Art Appreciation-Chapter15

The Classic and Medieval West

Chapter 15

Greece

• Greek culture regarded humans as the highest creation in nature

• They subscribed to a religion multiple deities • They invented democracy• They had sophisticated philosophers

(Plato…)• The goal of the artist was to create

naturalistic yet ideal human figure

Greece

• Stages in Greek history– Archaic period-influenced by Egypt and

and the Near East

Euphronios Krater. c. 515 B.C.E.Height 18", diameter 21-3/4".

Euphronios Krater

• In the Archaic “red-figure” style• Depicts a scene from Homer’s Odyssey

– The Trojan warrior Sarpedon in carried off to eternity by the gods of sleep and death

• Euphronios is the artist that created the piece• Krater refers to the handled shape of the

vessel– Generally used for ceremonial beverages

Kouros. Statue of standing youth. Greek, Attic. c. 580 B.C.E.Height 76" (193 cm).

Kouros

• Kouros is Greek for male youth• Kore is Greek for female youth• The archaic style is influenced by Egyptian art• The figure stands is a rigid position with arms

by his sides and his left leg forward• This sculpture does differ from Egyptian art in

it freestanding/in the round aspect as well as the fact that it does not represent a godlike ruler

Greece

• Stages in Greek History– Classical period

• 480-323 B.C.E.• Classical art emphasizes simplicity, order, and

restrained emotion• An interest in anatomy leads to more

naturalistic artwork with more relaxed poses• The Ideal human form was a major subject of

Greek art in this period

Polykleitos of Argos. Spear Bearer (Doryphoros). Roman copy of Greek original. c. 440 B.C.E.

Height 6'6".

Spear Bearer

• The artist, Polykleitos, wrote about the perfect proportions of the human form and created this sculpture as an example

• By studying various models and working with the idea that the body is a set of harmonious ration, he created a mathematical guide for creating the perfect human body

• Depicts an athlete who originally held a spear• It does not depict a particular individual, but rather an ideal

human• He bears most of his weight on one leg, known as contraposto

– Contraposto means counterpoised– It gives a lifelike quality to the figure

Ictinus and Callicrates. Parthenon. Acropolis, Athens. View from the northwest. 448–432 B.C.E.

Ictinus and Callicrates. Parthenon. Acropolis, Athens. View from the southwest. 448–432 B.C.E.

The Parthenon

• The largest of several buildings on the Acropolis• Was designed and built as a gift to Athena• Ictinus and Callicrates built the parthenon based on the

Egyptian tradition of temple design– Post and beam construction

• The axis of the building was carefully calculated so that on Athena’s birthday the rising sun would shine through the east doorway

• The proportions of the structure are based on harmonious ratios• None of the major lines in the structure are perfectly straight

– Entasis, a very slight bulge, makes columns appear straighter

Ictinus and Callicrates. The Battle of the Lapiths and Centaurs. Metope from the Parthenon. c. 440 B.C.E.

Height 67-3/4".

The Battle of the Lapiths and Centaurs

• Surrounding the Pathenon, above the colonnade, are evenly spaced metopes

• Metope-square panel• Depicts that war between the

reasonable Lapiths and the warlike Centaurs– Represents Greek triumph, especially the

triumph over the Persians

Venus de Medici (Medici Venus). 3rd Century B.C.E.Height 5'.

Venus de Medici

• During the latter part of the classical period, Greek sculpture took a turn away from serious idealism and turned to a more sensuous vision

• Venus de Medici is a roman copy of the 4th century Greek original by Praxiteles

• Represents the ideal female form

Greece

• Stages in Greek history– Hellenistic– End of the 4th century– Coincided with the decline of Greek culture– Artwork was often created for non-Greek patrons– Hellenistic means Greek-like– Art became less idealized and more dynamic

• More expressive and uses exaggerated movement

The Laocoön Group. Roman copy of a 1st- or 2nd-century B.C.E. Greek original, perhaps after Agesander, Athenodorus, and Polydorus of Rhodes.

c. 1st Century C.E.Height 95-1/4".

Laocoon

• Roman copy of a Hellenistic work• Laocoon was a priest that warned against the

Trojan horse and he and his sons were later attacked by snakes as a sign of the gods’ disapproval

• Hierarchical proportion-Laocoon is shown as larger than his sons to show his importance

• Notice the amount of emotion and movement as compared with earlier Greek sculpture

• Became the major power by the 2nd century

• The Romans were less idealistic and more practical than the Greeks

• They admired and copied Greek works, but they did develop their own style as well

Unknown. Portrait Head of an Old Man. Italy. 25 B.C. – 10 A.D.Height 34.9 × 17.7 × 24.7 cm (13-3/4" × 6-15/16" × 9-3/4").

Portrait Head of an Old Man

• High degree of individuality

• Warts and all style stemmed from creating death masks and recreating them in marble

• Great attention was paid to the flaws that make a person unique

The Colosseum. Rome. 70–80 C.E.

The Colloseum

• Built between 68 and 80 B.C.E.

• Made of brick and stone

• The exterior is a three story, round-arch, colonnade

• Used for amusements such as gladiator games

Pantheon. Rome. View of the entrance. 118–125 C.E.

Pantheon. Rome. Plan and Section. 118–125 C.E.

Giovanni Paolo Panini. The Interior of the Pantheon, Rome. c. 1734. c. 1734.

1.280 × .990 cm (50-1/2" × 39").

Pantheon

• A major temple dedicated to all the gods• A immense domed space• It is essentially a cylinder with a dome with a

single entrance• The walls are 20 feet thick with stone and

concrete masonry• The dome is patterned with coffers, recessed

squares and was originally covered with gold

Early Christian and Byzantine Art

• Romans first regarded Christianity as a strange cult and suppressed it

• Many Christians hid their religion and art in their homes and catacombs

• Early Christian art used Greco-Roman style painting of figures to tell the stories of the bible

Christ and the Apostles. Early Christian fresco.Catacomb of S. Domitilla, Rome, Italy. Mid-4th Century C.E.

Christ and Apostles

• One point perspective and other devices used to represent 3D space were forgotten and not rediscovered until the Renaissance

Head of Constantine. c. 312 C.E.Height 8'.

Head of Constantine

• Constantine moved the capital of the Roman empire to Byzantium, which he renamed Constantinople (now Istanbul)

• Constantine was the first Christian emperor

Old St. Peter's Basilica. Rome. Reconstruction drawing. c. 320–335.

Interior view of basilica of Old Saint Peter's.

Old St. Peter's Basilica. Rome. Plan.

Old St. Peter’s Basilica

• The Roman basilica was adapted for use in worship

• Has a long central aisle called a nave

• The nave ended in an apse, a semicircular projection

• The main focus of these buildings was the grandeur of the interior

San Vitale. Ravenna, Italy. Exterior. 526–547.

San Vitale. Ravenna, Italy. Plan.

San Vitale. Ravenna, Italy. Empress Theodora.

San Vitale. Ravenna, Italy. Apse Mosaic.

San Vitale

• Mosaic compositions cover most of the interior• Depicts Emporer Justinian and his wife Theodora• The elongated, abstracted figures are symbolic rather

than naturalistic• The figures are shown with heavy outlines and stylized

shading• The only representation of space is through overlapping• At this time, there was the controversy of the

iconoclastsAndrei Rublev. Icon of the Old Testament Trinity. c. 1410.55-1/2" × 44-1/2".

Byzantine School. Madonna and Child on a Curved Throne. Byzantine, 13th Century.

0.815 × 0.490 cm (32-1/8" × 19-3/8"); framed: .908 × 583 × .076 cm; (35-3/4 " × 22-15/16" × 3").

Madonna and Child on a Curved Throne

• Based on linear patterns and circular shapes• The drapery scarcely hints at the bodies

beneath• The throne represents Mary’s position as

queen of Heaven• Christ appears as a wise little man• Icons were made of precious materials like

gold leaf and lapis lazuli

The Middle Ages in Europe

• The one thousand years that follows that fall of the Roman Empire is called the middle ages or Medieval Period

• New influences were moving in from non-Greeks called barbarians

• Eurasian nomads created a distinct style called the animal style– Usually on small portable objects like jewelry,

weapons, and saddles/harnesses

Scythian Animal. (Bridle Plaque with a Beast of Prey Curved Round). Scythian culture. 5th Century B.C.E.

10.5 × 9.7 cm.

Scythian Anima

• Abstracted animal shapes

• This piece contains two animal forms with heads near the top and bottom

Purse Cover. From the Sutton Hoo Ship Burial, Suffolk, England. Before 655.

Length 7-1/2".

Purse Cover

• Gold and enamel

• Depicts a man standing between confronting animals

Chi-Rho Monogram (XP). TCD MS 58. Page from the Book of Kells. FOL 34 r. Late 8th Century.

12-3/4" × 9-1/2".

Chi Rho Monogram from the Book of Kells

• Book of Kells is a illustrated holy book from Ireland

• The first letter in a manuscript was intricately embellished– This began as a drop cap and eventually

began to take up a whole separate page

Romanesque

• Romanesque refers to medieval art of Western Europe

• Romanesque art developed in a time dominated by feudalism and monasticism

• The structures began to revive some of the Roman interior styles

• Many sculptors deviated from traditional human proportions to add symbolism

Christ of the Pentecost. Saint Madeleine Cathedral, Vézelay, France. 1125–1150.

Height of the tympanum 35-1/2".

Christ of the Pentecost

• A relief carving above the doorway of Saint Madeleine Cathedral

• The largeness of Christ in comparison to the other figures show his importance

• The elongation of Christ and the small size of his head make him seem more monumental

Gothic

• Gothic style replaced Romanesque about 1145

• The differences are most easily seen in architecture

• The pointed arch replaced the round arch• The pointed arches and flying buttresses

made some of the most spectacular buildings in existence

Notre Dame de Chartres. Chartres, France. View from the southeast. 1145–1513.

Cathedral length 427'; facade height 157'; south tower height 344'; north tower height 377'.

Notre Dame de Chartres. Chartres, France. West Front.

Notre Dame de Chartres. Chartres, France. "Rose de France" Window.c. 1233.

Notre Dame de Chartres. Chartres, France. Old Testament Prophet, Kings, and Queen. c. 1145-1170.

Notre Dame de Chartres. Chartres, France. Plan based on Latin cross.

Notre Dame de Chartres

• Took three hundred years to complete• Includes many styles since it’s building

spanned such a long time period• The main goal was to fill the church with light,

a metaphor for the presence of God• Stained glass windows color the light entering

the building and change as the day progresses

Notre Dame de Chartres

• The rose window, Rose de France, is dedicated to the Virgin Mary

• The Old Testament Kings and Queen show a more serene kind of sculpture– Romanesque sculptures were very active,

the Gothic sculptures have a more passive and calm feeling

Art Appreciation-Chapter15

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