VISUAL ANALYSIS PAPER - Essay Example

Furthermore, the different levels of art form as a function of the influences that spurred such levels of development will be manifested through this analysis. The first such piece of art that will be discussed is the Heron Class Olla (c. 750 BCE) pictured first in Appendix to this assignment. This particular urn was used as a funerary vessel in which the ashes of the deceased would be placed. Contextually, this piece will also be the oldest which this analysis will consider; therefore, it represents Greek antiquity in a way that the other art pieces do not (Osbourne 278).

This geometric period, of which this particular art piece is representative, was a time of cultural and political upheaval. Due to the fact that Mycenae had recently disintegrated, many elements of writing, masonry, as well as distinct elements of reading and writing were all but forgotten. Such a political upheaval meant that the representative art forms of this time would likely be highly simplistic in both design and function. This is evidenced in the fact that smooth lines and simple construction typifies this particular piece.

Similarly, it should be noted that the art form that is exhibited in the form of birds is also highly simplistic and not indicative of a high degree of professionalism. Additionally, the function over form aspect of this particular piece is striking (Carpenter 81). Whereas later pieces exhibited variance in the way that the handles were created, formed, and utilized, this particular piece utilizes its handles in the most simplistic of ways. The handles are provided to the user at the area of greatest circumference due to the fact that this is the region that is most amenable to carrying the urn.

In this way, the function over form aspects of this particular preliminary art form is duly exhibited. Likewise, as one might expect, such a preliminary art form did not handle as many motifs and various nuances that one has oftentimes come to expect within Greek pottery painting. At least in this case, this is a result of the fact that the art form was not highly developed and/or function took a primary position to form at such an early juncture. The secondary piece of artwork that this author has chosen to examine is that of Orientalizing Period - Skyphos (Drinking Vesel) c. 600 BCE. This vessel naturally represents the second distinct and recognizable phase of Greek pottery and art form in that the recognizable incorporation of previously “non-Greek” themes and motifs at first strikes the viewer as somewhat incongruous.

Due to the fact that Greek trade and colonization within the Mediterranean had reached a new height during this period, the level of intercultural exchange as well as the introduction to new art forms, ways of thinking, new gods, and new trading partners served to highly vary the type and structure of Greek art form during this period. This cultural exchange can be specifically noted in the piece (referenced as exhibit 2 in the Appendix) by the fact that the pottery exhibits decidedly Assyrian and/or Egyptian influence with reference the displays which are etched into the pottery.

Whereas the common interpretation of the Greek panoply is manifest in a host of different artistries, this incorporation of winged gods and goddesses is a definite departure from the traditional images of Zeus and