artwhat.

Ancient Greece is the measure of Western Civilization. Although they borrowed greatly from Eastern and Egyptian culture, the Greeks invited philosophy and democracy: the novel perception that mankind could rule themselves (from the word 'demos' > people). They developed literature, science, and made huge strides in art. 

The Greeks closely studied anatomy and the human body, particularly the male body. Man was the measure of all things. Although their depictions of the body was not abstracted, it was idealized; bodies were the compilation of perfect human parts. They stressed a balance between intellect and physicality: to have a sound mind, you must have a sound body, and vice versa.

Warrior Vase, Mycenae, Greece. 1200 BCE, Mycenaean. 

referred to as a krater; two handles on the side, was used to store and/or serve wine. more for ceremonial/decorative use. 

depicts a woman (left hand side). raised arm, bidding farewell to the soldiers. only one to show emotion. 

battle very significant with ancient greece. 

Lion Gate, Mycenae, Greece. 1300 BCE. Mycenaean.

limestone relief panel; 9' 6" high. 

lots of fortresses in Mycenaean architecture; due to it's location in the gulf, under threat of attack. very vulnerable; reachable through sea and land

gate protected by two lionesses. more fierce than their male counterparts because they protect their young and do all the hunting

post and lintel technique. two posts to support the bar above to create the archway

Marine style octopus jar, Palikastro (Crete), Greece. 1500 BCE. Minoan.

11" high

pottery a hallmark of prehistoric art

minoans responsibile for creating the potter's wheel. allows for greater height, thinness, and gracefulness of form.

last purely minoan style known

marine style - dark figure on light round vessel. two toned and perfect combination of form and function. 

if you have corrections for me, please leave them in my ask box so i can edit the post! especially for ancient artwork, some of my professors taught from outdated material, and i don't have time to fact check everything. 

Snake Goddess from the palace at Knossos, Crete, Greece. 1600 BCE, Minoan. 

faience pottery; fired at low temperature. quartz with glaze. measured 1' 1 1/2" high.

prominent breasts, emphasized by pinched waist. white body, red face. wide eyes. 

perhaps not a goddess, but rather a priestess/religious attendant

why were women associated with religion? by nature, thought of as motherly. literally not the same person every day. natural cycles made women earthly, connected with the earth.natural morality. guardians of the temple meant they were guardians of morality. association with animals

snakes beneficial to greek civilization. ancient greece was prone to earth quakes. snakes were considered a key indicator that earth quakes were coming. considered revered for their ability to detect disaster. represent rebirth: shedding of skin metaphorical for a new life. stand their ground when threatened; also considered guardian

rabbit on her head

seen as goddess because of her dominance over these animals. must have a lot of confidence to hold snakes like she is

Bull-leaping, from the palace at Knossos, Crete, Greece. 1450 - 1400 BCE. Minoan.

one of the earliest known frescos in Greece. measures 2' 8" higher, including border

depicts man leaping onto the bull with two women on either side. the women are painted white, and the man has dark skin. women participating.

from the minotaur, bulls are perhaps a very sacred animal and a central theme in minoan society. 

dark batches are the original portions of the fresco; the rest has been restored. 

elongated and stylized bodies. pinched waist, large eyes, curled hair, and prominent profile. 

more natural appearance, but not a composite view (like egyptian style)

Palace of Knossos, Crete, Greece. 1400 - 1200 BCE, Minoan.

comes from the golden age of Crete. 

included residential suite for king, eremonial rooms for pageants and games. 

legendary home of King Minos. belief that this city was founded by Theseus , who slayed the minotaur. The minotaur would be fed seven people a year; Theseus volunteered to kill the monster and defeated him with the help of Ariadne, the king's daughter, who gave him a thread to navigate the labyrinth. 

also had store rooms and work rooms

had a theater, the forerunner to ancient greek theater. complex in it's elevation and plan. 

Figurine of a woman, Syros (Cyclades), Greece. 2500 - 2300 BCE. Cycladic.

marble; 1'6" high

clearly a woman; has pubic triangle and breasts

very flat, almost 2d. geometric and abstract. made up compositionally of triangles.

found in a grave lying with the deceased. could be associated with death, due to the figure assuming the rigid position of a dead person.

very anonymous; more of an idea than a portrait because it doesn't have a unique identity

might be a fertility goddess; there's debate over whether or not she's supposed to be pregnant because of her rounded belly and arms folded over the stomach

Early Greek society is difficult to understand because there is no written record. Like Prehistory, the only information about early Greek society comes from art and architecture, but even that's out of context. Early archaeology destroyed the integrity of certain cites and graves, and artifacts became collectables. Early Cycladic and Minoan style looks very modern because they were very simple and easy to recreate. 

The art itself was not rediscovered until the 19th century. IT was found because rich businessmen turned archeologists wanted tangible proof that these civilizations. This was fueled by neoclassicism, a movement of art during the 19th century. As government systems moved toward democracy, people became obsessed with greek culture, plundering sites for jewerly, death masks, cps, weapons, and undecipherable scripts. Key figures include Heinrich Schliemann, Lord Elgin, and Sir Arthur Evans. 

Akhenaten, Nefertiti, and three daughters, Armarna, Egypt. 1353 - 1335 BCE. New Kingdom. 

1' 1/4" high, limestone. 

Akhenaten larger, Nefertiti seen with headdress.

unique because the relief is in motion

sense of equality between them

they are interacting with their children; Akhenaten is kissing his daughter on the forehead. smallest daughter is palying with her mother's earrings. pays more attention to the behavior of children. 

Thutmose, Nefertiti, Armarna, Egypt. 1353 - 1335 BCE. New Kingdom. 

painted limestone. approx. 1'8" high.

name means 'the beautiful one has come'

second most popular egyptian queen, behind cleopatra

very sensitive to the contours of her face; very elegant face, long neck, mouth. 

compared to a flower on a stem. very large head, address on a thin neck. 

Akhenaten, from the temple of Aton in Karnak, Egypt. 1353 - 1335 BCE. New Kingdom.

13' high. made of sandstone. 

originally named Amenhotep IV; name change represents a significant change, especially religious. he is changing his family name, distancing himself. 

abandoned polytheism in favor of Aton from Amen-Re. 

henotheism - belief that one god is superior to other gods

moves capital from Thebes down the river to Amarna

declared himself son of the sun and sole prophet of Aton. develops an entire cult. 

Aton represented by the sun disc, unusual because most gods in egypt were represented anthropomorphically.

after akhenaten died, the egyptians returned to old tradition

effeminate features; very curvy, almost hourglass figure. doesn't have a perfect stomach and the costume promotes it. arms aren't muscular; very thin. exaggerated and stylized: lips are larger, nose longer, eyes take up a large portion of the head. elongated figure, looks weak.

truly revolutionary. he decided to move away from canon with the change of religion. no gender was assigned to a sun disc/Aton; the androgyny of the sculpture reflects Aton's sexlessness. 

the premise of Aton's cult was truth; theory that Akhenaten portrayed himself this way because of this. 

Temple of Ramses II, Abu Simbel, Egypt. 1290 - 1224 BCE. New Kingdom.

carved out of sandstone; rough material, very weathered, and originally not refined. 

figures have no architectural purpose; simply colossal figures. all of Ramses II, the most famous pharaoh, was believed to have dealt with Moses in biblical canon.

at base, family depicted between ankles. 

rediscovered in 1813 and reconstructed on higher ground. 

inside are depictions of military campaigns of the pharaoh. 

tiny figure of ramses in the middle; he is osiris, god of the dead. holds a crook, a curved staff: tool of the shepherd. pharaohs lead people and the god of the dead leads people through the afterlife. 

ramses reigned for a long time. didn't die until he was around 80 or 90 years old, very unusual. 

Fragmentary Head of Senusret III, 1860 BCE. Middle Kingdom. 

measures 6 1/2" high. made of red quartzite. 

fierce military leader that attempted to subdue invading african tribes; he was very unsuccessful. 

Ti Watching a Hippopotamus Hunt, Saqqara, Egypt. 2450 BCE. Old Kingdom. 

4' high; made of limestone

depicts a higher member of society - Ti. was an official from the 5th dynasty. 

old kingdom tombs featured narratives on walls for the amusement of the dead

Seated Scribe, Saqqara, Egypt. 2500 BCE. Old Kingdom.

measures 1' 9". made of painted limestone, less important and less expensive. sits on a tile base.

although not as important as a pharoah, the scribes are still important  because they keep track of things. they were central to society. 

most egyptian statues were painted to make them more lifelike.

stiff body posture communicates the ideal traits of a scribe: alert and intelligent. confidence that he's taking a good record. emotional restraint.

humble; sitting on the ground in a sign of humility. lends to a greater sense of naturalism and realism because he doesn't have an ideal body. idealism is reserved for higher members of society (the royal family). 

a type and not a portrait. representative of a portion of society and a particular occupation, a 'type' of scribe.