ART 1A Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Knidos, Ictinus, Ficus
EXAM 2 STUDY GUIDE
Minoan & Greek Art
Minoan Art. (2000-1400 BC E)
-Figurine of a Woman, Syros-Greece, 2600 – 2300 BCE, Marble
+ Found in graves and settlements (bad excavation records).
+ Abstract- geometric, exaggerated forms (Circles= geometric basis).
+ Some were painted
+ WfW and this are both same conceptual representation of a woman just diff styles.
-Bull Dance, (Toreador Fresco), Palace at Knossos-Crete, 1,450 – 1400 BCE
+ Labrys = double sided ax
+ Minoan = true wet fresco (need to work faster) Egyptian = dry fresco
+ Brown = male, White = female
+ No modeling of L&D. Black outline forms.
+ Overlapping, movement, twisted perspective, hierarchy of scale, stylized figures, narrative.
-Tresury of Atreaus, Mycene-Greece, 1300-1250 BCE
+ Tholos tomb (bee hive shaped tomb covered by earthen mound)
+ Dome = corbeled stone blocks laid on a circular base
+ Ashlar stonework = stone smoothed down to a nice surface – finely cut stones with right angles.
+ 43 ft H x 47.6 ft W
+Monumental sculpture evidence around the area.
Geometric and Orientalizing Periods (900-600 BC E)
-Geometric Krater, Diplyon Cemetary-Greece, 740 BCE
+ Used to mix wine and water. Found as a grave marker.
+ 3ft x 4.5ft
+ Registers, some narrative, decoration, simple geometric figure, composite view.
+ Represents war and a funeral.
+ Meander = key pattern around rim of krater
-Apollo, sculpted by Mantiklos, Greece, 680 BCE
+ Shows more interest in depicting the human body when compared with other geometric art.
Musculature lines and hair have been added but it still has geometric shapes and set proportions.
Archaic (600-480 BC E)
-Ajax and Achilles (playing dice), made and painted by Exekias, Athens-Greece, 540-530 BCE
+ Amphora type vase
+ Signed by artist because they were respected and exported/traded their work.
+ Master composition- compliments shape and curves, makes eye travel.
+ Bilingual = one side black fig and one side red fig
+ Black fig details must be scratched in. Red = painted in
+ Red fig = finer details and curved details.
-Herakles Wrestling Antaios , painted by Euphronios, Athens-Greece, 510 BCE
+ Antaios = a giant, power from ground contact
+ Uses diluted slip to enhance figures in muscles and hair color
+ Attempts to reproduce they way the human body appears from a specific viewpoint by twisting the
body parts and showing a profile view of one of the figs.
+ Appears 3D because figs occupy space.
-Kouros, New York, Greece, 600 BCE [VS] Kroisos from Anavysos, Greece, 530 BCE
+ Similar to Ka statue. Ka pose and archaic eye and hair.
+ Ideal set of proportions
+ But is liberated from the stone block and is nude
+ Less geometric now but still ideal proportions and archaic.
+ Kouros = Archaic Greek statue of a young man
+ Kore = Archaic Greek statue of a young woman.
-Temple of Hera I (Basilica), Paestum-Italy, 550 BCE
+ Probably modeled on the Temple of Aphia
^ Same idea of even number of columns on the short ends, two coulums in antais, and two rows of
columns in two stories inside the cella.
+ This one is more lavishly decorated.
-Dying Warriors: West Pediment (500-490) [VS] East Pediment (490-480) Temple of Aphaia, Aegina-Greece
+ Subject matter = the battle of the Greeks and the Trojans
+ Center = Athena
> WEST (500 – 490 BCE): Archaic, facing audience, smiling, posed pose.
> EAST (490-480 BCE): More classical, more naturalistic, leans on his shield, has weight, looks
away unconcerned with audience, emotional.
Classical (480-323 BC E)
-Kritios Boy, Athens- Greece, 480 BCE
+ Kritios = sculptor
+ Shows concern for how a human truly stands
+ Most anatomically correct statue
+ Slight dip to the right hip which indicates the shifting weight onto his left leg and right leg is bent at
ease. Known as CONTRAPPOSTO and is what separates Classical from Archaic.
-Zeus/Poseidon, Athens-Greece, 460-450 BCE, bronze
+ This statue shows the effectiveness as bronze as a sculptural medium
^ Now they can do much more dynamic and out stretched poses because bronze is strong
^ They can also now be separated from a block/stand unlike marble.
-Discobolos (Discus Thrower), sculpted by Myron, Athens-Greece, 450 BCE
+ Roman copy of bronze Greek original.
+ Tree trunk was not in original.
+ Body is in almost Archaic manner with its profile limbs and a nearly frontal chest.
+ He does not perform for the spectator, he concentrates on the task at hand as he is turned away.
Golden Age / Age of Pericles (450- 400 BC E)
-Doryphotus (Spear Bearer), Sculpted by Polykleitos, Athens-Greece, 450-440 BCE
+ Pythagoras, harmonic chords: proposed that harmonic chords in music can be expressed in ratios
^ this ratio could create the “perfect statue”
+ Canon of P: ideal mathematical body proportions. & one side of the body tense, other relaxed.
+ Story of testing canon: He created 2 sculptures, one with his canon and the other with the critique of
the people. They marveled at his cannon and laughed at the other.
-The Parthenon, by Iktinos and Kallikrates, Acropolis-Athens-Greece, 447-439 BCE
+ Believed harmonic numerical ratios defined beautiful proportions. [ x = 2y +1 ]
+ Adjustments were made to make it look optically perfect. (defiined by Vitruvius?)
> stylobate: curves upward at center and sides to form a shallow dome
> corner columns: have a diagonal incline
> peristyle columns: lean inward
+ Because of these adjustments every block and drum had to be carved specially.
+ Dedicated to Athena
+ Main statue = gold and ivory, by Phidias (and he did the pediment statues)
-Nike untying her Sandal, by Kallikrates, Temple of Nike (425 BCE), Acropolis-Athens, 410 BCE
+ Significant: Not a dignified event
+ Similar to the Three Goddesses of the Parthenon pediments in the clothing drapery.
+ Shows female form much more than ever before. This would not be acceptable in Archaic.
-Artemis & Apollo Slaying the Children of Niobe, by Niobid Painter, 450 BCE (influenced by Polygnotos of Thaso)
+ New & innovative with figure portrayal = they are in a foreground, middle ground, and back ground.
Similar to As. Hunting Lions. Do not rest on ground line but exist in space, giving illusion of space.
Document Summary
Figurine of a woman, syros-greece, 2600 2300 bce, marble. + found in graves and settlements (bad excavation records). + abstract- geometric, exaggerated forms (circles= geometric basis). + wfw and this are both same conceptual representation of a woman just diff styles. Bull dance, (toreador fresco), palace at knossos-crete, 1,450 1400 bce. + minoan = true wet fresco (need to work faster) egyptian = dry fresco. + overlapping, movement, twisted perspective, hierarchy of scale, stylized figures, narrative. + tholos tomb (bee hive shaped tomb covered by earthen mound) + dome = corbeled stone blocks laid on a circular base. + ashlar stonework = stone smoothed down to a nice surface finely cut stones with right angles. + registers, some narrative, decoration, simple geometric figure, composite view. + meander = key pattern around rim of krater. + shows more interest in depicting the human body when compared with other geometric art.
