Greek Architecture And Stylistics Of The Hellenistic Period

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Between 334 and 323 B.C., Alexander the Great and his armies conquered much of the known world, creating an empire that stretched from Greece and Asia Minor through Egypt and the Persian empire in the Near East to India. This unprecedented contact with cultures far and wide assimilated Greek culture and its arts, and exposed Greek artistic styles to a host of new exotic influences. Stylistically, Hellenistic art is viewed as more ornate than its predecessor, the Golden Age. Monumental friezes and statues were created to be admired from all angles, encapsulating viewers observing the portrayal of Greek expansion.
One of the defining characteristics of the Hellenistic period was the division of Alexander the Great's empire into smaller dynastic empires founded by the diadochi, or the rival generals and friends of Alexander the Great who served him. Each succeeding dynasty practiced a royal patronage which differed from those of the city-state. Architecturally, this resulted in vast urban plans and large complexes which had mostly disappeared from city-states by the 5th century BC. This city planning was quite innovative for the Greek world; rather than manipulating space by correcting its faults, building plans conformed to natural settings. One city, in particular, embodied architecture that was revolutionary during the Hellenistic period. Pergamon in Asia Minor showcased the Pergamon Altar as a monumental construction built during the reign of King Eumenes II on one of the terraces of the acropolis of the ancient city of Pergamon. Initially built as a monument to the emerging power of the Attalids, colossal and humbling scale were exhibited for visitors. The path connecting the lower part of the town with the acropolis led visito...

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... by the serpents’ bodies twining around all three figures. Strangled by snakes, Laocoön desperately appears to attempt to loosen the snake’s grip without affording a glance at his dying sons; one, who appears defeated by the monsters, and another, who appears defiant (and, in some accounts of the story, escapes). In a style similar to the Pergamon Altar, the sons are disproportionate to their father’s stature, indicating hierarchal scale emphasizing the cultural significance of Laocoön. Further evident of Hellenistic art, the sculpture is intended to be viewed at every angle, ultimately influencing later artistic periods like Renaissance and Baroque art. Hellenistic sculpture repeats the innovations of the "second classicism": perfect sculpture-in-the-round, allowing the statue to be admired from all angles while studying draping, transparency, and figurative poses.

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