Hello everyone and welcome back to my channel! I'm Barbara, here on YouTube you can find me as "La Zebra" and on this channel we talk about art! Today we're here to tackle one of the most difficult tasks I've ever undertaken: trying to make my usual crisp and succinct summary. Only problem? I decided to do it with Greek art. Those who follow me know that ancient art is certainly not my main field, and above all, how can one humanly summarize such a long and varied historical and artistic period? Questions I probably should have asked myself before starting this venture; the fact is that while I was writing this video I kept asking myself: but who made me do it? I have nevertheless fulfilled my civic duty and will try, in this video, to give you a thorough summary of Greek art from its dawn to its sunset, trying, as always, to make you love it and help you understand its importance to the best of my ability. So please, don't let this effort go to waste and help me out with a like or a comment letting me know if this video was helpful and if you enjoyed it! Without further ado, since we have a lot to discuss, let's start with the most important premise: if you're not yet familiar with Cretan and Mycenaean art, I invite you to watch my video on that topic, since these two civilizations, along with the Dorians, are the ones on which Greek civilization was formed and developed. So go and get my video right now to understand more and then come back here to me! Let's get back to us: to begin with, we know that Greek culture was born from the union of these different civilizations. However, this shouldn't be considered an immediate fusion; we did n't find ourselves faced with Greek culture as we know it overnight: as in most cases, especially when we're talking about ancient civilizations, it was a gradual transition that also went through transitional phases before seeing its full development. In particular, after the settlement of the Dorians, we witness what is commonly called the Hellenic Middle Ages; a phase of decadence in which writing disappears and technological development recedes. The phases into which we divide Greek civilization are, fundamentally: HELLENIC MIDDLE AGES, ARCHAIC AGE, CLASSICAL AGE, and HELLENISM, although not all historians agree with this division: some, in fact, consider the Hellenic Middle Ages to be a formative period in which true Greek culture did not yet exist, and therefore consider only the Archaic Age as the first phase. So what is this GREEK MIDDLE AGES? This is a transitional phase between the Mycenaean civilization and the Greek civilization, placed between the end of the 12th century BC, when the Dorians settled in Greece, and the 8th century BC: only after that can we begin to speak of a true Greek civilization. From an artistic point of view, among the most noteworthy art forms of this period are the production of earthenware and vase painting, high -sounding terms that simply mean: production of terracotta objects and painting on vases. Easy Come Easy Go. In the vases we first find the PROTOGEOMETRIC style, whose style derives directly from Mycenaean ceramics, and the vases are simple and essential; to then move on to the GEOMETRIC style, characterized by, guess what? From decorations with geometric patterns, such as triangles and meanders. This, what you see, is a meander. One of the artistic examples of this period is the Dipylon Vase or "funeral lament", a name that derives from the representation, in the decoration of the vase, of a funeral ceremony in which the body of the deceased was exposed. Dipylon is the name of the site where it was found. From 850 BC onwards. There is an economic rebirth in Greece, where the main centers take on the appearance of real cities, such as Athens and Sparta. From the 6th century BC a period of great economic and cultural development begins, and we can finally begin to talk about true Greek civilization . As mentioned above, some historians tend to define the Hellenic Middle Ages as a formative phase, in short, the necessary foundations were laid that would allow us to arrive at Greek culture. So, if you're watching this video in preparation for an exam, ask your teacher first, "Which side are you on ? The Hellenic Middle Ages outside or inside Greek civilization?" This way you can rest easy and they won't come complaining to "La Zebra" on YouTube because he's spreading false information. So: for those who agree with the former, that is, with those who consider it a transitional phase, true Greek civilization arrives only now, in what is called the ARCHAIC AGE. In this period we have the true development of the poleis (singular polis), the city-states that you all know if you have seen a film like "300" at least once. We are now witnessing an unprecedented cultural development , where the most important building becomes the temple, located in the Acropolis, which is precisely an area designated for sacred buildings, located on a hill. The structure of the temple, albeit with the necessary differences, remains faithful to a module: on the exterior we always find a rhythmic succession of columns on which an architrave rests. The interior consists of a cell, called Naòs, which contains the statue of the God and only the priests can access it. Then there is a space that precedes this cell: since the cell is called Naos, this space is called Prònaos. Easy Come Easy Go. Now let's look at the temple from the front, because the typical elements of the temple don't end here: we have the entablature, which is located between the column and the pediment and is composed of an architrave and frieze and then above the pediment, the upper part of the temple. The temple on the outside had to have clear, defined shapes and a simple volume. It did not have to be overly imposing (unlike the Egyptians). It had to be caught by the gaze. There must be balance between vertical/horizontal lines and between full/empty spaces. The light must penetrate inside filtered by the columns. A very interesting thing: Greek architects often made changes to the elements of the temple, to correct their optical perception: for example, they slightly inclined the columns inward because otherwise, optically, they would have appeared to lean outward. As we have said, these elements are found in all temples: however, they are obviously not the same in all temples from a formal point of view . Ok, when you put it like that you didn't understand. In what sense? In the sense that in all temples we have columns, but the parts that make up the column, namely the shaft and capital, can vary! Sometimes a base is also present, other times it is absent. The entablature can also vary, and the element that mainly changes is the frieze. What is the frieze? It is that band in which we find relief sculptures. In the pediment we often find large statues, and these too are obviously different in each temple. The differences that interest us most are those found in the column and the frieze. Why is this? Because based on these differences we can define the three Greek architectural orders: Doric, Ionic and Corinthian. Ionic, Doric and Corinthian are precisely three "styles" so to speak that have different characteristics. The DORIC style is characterised by simple and massive forms. The columns are fluted, tapered towards the top, that is, they become narrower as they go upwards and have no base. The capital is extremely simple: it has two elements, the abacus (parallelepiped) and the echinus (curvilinear element). The frieze is formed by alternating two different elements: the metope, which is a small panel decorated in relief, and the triglyph, which is a small panel made up of two grooves. The Doric order is found mainly in the Peloponnese and Magna Graecia. The IONIC ORDER is more slender and lively, more elegant. Typically the grooves have rounded edges, the capital has these curvilinear elements called volutes and the frieze no longer has these two alternating elements but is defined as continuous, because the narrative is uninterrupted. Columns have a base. We find it mainly in the Aegean islands and in Asia Minor. The CORINTHIAN, the last of these three orders, was added only much later. It closely resembles the Ionic order but has a different capital, made of plant elements, namely acanthus leaves. What the hell is this acanthus? A plant, nothing exciting. Remember that the Corinthian order came into being much later than the other two and was used mainly in the Hellenistic age. The Romans will also like it a lot and will use it too. Other major differences between the various temples are found in the layout: I'll show you an image because it's easier to show than to explain. Depending on how the columns are arranged along the perimeter, and how many there are, the temple has different names. If the temple has a circular structure it is called "tholos", similar to some typical tombs of the Mycenaean civilization. If the temple has only two columns in front it is called "in antis". Then we have the "prostyle" and "amphiprostyle" temple; in the first case the columns are only in the front part, in the second they are in front and behind the temple. If we have a row of columns that surrounds the entire temple, it is called a "peripteral". If the rows of columns are double, "dipteral". But let's get back to us, because we got lost talking about temples but we haven't continued the history of Greek art and we are still in the Archaic Age: in addition to the temples, we are beginning to see medium-sized sculptures representing the human figure, in particular we have two new typologies: kouroi and korai (singular: kouros and kore). What are they? Kouroi are naked young men just as their mother made them, with long hair and always the same pose, similar to that of Egyptian sculptures (the Egyptians were probably their influencers), that is, with their arms at their sides, clenched fists and one leg slightly in front of the other. The korai are girls, in their case they are dressed with refinement and we usually see them with one hand projected forward, as a sign of offering. What was their purpose? They could be made as votive offerings to the gods in sanctuaries, or as funeral insignia in cemeteries. We've only talked about sculpture so far, but why? Didn't the Greeks paint? No way, several sources testify to the importance of painting in their time! Except, well... the work of the greatest Greek painters has been lost. Only small paintings or decorations on vases remain, but nothing remains of the large wall works . We now come to the most famous era of Greek art, the one we immediately think of when we talk about it: the CLASSICAL AGE! With the end of the Persian Wars we witness an exceptional flowering of thought and the arts: the decorativism and conventions of archaic art were abandoned. Why? Because they lose their religious and symbolic meaning: we are in a moment in which philosophy is developing, and therefore a rational and almost secular thought. What does the desire for rationality entail? It involves a search for rules that lead to a universally valid scheme not only in sculpture, but also in architecture, which allows them to achieve maximum balance and proportion. In art, a greater naturalism is sought, the so-called "mimesis" (imitation of nature), which however should not be understood as "representing things exactly as they are": it is a still idealized representation: man should not be represented as he is, but as he should be. An ideal man to whom the individual must aspire, eliminating feelings and passions: both an aesthetic and moral model. It may seem absurd to think, but they had this concept: for the classical Greeks, external beauty corresponded to internal beauty. The beautiful is also good, the ugly is also bad. Or at least, that's what they thought until the end of the classical era. The archaic smile thus disappears (in fact this first moment of the classical age is defined as the "severe style"), the poses are much freer and more natural and rules and proportions to follow to represent the perfect individual are established. Let us also remember the importance of athletes in the Greek world: the perfect model was therefore the agile body of the athlete. Not only as models but, as we will see, the athletes themselves become real subjects in this historical period. TWO OTHER VERY INTERESTING ASPECTS OF GREEK ART THAT ARE NOT USEFUL FOR TESTS BUT YOU MUST KNOW THEM BECAUSE THEY ARE SHOCKING: 1: Greek sculptures WERE NOT white. SHOCK! 1:Originally they were probably painted in very bright colours, as in the image I'm showing you now. 2: When you think of Greek sculptures you surely think of marble sculptures... well... Most Greek sculptures were made of bronze. Well yes. Do you see Myron's discus thrower? It was made of bronze. The Doryphoros of Polykleitos? Bronze. And why do we know them in marble? well... these are just copies from the Roman era. BOOM! EVERYTHING YOU BELIEVE IN IS A LIE! Actually there were also Greek marble statues, absolutely yes! But if we consider that the marble ones were colored, and the others were made of bronze (which were also polychrome, by the way)... what can we believe anymore? The symbolic artist of the Severe period is undoubtedly Myron of Eleutheres, where we find a search for the imitation of nature and the geometric interpretation of movement in his famous Discobolus: the perfect celebration of the athlete! However, full classicism was achieved in Athens at a precise moment, namely when the polis was under the leadership of Pericles: an extremely favorable moment from a political and artistic point of view! We see a theatrical production of the highest level, a blossoming of science and the arts... The Acropolis of Athens is also rebuilt after thirty years in which it had remained in ruins! The Acropolis of Athens had in fact remained in ruins after the Persian wars because the Greeks had sworn to maintain it as a warning... It seems that at that point they judged that thirty years of warning were enough, they could start doing it all over again! By the way, Pericles did n't just use his own money to rebuild the acropolis, but he also drew on the treasury of the Delian-Attic League... Well, what's going on, actually? The Acropolis of Athens is rebuilt: one of the most expensive and ambitious building undertakings of the time! Who is directing the work? The legendary Phidias, whom we have already talked about in a video dedicated to the 7 wonders of the ancient world. Four buildings were designed, the most important of which was the Parthenon, built under the guidance of the architect Ictinus. What does Fidia do instead? Of the sculptural decoration (obviously, I'll specify in case it wasn't clear, he didn't do it all alone, he had an army of helpers...). But how do we feel Phidias' presence? In the monumental and solemn style, in the fidelity to reality and search for mimesis, in the careful choice of postures and in the rendering of the clothes, which adhere perfectly to the body: this rendering is called "wet drapery". Please know that in art, when we talk about "drapery," we are referring to the representation of fabrics. Here it is called "wet" because it adheres to the body so much that it looks like, in fact, a bucket of water has been thrown on it! Phidias is also famous for his chryselephantine sculptures, now lost, namely the Zeus of Olympia and the Athena Parthenos, made of very precious materials including gold and ivory (chryselephantine means precisely that). Well, the Zeus was considered one of the Seven Wonders and sources say that the Athena cost as much as 230 warships, I think that gives you a good idea... Another very important figure of Classical Greece was the sculptor Polykleitos, who established rules for creating the perfect human figure and collected them in a manual, the "Canon". In fact, we are talking about Polykleitos' "Canon". Among these we have a numerical system of proportions between the parts (e.g. the head fits 8 times in the body) and the crossed arrangement of the weights, called "chiasmus", which gives the sculptures a sinuous and fluid rhythm. In the 4th century the city of Athens was defeated in the Peloponnesian War and at this time the decline of the classical age began. In 338 BC the transition to Macedonian rule takes place, and art also undergoes a change: a tendency towards interiority, anguish and fragility begins, in spite of more collective values. A great sculptor of the period was Praxiteles, who reworked the art of the past in a nostalgic key. His poses are sinuous and sensual and he will be loved and admired even by the Romans. Skopas is very different, moving drastically away from classical canons in favor of emotional intensity and passion. Unfortunately, no actual evidence of Skopas's works remains , and the "dancing maenad" you see in the photograph is actually a particularly poorly preserved Roman copy. While classical art pursued formal perfection, fine art began to tend towards exaggeration and theatricality. After the death of Alexander the Great, we enter fully into the Hellenistic Age, which has precisely these characteristics from an artistic point of view. One of the most famous works created after the death of Alexander the Great is the Colossus of Rhodes: we also talked about it in the video on the Seven Wonders of Antiquity. Hellenism is therefore characterized by a taste for the theatrical and the scenographic, for the exasperation of emotions and expressions. On the one hand, however, naturalism is even more sought after, as for example in portraits: they are no longer concerned with maintaining ideal beauty at all costs, but with also representing more individual facial features, such as the signs left by old age. It even goes as far as representing "ugliness": one example of this "realistic" movement is the bronze sculpture of the "Boxer at Rest", where we see an image of the athlete opposite to the classical one: in fact, we see this tired and wounded boxer, who bears the signs of fatigue on his body. Another typical art movement of this period was the "classicist" movement, which idealized the art of the past and which would most influence Roman art. Famous works from this period are the "Nike" of Samothrace, the draped Aphrodite also known as the "Venus de Milo" and the colossal Altar of Zeus and Athena in Pergamon. That is, it was in Pergamon, it is currently in Berlin. So, to sum up, then I swear we're done: The Hellenic Middle Ages is a formative phase, where the most important artistic testimonies are the vases. Archaic Age: sculptures are still strongly tied to rigid conventions, the poses are static. Most important types: kouroi and korai. Classical Age: maximum splendor of the arts, sculptures freed themselves from conventions and formal beauty, proportion and balance were sought. The stars of this moment are Polyclitus and Phidias. Hellenistic Age: art partially distances itself from the search for ideal beauty and even ugliness begins to become fashionable. The representation of human feelings and theatricality become absolutely IN. Well, that's all for today! Let me know what you think, and if you've made it this far, comment with an emoji that reminds you of Greek art and tell me why! I always encourage you to do everything you can to share culture, and we'll see each other again in the next artistic video! HI!