Art History

Art History

Greece is the origin or the modern art experienced in the modern world. From the prehistoric and ancient Greece different form f art were developed. Art was usually utilized in the depiction of people’s emotions. The art produced during the prehistoric Greece was divided into three and highly contributed to the modern art. The art experienced during the ancient Greece was mainly characterized by the evolving of sculptures from the two dimension figures to the three dimension figures and was divided into four periods. Most of the periods in ancient and prehistoric Greece merge, as different period existed in different areas. Most scholars and historians believe that Greece being the origin of all forms of art asserts its importance in the world of art.

The prehistoric Aegean Civilization encompasses the Greece Bronze Age civilization that is characterized by three cultures namely the Cycladic, the Mycenaean and the Minoan. The three cultures exhibit three different types of art. The art of this period originated from Minoan Crete. Cycladic art included the building of small independent villages that were surrounded with thick walls. Their pottery was decorated by using circular, spiral and rectangular unique designs. Cycladic sculptures were produced using Parian marble that had a two-dimensional and geometric nature and had a modern familiarity. They encompassed the first Greece sculptures that incorporated the human form.

The Minoan art was at that unusual as it encompassed smooth lines, vibrant colors and sense of nature. It included the use of three-dimensional figures. There was the employment of impressive buildings, early writing, vases and frescoes. There was the building of great royal palaces. They worshiped a female snake deity. The type of art used was naturalistic. Minoan art was taken over by Mycenaean art that involved Megaron, Cyclopean architecture and Tholos tombs. Cyclopean architecture encompasses the Mycenaean Acropolis or citadel built on a rock and Lion gate that was the entrance to the citadel. Megaron was the central palace of the king. Tholos tombs were conical chambers that contained the burial chambers. They used gold death masks to bury their dead.

The ancient Greece art is characterized by Geometric and Orientalizing, Archaic, Classical, and Hellenistic art. In Geometric and Orientalizing art, abstract geometric motifs such as triangle, meander, swastika and zigzag were used in decorating pottery that was followed by the use of human forms. The animal forms were decorated on the neck and base of the vase while human forms were decorated on the handles using a dark glossy color. The vases were decorated using horizontal bands. Metal vessels were also produced using repousse and casting hammering. The archaic art included the use of black-figure style in painting vases. Sculptures were made of wood, bronze, terra cotta, marble and limestone, which were free standing. The red figure style was also used in ceramics. The sculptures were produced such that they had the archaic smile, helmet hair and left foot forward.

In the early and high classical period, the archaic smile of the sculptures was replaced by a frown and the helmet hair was replaced by flat close curls. The period only utilized bronze and marble in the production of sculptures. Great temples like the temple of Zeus were created during this period. Painting in sobriety and dignity replaced archaic pattern of painting vases. In late classical art emotion was greatly expressed in art using three dimension movement. Painting in vases included the wide use of human figures rather than animals. During the Hellenistic period Rococo and Baroque was applied to sculptures. Urban plans were made in this period giving way to urban areas with theatres and parks culminating to Pergamon. The sculptures produced could be viewed from all angles. The paintings of this period looked like those of the roman frescoes. Different mosaics were utilized. Little painting was done on vases during this period.

In conclusion, art that came from Greece has been the largest contributing factor to the modern art as the best sculptures and painting were produced in the prehistoric and ancient Greece. Prehistoric Greece was divided into four periods that encompassed different forms of art. The ancient Greece on the other hand was divided into Geometric and Orientalizing, Archaic, Classical, and Hellenistic periods in which the sculptures changed from one form to the other with those of the Hellenistic period being the most advanced as they could be viewed from different angles. Thus, Greece being the origin of all forms of art asserts its importance in the world of art.

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