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.
Throughout history, there are many scenes that are repeated in different mediums. Many of these scenes begin as stories. The image of Laocoon was first depicted with words as a story told about the Trojan War. Laocoon is a Trojan priest who had warned against the acceptance of the wooden horse. The gods, who are on the side of the Greeks, send two serpents to kill Laocoon. They first attack his two sons, and when he rushes to save them they attack and kill him (Lee 37). The snakes then return to the citadel of Minerva for safety. A famous depiction of this scene can be found in the illuminated manuscript Vergilius Vaticanus. This illuminated manuscript was done sometime around the 5th century (Wright 91). It was similar to many illuminated manuscripts of the time in that the scribe wrote out the poem, and left designated space for the artist to depict an image that relates to that part of the poem(Wright **). While it is believed that many of the images were copies of images from rolls depicting the same story, the artist did have opportunity to alter images and depict images as they saw fit. The artist that painted the Laocoon scene reveals Laocoon as a strong tragic hero by depicting him the second time as large, nude, muscular and bearded. This view is intensified when compared to the Roman/Hellenistic sculptural group of Laocoon and his sons.
When studying an ancient culture, it is important for one to comprehend the many unique elements that make up that culture. The study of architecture enables historians to deepen their understanding of a culture and identify the modern influences of that society. Architecture is an essential aspect of ancient Greek culture and its long lasting influence is evident in most cities today. The Greek Revival style dominated American architecture during the nineteenth century. Many prosperous citizens believed that the ancient Greece architecture embodied the spirit of democracy. When analyzing the architecture of New York City, one will find many examples of Greek Revival architecture, the most notable examples being the Old Custom House on 28 Wall Street, the first National City Bank building on 55 Wall Street, and Saint Peter’s Church at 22 Barclay Street.
All of the figures within the sculpture appear either excessively well built, small, or large. To begin with, the serpents are excessively long. The snake biting the child on the left, for example, starts at the child’s torso, his body then curls around the child’s right shoulder, continues behind the child and moves down to ensnare Laocoön’s’ right leg with the smallest child’s legs and then winds around Laocoön’s left leg and finally has one last coil looped around the largest child’s left ankle. If Laocoön were an average height man (around 6 foot tall) then the sea serpents would have to be at least 12 feet long (probably closer to 15 feet or more). The girth of the serpent bodies is disproportionate with their large size. Although, the bodies of the snakes are large, to achieve a size of twelve feet or more, the body of the snake at the apex would probably be closer to the size of Laocoön’s thigh than the size of his wrist and
Honour, Hugh, and John Fleming. "Hellenistic and Roman Art." A World History of Art. London: Laurence King, 1999. 179-213. Print.
Hellenistic art, let alone architecture, was a period of dramatic transformations that deterred greatly from the Greek Classical period. While the Classical Greek concepts were not entirely abandoned, the Hellenistic period expanded the formal horizons with dramatic posing, sweeping lines, and high contrast of light, shadow and emotion, something greatly different from the Classical artists ideas. The conventions and rules of the Classical period gave way to experimentation and a sense of freedom that allowed the artists of the Hellenistic period to explore their subjects from unique points of view that they had not previously done. The Altar to Zeus in Pergamon is the perfect representation of the Hellenistic period. Pergamon contained the Altar to Zeus in the same way that the Athenian Acropolis contained the Parthenon and is considered by the Greek art historian Gisela Richter to be “the most famous altar of Hellenistic times” (Handbook 32). The Altar of Pergamon is uniquely suited as an ideal example of 2nd century Greek culture that is tied to the ideals of the people, and shows off Hellenistic characteristics that define the time just as the Parthenon is a staple in the Classical period. [Stokstad]
2:12-13). Characterized by its enormity—massive sculpted friezes protrude from its walls and encompass a wide marble staircase leading up to the pinnacle of the altar completed by an Ionic colonnaded hall. Erected in Pergamon—a relatively young capital of Asia Minor (modern day Turkey) established in the early 3rd century following the death and breakup of Alexander the Great’s empire— in c. 175 BCE; Eumenes II (r. 197-159 BCE) commissioned the altar as monument to their triumph on the city’s Acropolis. The dramatic gravity of the structure and dynamic motion observed in its friezes represents, overall, the Greek Hellenistic period.
Ancient Greece has gone through many changes throughout history. The most notorious age was the Hellenistic Age but had many different ages leading up to it. The Bronze Age (3300-1150 B.C) was a period where the world saw major advances in social, economical, and technology that made Greece the hub of activity in the Mediterranean area. The Archaic Age (700-480 B.C.E) was a period when the Greeks repopulated and became more organized politically. This age was followed by the Classical Age (480-323 B.C.E) a period when Athens and Sparta dominated the Hellenic world with their cultural and historical achievements. The final Greek Age was the Hellenistic Age (323-30 B.C.E). This period was the transformation from localized city-states to an open, exuberant culture that stretched out across the entire Mediterranean, and southwest Asia. Alexander III of Macedon, also known as Alexander the Great, was primarily responsible for the expansion of Greece. Greece’s Hellenistic Age, during and after the death of Alexander the Great, contributed greatly to the expansion of Greek cultures and Greece.
Sculpture has been a very important part of art history throughout thousands of years. For the past few months I have viewed many different kinds of sculpture, including Greek archaic sculptures, Greek classical sculptures, Greek Hellenistic sculptures and Roman sculptures. All of the sculptures that I have seen and analyzed have very interesting characteristics, but the one that I have analyzed most recently was the most fascinating. Hermes carrying the infant Dionysos, by the artist Praxiteles, was sculpted circa 350 B.C., and the copy that I analyzed, circa second century B.C. This sculpture was from the Greek classical period and is originally from Greece. The original can be seen in the Olympia Museum in Greece, and the replica that I have viewed is in the Sojourner Truth Library on SUNY New Paltz campus.
The two ancient civilizations of ancient Greece and Rome were the best of the best during their time periods. Ancient Greece began around 2000 B.C. by the inhabitants known as the Mycenaean’s, followed by the Minoans. The Minoans built the foundation of Greece. The Roman Empire was founded around 753 B.C. by the two twins, Romulus and Remus. Romulus ended up killing Remus and built the city of Rome on one of seven rolling hills. Architecture was very important to both civilizations and they were always trying to out due the other. The architectural style of the Ancient Greeks and Romans was overall constructed and used differently.
The ancient Greek civilization has left a rich cultural footprint on modern Western civilization. Especially during the ancient Classical and Hellenistic eras of Greece, ancient Greeks have left behind a plethora of ideas and concepts that have played a crucial role in forming the foundations to Western civilization. Although the Classical era was a time of war and conflict, it was the Golden Age of Greece that was the home to many achievements in art, philosophy, architecture, politics, and literature such as the birth of democracy. The Hellenistic era was a period of social and economic prosperity that was defined by the spread of Greek culture across the entire eastern Mediterranean and Southwest Asia. During this era, countless of advancements
The very basis of American architecture, as displayed by the monuments on buildings in Washington DC, has its very roots in classical Greek architecture. Many of the most distinct and easily recognizable buildings in our capital have roots of Greek architecture. Although many Americans think that they do not know or have not seen Greek architecture, most have. Greek architecture does not only influence our capital, but also many of our major cities, as well as buildings in our local towns. The widespread use of Greek architecture is an acclaim to the magnificent style of the architecture.
Over a period of time Greek art of the past has changed and evolved into what we value in todayís society as true art and services as a blue print of our tomorrow. As we take a closer look at the Geometric Period and stroll up through the Hellenistic Period allow me to demonstrate the changes and point out how these transitions have served the elements of time.
The end of the Geometric period resulted in the beginning of the Orientalizing Period, dated between 700-600 BC. Within this time frame, Greek introduced a new innovation, the Peripteral Temple. For many years prior, a row of colonnade was used on the interior primarily to hold up the roof of the building. In contrast, columns are seen being used on the outside, creating a visual wall around the building exposing parts of the interior. With in the temple existed the megaron style, carried forward from Bronze Age homes. It was also in eastern influenced period, the first real stone temples, and terra cotta roof tiles came to exist to hold the weight on these new stone temples. The population grew drastically, introducing new techniques and styles, which blended to form designs with balance and symmetry. It was during this period, two major Greek designs were developed, the Ionic and Doric order. (Pedley, 2012: pg. 180) The Doric order, being the first and most simple, consisted of baseless columns placed closely together as the Greeks did not know how much weight the shortened columns could hold. Reason behind this was the lack of length in the columns were believed to hold less weight and therefore forced into being placed closer together. This closely set arrangement created a very bold statement in the Doric temple. The Capital, which sat on top of the concaved shaped shaft, was left plain but when grouped alongside others, suggested a bold harmony. In contrast, the Ionic order was less bulky and more delicate than the Doric order. The top of the capital is decorated with two scrolls, also known as volutes, which could have resembled a shell or animal horns. Above the capital, held room for a surrounding frieze depictin...
Have you ever seen or visited the Capital building, Washington or amphitheater of Arlinton, Virginia or Cabin John bridge of Washington aqueduct? If an answer is yes, then have you ever think that how we come up with this type of buildings? These all buildings’ basic structures are based on the Greek and Roman cultures’ architecture. Historical records of Western culture in Europe begin with Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. Roman culture was very inspired from the Greece culture and they had used very basic ideas to build buildings and temples, to portrait sculpture. They modernized and improved their architectures and sculptures in decorative way and made a separate image in the world.
Throughout history, there have been several significant architectural movements. The last, and perhaps most enduring movement is that of Classic Greece. Although for centuries, the architecture of ancient Greece has been admired, mimicked, and replicated, its beginnings are somewhat surprising to one unfamiliar with the history of the region. It is important to understand the history and mechanics of Classic Greek architecture in order to fully appreciate its form, function, and beauty. “Ancient Greek architects strove for the precision and excellence of workmanship that are the hallmarks of Greek art in general. The formulas they invented as early as the sixth century B.C. have influenced the architecture of the past two millennia” (metmuseum.org).