Art History

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Art History

The Prehistoric Aegean

Early Cycladic Art

This art category is divided into three major periods, each exhibiting various styles and thereby evidencing advancements within the art practice. The first category covered the periods 3200 BCE to 2800 BCE with the earliest decorum being conducted on burial locations. Ceramic was used as the main art and designs were therefore largely incised into the required article. The materials expanded to incorporate marble that was locally sourced for the creation of sculptures. The sculptures generally accorded naked female figures that often had folded hands placed across the lower back region. The figures comprised of triangles for the chest, pubic regions and head, while the lower section comprises of slender and narrowing legs, to accord a violin outline. With the lack of balance, the sculptures could only be placed in a lying position and therefore used on tombs (Kleiner 68). Metal too was used but on a limited basis.

In the second category covering the periods 2800 BCE to 2300 BCE, tomb art expanded to the inclusion of paintings on ceramics and metals were used in the creation of weaponry. Sculptures progressed into the frying-pan outline and abstract shapes were implemented (Kleiner 69). In the third category, ceramic items were fashioned from various types of clay sourced from Asia Minor, as were metallic ones. Demand for marble material was reduced drastically and art shifted from tombs to walls. This was between the 2300 BCE to 2000 BCE.

Late Minoan Art

Minoan art employed ceramic material in the creation of household items. In the first period covering 1550 BCE to 1500 BCE, painting was accorded on the items with the molds comprising of flowers and spiral images. The ceramic products were created with straight features. In the second period marked between 1500 BCE to 1450 BCE, the molds changed to marine patterns like starfish, shells, and sea plants amongst others. The pottery style changed to conical and spherical forms (Kleiner 83). In the third category, 1450 BCE to 1415 BCE, the natural structures were replaced by conceptual ones and symmetry was enforced in the creation of the articles. In the fourth period, plain figures are accorded while the fifth, the octopus mold is principally employed in the painting element. This was in the periods 1415 BCE to 1340 BCE and 1340 BCE to 1190 BCE respectively. The last category in 1109 BCE to 1100 BCE employed the use of spirals. Wall paintings in this period accorded bull-fighting, wrestling, boxing and parade pictures.

Mycenaean Art

Wall decorations comprised of paintings with themes like processions, marine animals, and abnormal sized lions amongst other creatures. The dominating material employed within art practice was ceramic and the painting style focused on dark hues to create high contrast on the light hued ceramic articles. Colors employed within this period were accorded majorly to black and red, or shades of the same like gray. A single color was applied on each article with an exception of large items that mixed two hues. This was in 1650 BCE to 1550 BCE. In the subsequent period from 1550 BCE to 1470 BCE, molds of sea animals were used on the ceramics (Kleiner 76). Within the third era covering 1470 BCE to 1405 BCE, sea animals were substituted by flower molds. The subsequent period beginning in 1405 BCE and ending in 1370 BCE shifted to spiral molds and curvy patterns with pictures tending towards natural forms.

The fifth period repeated the flower mold and only picked the shell as a marine form as the second motif. Both pictures differed from previous periods by the fact that they accorded high creativity in styling with regard to line structure and paints to the shapes. This was in the period 1370 BCE and 1300 BCE. The sixth period ranging from 1300 BCE to1190 BCE, ceramic items expanded to include the unpainted versions with the last period marking the inclusion of foreign styles accorded to relocations and cultural merges (Kleiner 82). This was noted in 1190 BCE to 1050 BCE.

Ancient Greece

Geometric and Orientalizing Art

This art was evidenced around 1500 BCE to 700 BCE with the materials accorded being ceramic for various ceremonial items. The articles evidenced animal and floral figures constructed with geometric approaches. With time, human forms were incorporated in such vessels but in a less distinct manner that accorded the painting as a shadow that could only be identified as wither female or male due to the accorded sketch (Coldstream 362). These items were used for burial purposes. Sculpture maintained the geometric function too. With the spread of cultural movements, the decorative work on such items incorporated oriental patterns, defined by many curves, spirals and rose shapes, acquired from orient lands like Egypt, while the geometric approach was still maintained.

Archaic Art

The archaic art was noted in the 660 BCE to 480 BCE with ceramic items whose images leaned towards legendary images such as gods and goddesses, and other forms of mythical creatures. The initial approach to the paintings is termed as the black pottery that used dark hues in form of color etching to create dark patterns resembling shadows within the article before the baking and glazing processes (Kleiner 102). This would therefore accord black images upon the finish process and therefore the accorded title. The baked clay being a shade of brown accorded a good contrast with the black hue. This was replaced by the red pottery style that had an inverse approach that switched the backdrop to black and the images to brown or red hues. This was in the period 525 BCE. With the progression of the period, three-dimensional workspaces were introduced and the images expanded to include realistic ones. Statues in this era were of naked individuals posed with one foot ahead of the other to reflect movement; male figures were more employed than females.

Early and High Classical Art

As opposed to the inflexible nature of the archaic period sculptures due to the chiseling factor, this period expanded to accord realistic depictions of humans with various forms. As refinements were created, it became easy to fashion a real human in a statue in a recognizable manner (Kleiner 167). With the architectural component especially with the growth of temples, the statues were used for ornamental and faith purposes inside and outside the structures. Tombs also adorned the same approach by sculpting the family members and placing them near the tombs. Measurement ratios were strictly observed within this art form. This style was practiced within 480 BCE to 400 BCE.

Late Classical Art

Artists expanded their approach to statue making by the use plaster moulds that aided in the creation of emotion in the sculptures (Kleiner 168). This was in the period 400 BCE to 300 BCE. As more effort was accorded into this area, temple constructions reduced drastically within the period.

Hellenistic Art

This was practiced in 323 BCE to 146 BCE with statue work being more flexible in term of positioning as it accorded circular patterns that aid spectators to accord various views on the figure (Burn 13). In addition to the nude element, the sculpting expanded to include transparent clothing. Emotions are also highly evidenced in these statues. Paintings were largely accorded in walls with mosaic patterns as depicting realistic life elements like battles. Painting on ceramic articles diminished in this period with the black and red approaches expanding to support various hues in accordance to creativity. Human forms began to be etched in household articles in a wide color scheme as the artist wanted to portray.

Works Cited

Burn, Lucilla. Hellenistic art: from Alexander the Great to Augustus. Los Angeles: Getty Publications, 2004. Print.

Coldstream, John. Geometric Greece. New York: Routledge, 1979. Print.

Kleiner, Fred. Gardner‘s Art Through the Ages: The Western Perspective. CliftonPark: Cengage Learning, 2009. Print.