Ancient Greek art originated with influence from the Minoan civilizations nearby; the only thing they got that put them a step ahead was money from the exports they sold. Greece became increasingly wealthy at the height of the Delian League, an alliance of Greek city-states formed to liberate them from Persian rule. Because of this prosperity, they began to create what are now known as high points of classical art.
Architecture is possibly the most well known and influential part of Greek art. The most famous example of this is the Parthenon. It was the most expensive structure to build at the time because it was made of Pentelic marble taken from a quarry similar to those found in Egypt. It was created around 450 B.C.E. by an Athenian general named Peracleas in order to win the people’s favor, making both Athens and himself very popular.
The temple was built as a rectangular building with Doric columns, which are very simple marble pillars with a flat top and fluted or grooved sides. The other types of Greek columns include Ionic columns, which have scroll-like decor at the top, and Corinthian columns, with very intricately carved heads. All of which have fluted sides.
The exterior of the Parthenon was designed by the sculptor Pheidias, but was constructed by many different workmen. Along the outside of the naos, the inner chamber of the temple, is an intricately carved presentation of the Panathenaic procession, which is an annual celebration for the goddess of wisdom and strategy, Athena.
In the Parthenon, was a statue of the Athena Parthenos. The Athena Parthenos, meaning Athena the Virgin, was an example of power and glory for the Greek people. The original figure is thought to have been destroyed in a fire, however, there are many copies of it in the world. They are found most commonly in Greece and Rome.
The original was said to have been made of ivory and gold. It was an incredible portrayal of the High Classical period, 450 to 400 B.C.E.. The High Classical period’s sculptures were known for having intricate detailing, serene expressions, and delicately carved fabrics. Most statues in ancient Greece were made out of stone or bronze, meaning anything made to look like fabric or skin were carefully crafted metals.
Statues were often depictions of mythical creatures, gods, or humans. Statues of humans and gods were created to be the Greeks idealistic and perfect examples of the human body. They had long limbs and triangular torsos. One of the most notable things about the Greek’s models of humans is the expression of movement; while the earlier statues were created to appear stationary, they later leave the impression of being active.
While many of the more famous statues from Ancient Greece are human characteristics, the Greeks made a similar number of creatures. The most common animals seen were horses and griffins.
In Mycenae’s remains, a prehistoric Greek city, there is an arch known as ‘Lion Gate’ where two lions mirror each other around a central column. The lions’ heads faced outwards from the arch and were held on with dowel pins. The heads have since been lost, but because of the location and time period, it has been theorized that they were not only lions but griffins.
Much of architecture was damaged or completely destroyed over the years. Pottery paintings were used in a similar way to architecture; to both be a functional object, and tell a story. Their pottery is one of the most common modern day examples of the history of ancient Greece because they are very difficult to completely destroy. Even if they are shattered, their archeological applications are not.
Ceramic vases in the geometric period, 900 to 700 B.C.E., were mainly used as funerary items. Later in the archaic period, 700 to 500 B.C.E., they became utilitarian and were often used as art work.
Vases and other forms of Greek pottery were made out of terracotta or clay on a wheel, similar to modern day pottery.
Pottery was one of the most influential art techniques in ancient Greece. The Cornish invented the black-figure technique where figures and motifs would be painted in a slip, a liquid clay, that would turn black after firing while the clay would remain its original color.
The technique was later picked up by the Athenians who created the red-figure technique. They would essentially inverse the black figure technique painting around the details with black and leaving the figures the color of the clay as well as diluting the slip to create different shades.
The Greeks were also well known for their development of many forms of artistic expression that are not always considered: music, fashion, theater, and storytelling to name a few.
Fashion in ancient Greece was very simplistic. In the early years of Greece, men would frequently wear a loin cloth while women would be completely covered save for their chests. As the years went on, clothing became more modest, however, they did not wear shirts or pants in the traditional sense.
The Greeks would use square or cylindrical clothes and pins, buttons, or broaches in order to make their clothing. The most commonly known of these clothes is referred to as a chiton. They would also add different jewelry or accessories to pull the outfits together.
Some of the most exaggerated clothing found in ancient Greece were the theatrical costumes. The outfits had to be extremely overexaggerated in order to convey to the audience who the characters were based on their attire. They would often wear padding under their costumes around their stomachs and rears and large masks to further show the audience who the character is at first glance.
Greek theater originated in order to honor the god of festivity and wine, Dionysus. While it was created for that reason, it quickly became used to tell stories of all kinds, many of which had religious themes but not all of which were about Dionysus. Every spring, the Greeks would gather in Athens for a festival where three playwrights would enter four plays each, three tragedies and one satyr, into a competition for all to watch.
The mechanics behind Greek plays are still utilized to this day in a modernized way. The stage is set up in a similar way, actors need to have large exaggerated gestures and voices in order to be heard across the audience, and they would use what is essentially a crane to create the illusion of gods, this act became known as the “deus ex machina,” meaning “god from the machine”.
The shows would often also have an orchestra playing. One of the larger aspects of Greek music and orchestra was a choir. Choral singers may sing words or simply vocalize the music.
Scores of songs have been discovered but they are often damaged or unfinished due to their age. Remnants of different instruments have also been found. Three in particular have been found and represented in pottery, scores, and paintings. The kithara (a string instrument similar to a lyre), the lyre itself and the aulos, a double-reed instrument similar to a modern day recorder or oboe.
Greek history impacts many forms of modern day art and storytelling; from the famous Greek gods to theatrical performance and many other parts of modern day society.
