elicit a response from the viewer (Expressionism), and depictions of everyday people and the underclass