Greek Art in Transition - Essay Example

Greek Art in Transition The ical Revolution” of the fifth century BC in Greece represents the endof the “Conceptual” view of the world that had been seen in earlier cultures. The Archaic Period (roughly identified as the years between 600-500 BC) was a period of intense transition from the ‘old’ world styles of flattened figures and animorphed images combining the figures of animals and humans in different ways for different meanings to the ‘new’ world styles which included more humanism in expression and optical experience reflected in the art forms. These changes from the strongly Egyptian influenced archaic to the more natural influence of the classical can be traced through the various changes in vase decorations and in sculptures dating from this century. In the older vases of this period, stories of Odysseus and other Homeric heroes can be found in the flat, single perspective styles of Egypt as well as the heavy use of a somewhat innovative style of decoration commonly referred to as black-figure. Black figure is called this because the objects represented on the vase were first painted in black varnish and then the varnish was scratched off to reveal details after the vase had been fired (Tarbell, 1905). One of these early vases is an amphora decorated with scenes of Herakles battling the Amazons dating back to approximately 570-560 BC. Amphora were used to carry wine and often depicted scenes from heroic stories and mythology. In this depiction, all of the characters are seen from the side view with no dimensional quality to them whatsoever, despite the fact that they are obviously intended to be seen in motion. “At the center of the scene, Herakles, wearing lion skin over short chiton and a scabbard, grabs Andromache, queen of the Amazons, by the wrist and is about to dispatch her with a short sword” (Skaar, 2006). Like Egyptian art, these figures are seen from the side in all of their postures, but eyes, such as the eye of Andromache, are seen as if from the frontal view. Each of the characters can be recognized for who they are intended to be because of the artist’s inclusion of names alongside each of the figures represented. Another piece representing the Archaic period is the Odysseus kylix by the Painter of Boston dated approximately 560-550 BC. This cup, designed to drink wine from, depicts a scene from the epic story Odysseus, in which the witch Circe turns all of Odysseus’ men into animals. She can be seen in the center, handing out a wine goblet to the individuals coming up to her, all of whom look very much like the Egyptian half-human, half-animal gods of the pyramids. Most have the bodies of men still, but feature the heads and/or forelegs of the animals they’re becoming. Only Odysseus remains fully human. Although each of these figures also seems to be in some form of motion, they demonstrate a much more static pose than those featured on the Herakles amphora, indicating a slow progression in the advancement of optical art during this period in art history. Moving into the classical period, the vases show a gradual progression toward a more naturalistic expression as well as a new technique known as the red-figure technique, which was a reversal of the black-figure technique. “This made it easier to draw the human figure, which, whether dressed or nude, is depicted in realistic detail” (Stilo, 1994). On an amphora depicting Hephaestus, created around 500-450 BC by the Dutuit Painter, the figures seem to be in that transition period from the still, stylistic forms of the earlier period toward the more humanistic, flowing forms of the Classical period. Body motion retains the stiff aspect of earlier times, but garments are painted with a more flowing grace and voluminous aspect and faces are painted with more attention to what is actually seen from a given perspective (Lefkowitz, 2003, p. 75). A red figure bell krater painted around 470 BC by the Pan Painter depicts even more lifelike movements in the depiction of Artemis as she points her bow at Actaeon as he is being attacked by hounds. The bodies betray a more natural curvature in stance and expression and more fluidity is expressed in the motion of the clothing draping them even though the dogs retain a sense of the earlier stiffness. Similar changes can be traced in the free-standing sculptures that appear in these time periods. One archaic period sculpture, created around 540 BC depicts a “sphinx, wearing a flat petasos, crouches in profile to the left, but turns her head in a frontal view. Her hair (on her human head) is arranged in daedalic style, with triangular clumps on either side of its head. Incised lines and dots represent feathers” (Smith, 2006). While there is a great deal of detail work, none of this detail can be said to be naturalistic or realistic, instead falling squarely into the realm of representational art. Constructed around 520-510 BC, the figure now known as the smaller Boston Hermes Kriophoros portrays the partial figure of Hermes carrying a lamb in the same sort of representational style. The posture is relatively stiff with hints of the musculature and motion of a natural body but without the sense of absolute realism that would become the hallmark of Greek statues in years to come. “His hair is arranged in stylized curls around his forehead and ears, a pointed beard, and long crinkled locks falling down the back of his head” (Smith, 2006). By contrast, the early classical period is marked by a new humanism in form and shape as can be seen in the shape of the votive bull from the Kabeirion. “The bull is rendered with naturalistic proportions, except perhaps the arched tail, which is almost long enough to touch the ground behind the bull. Details on eyes, wrinkles in skin, and hair on tail are rendered with lightly incised lines. Ears, horns, and genitals are articulated as separate parts” (Smith, 2006). While still missing the realistic lines of fur and facial details, the shape of this bull brings to mind a more realistic picture of the animal and the possibility of normal motion. His feet are not all exactly equal and his stance is not the perfectly balanced stance of previous sculptures, instead tending to totter onto one side or another providing yet more realism to the piece. As the Classical period progressed, more and more realism entered the field of sculpture, as can be seen in the statue of a Girl With Offering. In this statue, a girl is depicted striding forward, with one foot in front of the other. She holds in her hands a tray full of cakes and fruit chiseled in fine detail allowing the viewer to determine exactly the types of foods she has available. Her garment drapes around her form in loose folds that seem to fall naturally from her shoulders and her hair is depicted in smooth curves and curls that reflect a more natural expression of hair than the earlier knobs and whorls. Her head is angled down and her shoulders are low, indicating both her lower status as well as the human tendency to slouch when pressed into duties such as this for long periods of time. Although there remain several improvements in expression before the masterpieces of Greece emerge, the transition period from impressionistic, representational style toward more realistic and even idealistic beauty exists here in the late Archaic/early Classical period of art in Greece. As techniques and tools improved, as can be seen in the advances in vase design, and as expression moved toward a more realistic representation of what was seen, as can be traced through the sculpture, the Greeks were bringing the arts forward and experimenting to find the perfect way to depict beauty, substance, mythology and history in functional and decorative ways within their lives. Works Cited Buxton, Richard. The Complete World of Greek Mythology. London: Thames & Hudson, 2004, p. 120. Lefkowitz, Mary. Greek Gods, Human Lives. New Haven & London: Yale University Press, 2003, p. 75. Skaar, Neal. “Herakles and Amazons.” Humanities Slides. 2006. Riverland Community College. July 30, 2006 < http://hsa.albertlea.k12.mn.us/humanities/slides/unit03/image10.html> Smith, Amy C. Perseus Sculpture Catalog. (2006). July 30, 2006 < http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus:text:1999.04.0041&query=Boston%2004.6> Tarbell, F.B. A History of [Ancient] Greek Art. 1905. The Greek Word: Elpenor. July 30, 2006 < http://www.ellopos.net/elpenor/greek-texts/ancient-greece/history-of-ancient-greek-art-73.asp> Read More