Lecture by Ivy C. Dally

South Suburban College

South Holland, IL

Although a Macedonian, the conquest of the Ancient Near

East by Alexander the Great spread the language, art, and

religion of the Greeks. After his death, we speak of a

Hellenistic World. See Figure 5.35 Alexander Mosaic.

The Hellenistic World was four main areas ruled by the former generals of Alexander who became Emperors.

New governments found new cities=new architecture.

The innovation of Greek sculptural forms continues.

Art of this period also purchased by wealthy Romans, who were beginning to take over the Italian peninsula.

The division of Alexander’s Empire into 4

distinct regions. The Ptolemies ruled Egypt;

their most famous Queen was Cleopatra VII.

Baroque style marked by EXCESS. Bodies twisting and turning

through space Full range of emotion Dramatic/Theatrical Builds on the advances of classical

mimesis.

Actual portraits (instead of idealism)

Everyday Life/The Mundane

All three styles use deep drilling to create dark shadows and highlights

Video image walking around

the Gallic Chieftain statue in the

National Roman Museum

(Palazzo Altemp)

.

At the same time he stretched forth to tear the knots with his hands

his fillets soaked with saliva and black venom

at the same time he lifted to heaven horrendous cries:

like the bellowing when a wounded bull has fled from the altar

and has shaken the ill-aimed axe from its neck

From the Aeneid

Boy Pulling Thorn From Foot

Original Hellenistic Bronze

Drunken Old Woman, Roman Copy

of a late 3rd century original. Figure

5.33

Old Market Woman

Roman copy of a Hellenistic

original, ca. 150-100 BCE

Lysippos, Portrait of

Alexander the Great,

the “Azara Herm”.

The Battle of Issos or Battle of Alexander and the Persians, Mosaic copy in Pompeii of a

Painting dated 315 BCE.

Explain the formal characteristics and iconographic characteristics of the Geometric, Orientalizing, Archaic, and Hellenistic periods.

Identify the orders and parts of ancient Greek architecture.

Discuss the influence other cultures exerted on Greek art/architecture.

Identify historical events and characters that exerted influence on the development of Greek art and architecture.

Describe the changes in representations of the human figure from the Geometric to the Hellenistic period.