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The ancient cultures of Greece, the Minoan and the Mycenean, produced wonderful works of art, but we are indebted to archeology for the finds that we have from these cultures. Information regarding classical art comes more from literary resources that have been maintained over the centuries. Comparison of the early archaic art of the 10th century BCE reveals a remarkable difference between the art of mainland Greece and the art of the previous cultures. For this reason the history of the art of classical Greece usually starts with the early archaic art and the art of Minoan and Mycenean cultures is dealt with separately.
The period after the Trojan war is usually referred to as the Greek dark age because there is so little material from that period. We do not know what was going on, but whatever it was, it was very revolutionary. Art changed a great deal and began the developement of Greek art that was to flower in the classical period. This period is referred to as the geometric period because of one of the striking characteristics of this art. Most of the decoration consists of various geometric patterns. There are figurative elements too which appear to be illustrations of myths. This is a trend that will continue in Greek art, but few of the myths in the early pieces can be identified because of the schematic nature of the figures. Some of the mythicalcharacters, such as centaurs, are easily identified even in scematic form.
The main points about the early art which carries through the Classical period are:
The main periods in Greek art are:
The images on Greek vases are illustrative of gods and goddesses and people who lived at the time of the Trojan war, some 700 years earlier. The artists could have known little of the subjects, but rather used as models contemporary objects and people. These artists rarely illustrated landscapes and architecture either. Yet even with these limitations the vase painters left an extraordinary amount of information about the culture of Greece.
Let's investigate the question of nudity in the art of the Greeks. Assume that the classical period is 470 - 338 BCE. The Aphrodite of Knidos of Praxitiles was sculpted in the period 350 - 330 BCE. If we can focus on the early classical period before 350 we can avoid the influence of the Aphrodite of Knidos.
The above represent a sampling of the images of nudes available. These images are too old to have been influenced by Praxiteles. In the total collection there are 11 clothed men, 12 nude men, 5 nude young men, one clothed older women, 3 nude older women, and two nude girls. It is certainly not true that men were portrayed nude exclusively, but they certainly were portrayed more frequently than women. In this sampling of nudes, youths were exclusively portrayed as nude. Nudity seems to be a symbol of youth. Several of the images show nude youths dancing with older man so there is an indication that homosexual activity is suggested. The nude girl and the nude men suggest heterosexual activity in the same way. The last image is most perplexing Here you have a nude man dancing with a clothed women. This image seems to raise the kind of question being asked.
There is a definitely a connection between nudity in art and nudity in sport. Heroes are often portrayed nude, as the athletic victor must have been nude. War is another form of athletics, so warriors are often portrayed nude. Clothes are an important sign of status for women and their clothing often indicates status. For the Greeks athletic ability may have been important enough that strong muscles were a sign of status. It would have been necessary to display them. Nudity also reinforces the maleness of the person. There is definitely the suggestion that being male was desirable and the surest sign of being male was nudity.
The society of the ancient Greeks achieved a high degree of culture that stands as a wonderful example of human achievement to the world of today. The mythology is intimately connected to the art and architecture of ancient Greece and so it forms an important basis to the perfection and universality of the art achieved. That art set standards of form which are still active today. In addition, the mythology of ancient Greece touches such a wide range of human emotion at such a dynamic level that it has filtered into the subconscious of the western world. In many cases the study of Greek myths reveals the emotional and rational foundation of western culture.
A vase exists which illustrates the process of production af ancient Greek Sculpture:
The ancient Greeks achieved an extremely high level in their art and so it is much in demand and much copied. Some of the copying goes on to develop artists to a very high level while others plays on the patrons ignorance and does little more than remind one of the glories of the past. This process began almost immediately with the artists of Rome. In some cases all we know of an ancient work is the many copies that the Roman artists produced. But it is too often possible to distinguish the copy from the original merely by the quality of the art. During the dark ages the copying was reduced because most of the Greek art was considered Pagan. But the influences persisted and art objects such as angels clearly illustrate a contructive influence. In fact angels are still being produced which are clearly modeled after ancient Greek goddesses and do not clearly fit the Christian mold.
During the Renaissance patrons returned to Greek inspiration and many pieces were produced that seem Greek in their origin. Later Greek revivals have the same result. But there is some merit in distinguishing what is really Greek from what is only an imitation. One reason is that Greek art reflects Greek culture. Nude images of the judgement of Paris do not reflect what the Greeks felt about this scene. A nude with an apple in her hand can be called Aphrodite, but the rendering of the figure usually does not reflect the Greek idealism as well as a truely Greek work. Another reason is a development of taste. Art can be a guide to moral decisions and tast is a guide to good ones. If one can learn to descriminate good art then one can learn to descriminate good people.
The art market is full of forgeries and knockoffs that just remind one of the original. In some cases there are simply thefts. A museum goes to great expense to maintain and display a great work of art from ancient Greece. It seems only fair that that museum should be compensated for this effort. A museum should receive a royalty on any reproduction of the pieces that they maintain. A person who makes such a copy should go to the museum and make the necessary arrangements.
Care should be taken that a reproduction actually is a good one. The artist should make some effort to reproduce the finer details of the original. An an artist should not make modifications that mislead the patron. I have a statuette labeled Artemis that is actually a copy of an ancient statue named Amazon. This does not represent a good intent on the part of the artist.
Some items are simply stolen from graves. But this is difficult to detect. Some items come with a certificate of authenticity. This is not nearly so useful as being able to trace an item through its owners to its original location. Really genuine items rarely need such certificates.
Some items are simply fakes. Without extensive knowledge the collector is really at a loss her. Careful examination and comparison with items in a museum is useful, but not certain. The sad fact is that any mistake that is made by the collector about fakes or thefts greatly reinforces the criminal.
But this is not to say that the collection of ancient artefacts is a bad thing. It is a process of paying close attention to the Greek culture, and spending a lot of time in museums studying fine art. This can be enormously rewarding as the pursuit of quality always is.
Resources:
Question: what are some of the major inventions the Greeks are credited with?
Answer: The Greeks were not strong in the world of things, though they did have a few inventions. They were strong in the world of ideas, and we owe much to them for this. The developed Geometry and studied astronomy, geography, and mechanics. These studies formed the basis of much science that followed. Their philosophers developed speculative philosophy which is the foundation of much of our speculation and a good portion of our Mathematics. Their art and architecture were very influential and set styles that are still popular and highly copied today. Museums around the world have much material from ancient Greece which is often the most valuable part of their collection. A list of inventions follow:
Answer: In a patriarchal society that values women for their production of babies, any woman is probably going to be viewed to some extent as a sex object. But women are respectfully portrayed. And it is doubtful that a goddess would be portrayed as a sex object because even the lowest nymph had powers beyond any mortal man. Portraying a wife as a sex object seems non-productive. Displaying hetaerae as sex objects seems much more likely. There is much art devoted to the portrayal of nude women and hetaerae in sexually provocative poses, but this is not the majority of women.
One difficulty is what constitutes a sex object. Few people wish to hide their sex so they dress in a way that demonstrates it. But there are many different ways that vary from culture to culture. Usually we say an image is a sex object not just because their sex is obvious, but rather because it in sexually attractive and provocative. Indeed there should be the suggestion the the person imaged wants you to be involved in a sex act. Pictures that show naked women dancing, lying down, or gazing at the viewer could be considered in this category. Kissing, hugging, and actual involvement in sex are also indivcative. But what about a well dressed women sitting in a proper position? It does not seem that the following image of Athena portrays her as a sex object: Athena
The relation between Paris and Helen is obviously a sexual one but a vase from 430 BCE displays Paris nude and Helen draped and veiled. This image is more likely displaying Paris as the sex object and Helen as a respectable person. Helen and Aphrodite Himeros and Paris
What follows is an image of a nude hetaera being grabbed by a man. This women is definitely a sex object: hetaera
We know the following picture show a hetaera because of the context and so she must be intrepreted as a sex object. She is fully clothed but her partner is probably making a gesture that was sexually suggestive in the culture of ancient Greece: youth and hetaera
We would not be able to classify the women in the following picture as sex objects even though they are nude, because they are involved with bathing. There is nothing in their gestures that suggest that they want to be involved with sex. In fact, you might say we have invaded their privacy by viewing them in this context. The fact that their nudity suggests sex is the viewers problem.
In spite of the fact that there are many portrayals of nude women in Greek art, in general women are portrayed very respectfully. If nudity is an indication of sex objectness, the ancient Greeks were more inclined to make males sex objects than females. The recorded laws of the ancient Greeks are very patriarchial so it is somewhat surprising that women are displayed as frequently and as respectfully as they are.
Question: Are there any works of anciant Greece art that are famous for their showing of hands or the meaning of the hands in the picture?
Answer: To the ancient Greek artists hands were expressive, but not symbolic. The focus of the images were invariably people interacting. They rarely showed parts of people. An example of an image that has hands as a central focus is: Click here
Question: what did they use for paintings
Answer: Some frescos have been preserved so this technique where pigments are mixed with plaster, is certain. Ceramic paintings are also preserved. There is a suggestion of tempera. This involves the mixing of pigments with egg yolks. The Romans used encaustic, the mixing of pigments with wax, but had the Greeks done this then perhaps more of their paintings would have survived.
Question: Which Anicent Greek artifacts produced reflects or expresses ideas in thier mythology?
Answer: The ancient Greeks were very public and very religious with their art. As a result most of the visual art they produced reflects their
Question: who made art
Answer: In ancient Greece most art was made by specially trained artists. These included sculptors, painters, potters, and weavers.
Question: Do you know of any Greek women artists names of ancient Greece in the visual arts/
Answer:
Question: I am doing a research paper about how the image of feminine beauty in Ancient Greece changed over time. My paper is covering the Hellenistic and Classical Eras. How did it change? I was wondering if you had any references or websites.
Answer: What you probably should do is compare the image of feminine beauty during Mycenaean and Minoan times to that of Classical Greece before Praxitiles. Then you could campare these to feminine beauty after Praxitiles. If you wished to use nude figures you will find them scarce before Praxiteles, but they do exist. Clothed figures are more complex because you have to deal with issues of style and fashion. The main challenge is to find Minoan and Mycenaean resources on the web. The other periods are well covered by the Perseus Project.
Question: Romans Art
Answer: The Romans appreciated the Greek art and copied it extensively, but their art was quite distinct. While the Greeks produced art almost exclusively for religious purposes, the Romans used it to decorate their homes. A good resource for Roman art is the Vroma image collection: Click here
Question: old comedy
Answer: Comedy is sometimes illustrated on vase paintings: scene from Aristophanes' Birds.
Question: publisher
Answer: Click on the shopping guide above, then click on Barnes and Noble.
Question: How did women affect ancient Greek art?
Answer: The women of ancient Greece set high standards of beauty and grace which are influential even today.
Question: what are some facts on ancient greek jewlery
Answer: Jewelry was made in ancient Greece but in Classican times it did not rise to a high style as did some of the other arts. In Minoan and Mycenaean cultures, however, some of the finest art comes to us as jewelry. These peoples were fond of rings and seals which could be carved quite intricately. The scenes on these pieces are some of the best indicators that we have about the nature of their culture. For more information go to the menu directory and click on clothes for classical jewelry, or Minoan.
Question: what were some of the major myths behind some of the major peices of greek art. what are some of the most important peices of ancient greek art
Answer: The art of the ancient Greeks was used by them to illustrate what they thought were spiritual facts and we call myths. The art and the myths were inextricably bound together. Some of the most significant pieces are as follows:
Question: What was the role of women in sculpture and painting in ancient Gre ece?
Answer: While most of the painters and sculptors were men, there are famous women sculptors and painters in Ancient Greece. These artists used the women around them as models for the art they did. What they produced are images of of what seem to be real women of a wide variety of types. They have a human warmth to them.
Question: What is archeology?
Answer: Archeology is the scientific study of ancient cultures through a careful examination of their physical remains. They might dig through a garbage heap, for example, to determine what ancient people ate.
Question: What advancements were made in Greek art in 420 B.C.E.?
Answer:
Question: how does greek art repressent the contemporary social values ??
Answer: Since the artist makes what is thought to be of value and the patron buys what is thought to be of value, art always represents social values. But the situation with Greek art emphasizes this because the art itself is decorated with scenes of human life. Since decoration is intended to increase the value of the piece, the scene illustated can be seen to be of value. That the ancient Greeks did not decorate their private lives with these things but emphasized public activity emphsizes the social value even more. A patron would not purchase a piece in such an environment unless it should please his friends as well, especially since the emphasis was on what was pleasing to the gods. In fact the art of Greece so emphasizes social values that it not only represents the value of the society, but it has sold those values to many societies ever since.
Question: do you have any information on Bull Dance
Answer: This may have been the bull leaping that was done in Crete during the Minoan times.
Question: My daughter is writing a paper on Greek Art. We hit this site for research and she wondered what the E was in BCE. We are familiar with BC and AD. Neither of us has ever heard of BCE. She is only in the 5th grade and is rather uncomfortable with the focus on nudity. Can you help us with a direction for Greek Art that minimizes the nudity?
Answer: This is an interesting subject but way too big. Have her pick out one object and write about that. She might start with one of the statues of a Kore. But nudity is something that we all must accomodate to. Under our clothes we are all nude. The trick is to put it in a beneficial context. There is potential in the Greek culture to do this. To the artist nudity is important because the basic bodily structure determines its form in space and the way clothes drape on it. We are not concerned with sexual tintalation here,just the reality of the body in space. The Greek artists were able to achieve their level of realism because they were familiar with the nude body. Likewise Greek doctors could deal with diseases better because they could deal with the whole body. They were able to study diseases related to sex and treat them. During the middle ages social prohibition prevented doctors from studying sexual diseases with the result that the doctors could not treat these diseases or they were dependent on Greek medicine that in come cases was a thousand years old. The Renaissance, with its emphasis on Greek learning, one again allowed doctors to improve medical practice. The E relates to religious prejudice. BCE stands for before the Common Era rather than before Christ. This is less prejudicial to non-Christians.
Question: paper mache vase
Answer: Of course the ancient Greeks knew nothing of paper mache, but this is an excellent material for making reproductions of Greek art for plays and demonstrations.
Question: why is everyone nude
Answer: At first only the athletes were nude. This was perhaps because it was safer for them, but also because they were easier to control. It is harder for an athlete to cheat nude, and the judges need only carry a stick to control the athletes because they could not conceal any weapons on a nude body. At any rate nudity in athletics became part of the Greek character. Athletic victors were commonly portrayed nude because they competed nude. This gave rise to the heroic nude. Heroes were portrayed nude because they are compare to victors. Artists then discovered that realism was easier to achieve with a nude than a clothed person. Women were then portrayed nude to achieve greater realism. But then women were discovered to be sexy when nude and women began to be portrayed nude. But even during the classical period hardly everyone was portrayed nude. With the advent of the Christian religion sex was considered sinful and sexy nudes were prohibited. The way artists were able to portray nudes was if they painted Greek gods and goddesses.This was acceptable to the Christian fathers because of the established practice of the heroic nude. What was decided was that it was OK to paint nudes if the subject was ancient Greek myths as long as everyone was nude. In other paintings no one could be nude. This rule was standard until the Renaissance in the 15th century.
Question: What is the origin of Monumental scupture in greece: foreign or local?
Answer: Religious devotion, wealth, and available materials.
Question: hello,im doing a dissertion on women¨s role in art.i would like to know how women change thru the ages.thank u
Answer: Probably you have a subject that is too big. Even the subject of women in the art of ancient Greece is too big. But there is surely a smaller related subject which is entirely suitable. The ancient Greeks were quite proud of the beauty of their women and used their images as decorations frequently. But in their society their role related mainly to bearing and raising children. The situation is complicated by the fact that most subjects are mythical, while there can be little doubt that the contempory classical women were models for the images. When the subject of an image is a goddess it is safe to say that the image is a local woman idealized. The ancient Greeks achieved a very high level of culture with very high quality images of women being part of that cuture. Is it possible that the beauty of the women was their biggest contribution?
The myths of ancient Greece contain an unseemly number of rapes that are quite puzzing today. These make more sense when they are view in the context of the beauty of the women being so great so as to attract the gods. As with Andromeda one value of the women was their use as bait for the gods that would bring the attention of the gods to a particular family or community. The offspring of such a union was always an exceptional indivual usually of great value to the community.
Question: there are many representation of gods, heros or mortals with infbulation, a thong tiled arond the foreskin to prevent the glans apearing. with so much nudity who was going to be outraged by such happenins?n
Answer: Penis sheaths are worn by men in primitive societies more for protection than for the sake of decency. But I find no such device among the ancient Greeks. The tying the foreskin is more the subject of hard core porn material for the purpose of tintillation. It is possible that the Greeks participated in this type of activity, but their rational was different. They had no religious condemnation of sex to deal with. It should be noted that binding of the foreskin would make sex impossible and an erection painful. In a society where clothes are worn an erection is not obvious. In privimitive societies an erection might need to be prevented because it would be obvious and a violation of a taboo. The ancient Greeks did not seem concerned about taboos relating to the penis or thr foreskin. The foreskin has been the subject of many taboos in many societies, even fairly recently. Many males even today have been circumsized for religious and for health reasons. At the present time there is no reason to do anything to the foreskin for health reasons. Any modification relates to sexual mores or psychology.
Question: do you have any paintings
Answer: Though the ancient Greek artists did some very important paintings, none have come down to us. All we can do is conjecture their nature from descriptions and influences on images, such as vase paintings, which have survived. Many paintings on ancient Greek subjects have been done since then and many of these are available to you on the Internet.
Question: Hi, I love you web site it's very informative. My question is for my daughter, who is in grade 5. She has an assignment which requires her to write a brochure on ancient greek pottery. She is pretending she is a potter. Can you tell us how the importance greek pottery had in their society? How and where the women were taught, how were they paid (by coinage, or trade) the basic process of making it, and if children were included in creating it? Thank-you , Pipplet
Answer: Pottery was very important to the ancient Greeks. They achieved a high degree of art and their pottery was very much in demand by all cultures. But work in ancient Greece was divided along lines of sex and there is no evidence that women did any pottery at all. Women worked in the home on housework, cleaning, and weaving, while men worked outside the home. Most trades, such as pottery, were learned through and apprenticeship. Women would learn weaving and baking bread this way and the men learned to do the pottery. School was for academic subjects such as grammar and rhetoric, writing, and music. Girls did not go to school so they had to learn these subjects on their own.
Some pottery was itinerant or made within a family, but others were manufactured in a very specialized industry. Most of the pottery in museums was of this latter sort. In many cases the refinement of clay was a special industry. Some pots, especially large ones, were hand built, while others were thrown on a wheel. Many were formed by one potter then decorated by another. Pottery decoration achieved a very high level of artistic achievement. Greek potters are world renowned for the diversity of their subjects and their skill of execution. Images of women were often used to decorate pottery. These images were respectful and sympathetic in spite of the fact that the artists were men and the intended shoppers were invariably men. This may have been the result of a desire to please the female deities.
The ancient Greeks minted coins to make trade easier.
Question: I have just found your site. It is fascinating, thank you. I have a team of sixth graders who are putting on a play about the possible artist of Venus de Milo. They need to know where to research regarding moving marble slabs around 240 BC. They believe a wooden pulley system and a cart with wooden wheels would be feasible. Did the artist work on site at the quarry? Any information or rcomendations you have would be very appreciated.
Answer: Marble slabs were quarried by drilling a series of parallel holes and then driving in very dry sticks. When moistened the sticks expanded and broke free the block. Blocks were then handled with pulleys as a part of a crane or railway. Wooden wagons were built to carry heavy loads. Many blocks were delivered by ship. The masts on the ship could be rigged to lift quite heavy loads with the aid of pulleys. The block would be delivered to the sculptor's studio. The details of the construction of the Venus de Milo are not known. More information is available about the sculptures by Pheidias on the Parthenon. One of the workshops of Pheidias was discovered at Olympia.
Question: prometheus
Answer: He was a Titan but not a visual art subject. Aeschylus wrote the tragedy Prometheus Bound. Hesiod included information about Prometheus in his work.
Question: How have events, culture, politics, and religion influenced artists and their works? What purpose have the arts (literature, painting, sculpture, archetecture) served in history?
Answer: What the artists produce is evidence of the values that the society places on various subjects. Which subjects are important is often determined by culture, politics, and religion. The arts then communicate these values to other members of society. These values often relate to goals that are set and actions that are taken.
Question: Greek Gods in Art
Answer: The purpose of art to the ancient Greeks was to glorify the gods.
Question: How developed was the interest in the elderly in sculpture and vase painting in classical Greece/Athens
Answer: There was almost no interest in the elderly. Elderly women are absent and elderly men are scarce. Dionysos is rarely depicted elderly. The deities were mostly ageless so they were depicted young. Other figures were to delight the deities and youth was more appropriate.
Question: WHY SO MANY NUDES????
Answer: Originally male nudes were associated with sport, but the concept fit well with the Greek idealism. For example the phrase "naked truth" suggests that something stripped of its adornment is a truer version. Later the concept was applied to females with senuous results. Nudity became a characteristic of Greek culture. Later Christians would associate sex with sin. The result is that sex drives produces guilt and obsession. We then have to look to the Greeks for a more balanced view
Question: what happened to bring about their fall as a power
Answer: They were better at fighting than they were at ruling.
Question: WHAT WERE THE FEATURES OF ARCITECTURE ON THE ACROPOLIS?
Question: WHAT DID MOST GREEK PAINTINGS DISPLAY IN THEM?
Answer: Greek painters and their works:
Question: Do you have a name/names of women artists in Ancient Greece
Answer: Only women did weaving. Women may have been in the majority in music. Men were in the majority in other arts. Drama had no women because drama was performed at a festival for men only.
Sappho is by many considered the greatest poet of all time. Her story is indicative of what may have happened to other women artists. She was subject to much ridicule by the men artists that succeeded her and many of her works have been systematically destroyed since then. The result is that there are few of her poems left. Many women artists have had to claim they are men to avoid this type of ridicule. Yet there are records of great women artists. Their names follow:
Question: where are the paintings that the anciant Roman's painted
Answer: This is a site about Greek art so the question is out of order, but a number of Roman paintings have been found, especially in the ruins of Pompeii.
Question: describe discobolus
Answer: This is a statue by Myron of a discus thrower about to release his discus. It is a symphony of motion by it was apparently designed to be displayed in an alcove because it is superior in effect from the front. There are a number of copies extent including ones at the Terme museum and at the Vatican.
Question: where can I find pictures of ancient greek pottery wheels need ASAP
Answer: "The earliest real potter's wheel actually found in excavations in the Ancient near East comes from the town of Ur in Sumer and is dated to the scond half of the 4th millenium BC. The ancient wheels were made of two flat round slabs, usually of stone but sometimes also of baked clay. One had a hole in its centre and the other had a pivot fitting exactly into the hole." Ancient pottery
Question: Paintings with Animals
Answer: Since ancient Greek myths included animals so did the paintings.
Question: what is the 12th labour of herakles
Answer: His 12th task was to bring three headed dog, Cerberus (Kerberus):, up from Hades. Click here
Question: why is the writing on this site so obsessed with nudity and sexuality?
Answer: Under our clothes, we are all nude. We even bring our sex organs to church. But the ancient Greeks were not so obsessed as we are. Therefore t the study of Ancient Greece gives us some balance.
Question: Do you have any pictures or visualizations of the statue of the ancient Greek poet Pindar
Answer: No pictures.
Question: what did praxitiles do
Answer: The Aphrodite of Knidos of Praxitiles was sculpted in the period 350 - 330 BCE.
Question: Where did the Greeks get materials to make pots and vessels and what type of clay did they use?
Answer: The Greeks made pottery whenever clay deposits were avialable locally. The famous red and black ware of Attica resulted from the presence of iron in the clay deposits. Only when polychrome techniques were developed were materials imported.
Question: what do they do for drama and dance. The ancient Greeks developed drama as we know it, but for them it was for men only. Both men and women danced, but because it was not recorded, little effect was produced. The Christian religion that replaced the Greek did not encourage dancing and so much of the Greek dancing skill was lost.
Question: Are Eve and Mary from the Christian bible portrayed in any ancient greek artworks?
Answer: No. The ancient Greeks knew nothing about the religion of the Jews. But after Alexander the Great did his conquering, the Jews knew all about the Greeks and some references to Greek Religion appear in the Bible. Mary was born after the Greek period was over. The Christians after Mary's time considered the Greek religion to be Demon worship.
Question: are any christian women icons portrayed or depicted in any ancient greek art works?
Answer: No. But a number of Greek goddesses and heroines turned into Christian saints. The winged gods and goddesses turned into angels.
Question: what does art mean to you
Answer: The things that I like most.
Question: Cerberus
Answer: Hesiod, THE THEOGONY "(ll. 306-332) Men say that Typhaon the terrible, outrageous and lawless, was joined in love to her, the maid with glancing eyes. So she (Ehidna) conceived and brought forth fierce offspring; first she bare Orthus the hound of Geryones, and then again she bare a second, a monster not to be overcome and that may not be described, Cerberus who eats raw flesh, the brazen-voiced hound of Hades, fifty-headed, relentless and strong."
Question: what is the most famous piece of art in Greek history?
Answer: The Venus of Cnidus by Praxitiles.
Question: what role does the dove play in greek art
Answer: The dove is a symbol of Aphrodite.
Question: How is the kore (c510 ) considered a successful work of art?
Answer: I do not know which kore you are considering but most of my comments will apply to any kore. A successful work of art is going to have wide acceptance. Any kore in a museum is going to be in this category. Furthermore kores in ancient Greece were carved at great expence. The sculptors had to go to great trouble to please their patrons. An ancient kore was successful as soon as it was finished, or it never left the sculptor's studio. This is why such a statue is a good measure of the values of the culture that produced it.
Question: is there any jobs in art ?
Answer: Historically there are only about 1 job for every 10 art students. But there are many reasons for studying art besides jobs. The wise student will take practical courses while studying art so that jobs can be built on these courses. Mathematics, science, and economics are excellent courses for future employment. A single course in Chemistry with a C average may qualify you for a job while an A average in all your art major may not be enough for a job. Also work experience while studying can be extremely helpful. Artists often end up self-employed so it is helpful to be a self- starter. These people may not be suited for regular employment because they are not satisfied with the discipline required of corporate employment. For these people an art curriculum can be quite helpful.
Question: Is it known exactly how jewelry decoration in filigree and granulation was executed in the ancient world?
Question: Most filligree and decoration was the result of the lost wax casting process, through there was hammering and piercing as well. Grannulation result primarily from soldering small uniform spheres to the surface of the piece. The spheres are formed by dropping a blob of molten metal through the air and into a quantity of water. As it falls it forms into fairly perfect spheres which solidfy in the air and water.
Question: Did women have any chance of becoming artists in ancient Greece?
Answer: Yes they did. Mostly they had the chance of being an artist with their weaving. The fashions that the women wore were quite fine and this is a testament to their artistry. Some also became painters. But of these artists nothing remains. It is possible some became ceramic artists but no women is mentioned in this capacity. There are no known woman sculptors or architects.
Question: could the fine arts be considered leisure? how do the fine arts figure in leisure? (i need this before this week end,july 6)thanks!
Answer: In Ancient Greece most of the fine arts were involved with religion and could not be considered leisure. The major leisure activities involved food, musical activities, acrobatics, and games. But even here religious enthusiasm may develop the subject of the entertainment.
Question: where can I find ancient greek patterns
Answer: These are found in the many artforms which the ancient Greeks mastered. A good source is the boarders of the fine ceramics which they produced.
Question: What was the primary purpose of targeting naked human bodies as art topics?
Answer: Since everyone has one, the naked human body becomes a universal constant and symbol of the equality of people. Furthermore there are primitive notions of the body which every person retains in their subconscious. Covering the body is a civilized act that relates to the aplication of civilized rules to more primitive urges. Art that relates to the body provides a bridge of understanding between the primitive and the civilized.
As an example the naked body provides a ground for the artist in this day of abstraction. One assumes that the artist has control over his body and can bring into reality ideas formed of his thoughts. However, there is no way of looking into his thoughts to verify the ideas of his art. But the ideas related to the naked body are universal. Because of this art related to the naked body can be more easily verified. If an artist can easily produce a meaningful image of a naked body then it can be assumed that he has good control over his faculties and other art he produces is similarly controlled.
What has been found historically is that and artist cannot produce a good clothed figure unless he can produce a good naked figure. The structure of the body is the structure upon which the structure of the clothes are built. This fact alone has resulted in much nude art. Nudity also symbolizes other concepts including purity and sex so the interpretation of nude art is sometimes quite complex.'
Question: How can we find p-ictures of the trojan war?
Answer: Many scenes from the Iliad have been illustrated by ancient Greek artists. They are innaccurate because they are often hundreds of years later. Many links can be found at: Click here.
Question: Master Sculpters from Peloponnesus during the time period of 510-500 BC
Answer: I do not have this information.
Question: Who were some of the major Greek artist in ancient Greek art?
Answer: Sculptors:
Question: Why are the naked women not hot??
Answer: It seems logical that if a woman were hot she would simply remove her clothes to cool off. One reason she would not do that is because when she removes her clothes she looses her status. Another reason is that men that see her think she wants to have sex. She would then have to have the annoyance of having sex or at least fending off the men.
Interestingly, in a society where women are customarily nude, nudity is not an indication of sex. Swollen labia and scents may be the indication for other ape-like creatures. But when women dress they do not just hide their sex. There are many secondary features which cannot be hidden: large breasts, a curved form, long hair. Women wear their clothes to suggest what interests men, without revealing it. They seem to want men constantly interested. That way when the women remove their clothes, the men are ready for sex.
This is especially true of ancient Greek women. They had good figures and pleasant appearance, if their art can be believed. They loved fine material that were see-through and conformed to the shape of the body. In this way they were as desirable as possible. If they became naked it was because they wanted to be involved in sex.
Question: what sources before Pliny tell us about zeuxis and parrhasius esp. the anecdote about the birds pecking at the painted grapes?
Answer: Pausanias, Description of Greece,1.28.1 has a reference to Parrhasius.
Question: representations of rape as greek victory
Answer: This is a complex but important subject. First is is important to distinguish between rape as seizure, rape as violation, and perhaps rape as consentual sexual intercourse.
Rape as seizure - The rape of Persephone by Hades - Zeus arranged for Hades to marry Persephone but it was up to Hades to takes his bride. There is every indication that he just wanted her as a loving, trusting, wife and had no desire to hurt her. But first he had to get her away from her mother and friends. This is a common art subject that is usually very active, but not necessarily violent. The Rape of Helen is in this category. The rape of the Leucippides by the Dioscuri is also. The rape of Thetis by Peleus also.
Rape as consentual sexual intercourse - The offspring of Zeus are all famous and Zeus is very tricky so it is tough to conceive of his rapes as anything but consentual. The fact is he never bothered to get the consent of girl's parents. The rape of Europa, Io, Danae, Leda, Semele. These rapes are often depicted in art with a very erotic quality. Some of these rapes are identified with the conquest of a goddess cult by a zeus cult.
Rape as violation - The rape of Cassandra by Ajax was a horrible deed which Athena punished with the death of some 25,000 men. This rape occurred as a result of the victory at Troy, but it cannot be considered a celebration of that victory. If you consider the result the rape of Medusa by Poseidon fits here. At the wedding of Perithous, Centaur relatives of the bride were iinvited. When the Centaurs got drunk they seized the Latithae women and started to rape them. Theseus and the Lapithae finally conquered the Cetaurs and drove them out of the country. This battle is a famous art topic which adorned the temple of Zeus at Olympia.
Women were a prize of war, as demonstrated by the experience of Breisis, Chryseis, and Cassandra. In some respects these women seem to be sex slaves rather than rape victims. But the art that would glorify these women would show their beauty as prizes. This does not seem to have been done.
The killing of Medusa by Perseus does not seem to have been considered a rape by the ancients. This is a symbol of victory over death. Today the action seems more like a rape.
Question: I need pictures of anciant pottery and things made. Where would I have to go for that?
Answer: Click here
Question: I'm doing a research paper on pronography in art work. If you have websites that you may find helpful please e-mail me back with some, it would be very helpful. Thank you.
Answer: Strictly there is no pornography in Greek art because they had no concept of pornography. There is sex in Greek art and some opposes our contemporary taste. Most of these concepts are discussed at: Click here.
Question: Was there lived a warrior woman named Xena in that period of time?
Answer: No. Xenia was a nymph and a name of Athena. Polyxena was a daughter of Priam who was involved with Achilles and ended up being sacrificed. Atalanta and the amazons were warrior women. Warrior queens included Artemisia I & II, Cyanane, Olympias, and Zenobia.
Question: How much does the statue of Zeus/Poseidon of Artemision weigh?
Answer: Statue. You will have to contact the National Archaeological Museum, Athens for this information.
Question: what is the Chios Master Kore?
Answer:Click here
Question: what are other names for "Women", e.g. temptress, maiden, dyke, siren, vamp, goddess, virgin, matron, amazon etc
Answer: witch, sorceress, whore, harlot, girl, seductress, succubus, tramp, nymph, dryad, hammadryad, nereid, oceanid, sylph, sylphid, ballerina, diva, priestess, nymphette, mermaid, bitch, momma, courtesan, prostitute, seamstress, mistress, maid, webmistress,
Question: What are some arts and crafts that ancient greeks made?
Answer:
Question: what are the most famous greek artist
Answer:
Question: did the representation of women on pottery represent reality, do you have sources or info?
Answer: Art always represents some aspect of reality but it is not always possible to determine which part. Typically a goddess was displayed but the model of the woman was a real woman. One has to extrapolate the goddess attributes and remove them do determine the real residue. One assumes that similarity to other sources indicates the direction of reality. But the understanding must always be that there are inaccuracies.
Question: I AM DOING A PAPER ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE FEMALE FIGURE IN GREEK SCULPTURE FROM THE ARCHAIC TO THE HELLENISTIC PERIODS. WHAT ARE SOME GOOD WEBSITES TO HELP ME FIND INFORMATION ON THIS SUBJECT. DO YOU KNOW ANY INFORMATION THAT COULD HELP ME?
Answer: Use the menu directory below. Many of the topics are pertinant. Nudity in the context of clothing is very interesting. Womens' dresses may have been see-through and very provocative. This may have inspired the artists to do their drapery.
Question: Are women of ancient Greece allowed to create artistic sculptures?
Answer: Ancient Greek Women afted helped their husbands, especially if they were poor. In this context they could sculpt.
Question: what is philosophy
Answer: Philosophy is the love of wisdom. A philosopher pursues wisdom, organizes it, abd teaches it to others.
Question: can you explain the influence of greek sculpture on nereid monument found in Lycia?
Answer: The nereid monument is at: Lycian Tombs
Question: What kind of equipment did they used to paint
Answer: Paint consists of two components, pigment and vehicle. A number of permanent pigments were available to the ancient Greeks including ochre and redding. White lead and ground carbon were also available. Minerals such as lapis lazuli might be ground to produce a color. They used dyes such as murex and others from herbal sources. The vehicle binds the pigment and holds it on to the painting. Vehicles available to the ancient Greeks included bees wax, egg yolk, and plaster of paris. No paintings have come to us from the classical period. Some frescoes have survived from earlier periods which used plaster.
Question: Do ypu know why they used a lot of nudey in their art?
Answer: The ancient Greeks thought nudity was heroic. This seemed to relate to the nudity of athletic events. It came to represent the Greek way. Female nudity was not common at first but hetaera popularized nudity for women too. But female nudity was more related to sex appeal and beauty. Mortals were not depicted nude but goddesses were so dipicted to illustrate their purity. High classical art has other gods and goddesses depicted nude to illustrate their purity and ideal form. After the ancient Greek religion collapsed gods and goddesses continued to be illustrated nude because the Greek religion formed a basis for Christianity and because the Christians frowned on any nudity and mortals could not be depicted nude.
Question: when was the development from black to red clay made in greek art? why was it made? how did they make it? what was accomplished from the development?
Answer: The clay was the same. The color was produced by different methods of firing and glazing. Red figure vases began to be produced around 530 to 520 BCE. The different techniques expanded artistic expression. The artists were motivated to produce beautiful objects by their religious beliefs. It was felt that the beauty resulted in divine favor. What they achieved was the respect of succeeding generations.
Question: i was wondering if you have found any evidence of woman artists working in ancient greece?
Answer: Yes. The dominant art form pursued by women was weaving. All that remains of this is the pictures of the garments. There is no doubt that wives assisted their artist husbands so many unnamed arts may be women. Here are some women that can be identified:
Visual Arts:
Authors:
Question: i recieved your list of women artist. thanks. i cannot find any information on them or any of their artwork. do you have any ideas of sources or pictures of their art? thank you.
Answer: The names were gathered for the Dinner party project for Judy Chicago. Her book may have some additional information, but I have no other. No paintings have come down to us from classical Greece. What we we have in some cases are verbal descriptions of the paintings. What are preserved are the many images on greek pottery. Women are respectfully portrayed there. In some case these images are copies of paintings. They also illustrate weaving done by women artists. Women also designed and constructed the clothes.Much can be done to reconstruct women's contribution by studying this art. Paintings have come down to us from Minoan and Mycenaean cultures but the artists cannot be identified. Yet it can be suggested that in these cultures the contribution of women to the arts is more pronounced. We have no names from these cultures with the possible exception of Dedaelus. These cultures did pass along Athena, the goddess of the arts and crafts. One has to wonder what can be made of the fact that Athena was a woman.
Question: why is the penis so modestly represented in greek art?
Answer: This was a Greek cultural convention.
Question: I realy am thankful I found your site. I writing a report and I need to with all sertainty, are caryatids exclusive to greek architecture? I'm mainly focused on Rome. Thankyou
Answer: "Caryae, in Laconia, sided with the Persians at Thermopylae. As a result the Greeks destroyed the city, killed the men and enslaved the women. To perpetuate the disgrace, Praxiteles used figures of these women in lieu of columns."
Question: Art in the bronze age
Answer: Greek art in the bronze age is Mycenaean, Minoan, or Cycladic.
Question: names of the pots in ANCIENT greece
Answer:
Question: What symbolic values did the everyday container have in greek art? What association did everyday objects have with a female and private space in ancient Greece?
Answer: There were many names for different types of containers with different use. Though there were containers that existed in the shape of animals and body parts, there were no common associations of women wth containers. Furthermore the most common objects associated with women were weaving equipment and bread making equipment. But the Greeks were not private people and most dedicated objects relate to one deity or other.
Question: Where is information on art from Sparta
Answer: There is very little art from Sparta.
Question: What symbolic values did the everyday container have in Greek art?
Answer: The story of Pandora associated the box with women, but the Cornucopia is also a Greek symbol. The amphora is associated with trade. Some containers are used mainly for a religious purpose, for example pouring a libation. Wine glasses are low bowls. In the myths of Herakels there is the image of his tomentor cowering in a large jar: Hercules, Boar, and king Eurystheus in pithos.
Question: where can i find a picture of the greek critian boy?
Answer: Kritios
Question: please i need information on the "drunk old woman" from hellenistic time
Answer: Perhaps you are referencing the old market woman: click here
Question: WHAT DID THE THEATRES LOOK LIKE
Answer: Many are still in existence, and some are still used
Question: Why were there not as amny female nudes depicted in the art of ancient greece? Thanx!
Answer: Male nude were common because of the noble athletes who performed in the nude. Clothes were worn for their spiritual power by women and goddesses. Goddess statues were dressed in special garments. Dresses were blessed and presented to goddesses. Women are illustrated in these garments even though they may have often wore no clothes to save their dresses for good. Even so dresses did not cover and preserve modesty that well. Gossamer, the ideal material, was transparent. Real dresses were often filmy and revealing.
Question: what is the goddess of art
Answer: Athena is the goddess of visual arts including painting, sculpture, and the weaving arts. Most of the literary arts including poetry, drama, and song are under the direction of the Muses. Apollo is the god of music and musical instruments.
Question: Are there pic of the gods nude, and can i see them
Answer: The ancient Greeks produced a lot of images of nude gods, and you can search for them yourself at Click here.
Comment: Your surprise that women would be portrayed respectfully in a "patriarchy" is absurd. It is only the feminist fantasy of a matriarchy that is abusive to men.
Question: PANKRATION ATTIC B.-F AMPHORA OF PANATHENAIC 6TH CENTURY VIENNA
Answer: Closest: pankration amphora
Question: to what extent does the representation of women in greek are reflect their status in society?
Answer: The ancient Greeks did not write about their society directly, nor is their art an unbiased view. But art represents what is valued in the society. And the frequency of depiction of women, as well as the respectfulness strongly suggest that women are higly valued. It must be remembered that the goddesses are an important factor in this. The ancient Greeks were given the goddesses as a matter of fact, and a number of them, such as Athena, Aphrodite, Hera, Artemis, Hestia, Demeter, and Persephone are extremely powerful. So powerful that you might want to turn to a woman to intercede, since she might understand their feminine nature. And, heaven forbid, you would not want to be disrectful to a women, for fear that one of these goddesses would take it personally. Since the main goal of art in ancient Greece is to please the deities, then the art would have to be respectful of women.
Question: Who were the patron of the arts in ancient Greece?
Answer: The arts in ancient Greece were almost always done for religious reasons. Communities would install art in temples. Individuals would buy art for presents to deities or as grave gifts. Some art was exported but export was not the driving force for the great art that the Ancient Greeks produced.
Question: what are two facts about pelike?
Answer: Pelike 1, http://perseus.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/cgi-bin/image?lookup=Perseus:image:1993.01.0397">Pelike 2. Pelike are a variation of the one-piece amphora, so called because the neck flows smoothly into the body. This name is used by archeologists and was differently used by ancient Greeks.
Question: Where young boys often presented with something by a older man so that the boys could be the man's sex mate?
Answer: Older men often picked out a young man that they gave gifts to, but they did not exchange gifts for sex. If they had sex it was an expression of their attraction to the young boy. It is an error to consider these relationships solely for the pleasure of the older man.
Question: What are some of the customs of Ancient Greece?
Answer:
Question: What was the importance of art in Ancient Greece to society?
Answer: In ancient Greece Art was invariably an expression of spiritual fervor. The art was made to satisfy the needs of the deities and to express the ideals that they promoted. Though some of the art was indeed a valuable export this only resulted from the religious intensity of the artist. The Romans were quite fond of the Greek art and it was they that noticed when when Christianity broke the Polytheistic religion of the Greeks that the art stopped. The connection between art and religion is easily noted. Most of the great sculpture was to decorate the temples. The rest decorated graves. The Olympics and the Theater arose from religious events. When the decorations were prepared for these events they were part of festivals. The religious connection is also the best explanation for the profusion of art that was produced. Little of the Greek art is found in personal contexts. It is serving ware used in religious contexts, presents to the deitieties, conversations with the deities, glorifications of the deities, ets. Even such a personal item as a mirror and a comb can be seen as a gift to Aphrodite.
Question: What are the signs of patronage in greek art? what should I be looking for that I can point out and distinguish these peices? Do you know of any peices that show this well?
Answer: In ancient Greece the art was almost entirely public art. The artist was motivated to execute the art by religious devotion. The main patron was invariably the state. The temples were invariably public projects. Yet there are dedications of art that are recorded. And much art was exported.
You might focus on the situation at Olympia. Individual athletes could set up statues of themselves and often statuary were dedicated there from afar. For example see
Question: 1. What use did the art have in ancient Greece? (religious, decorative, legal documentation, portraiture, worship of gods, good luck etc.) 2. Who created the art in ancient Greece? If there isn't anyone specific,then what type of person was it?( a priest, a tribe elder, a stone mason etc.) 3.Now I have some questions about the Bronze Horse. It was made in the 8th century B.C. Who created it? What medium was the original piece created in? How was it created? What was it's purpose?
Answer: 1.It had been said that more than anything else the Greek did with their religious worship was they created objects of art. Religion and art in ancient Greece were well integrated. Their art was created primarily for their worship. Art decorated temples and other public places for the glory of the deities and to please them. The subject of art was commonly myths and stories related to the gods. The result was an art that was invested with a passion that few artists since then have been capable of. And when their religion was broken the art stopped.
2. Art was produced by special craftspeople. The ancient Greeks did not distinguish between artists and craftspeople and both were in the realm of Athena. The demand for art was so high that there were many such craftspeople. There were painters, sculptors in marble, sculptors in bronze, ceramic formers and ceramic painters, gold and silversmiths, and there were ivory workers.
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