thearthistory

[thearthistory]

Works Cited

before the gallery begins, these are the sources that were used in the process of developing the gallery, all below in order to enhance your understanding as you proceed: 

Abbott, Evelyn. “The Early History of the Delian League.” The Classical Review, vol. 3, no. 9, 1889, pp. 387–390. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/691651.

“High Classical Greek Art: Political Patrons.” Ancient Wisdom for Modern Minds, 12 Feb. 2013, classicalwisdom.com/culture/sculpture/high-classical-greek-art/.

LAPATIN, KENNETH. “THE ‘ART’ OF POLITICS.” Arethusa, vol. 43, no. 2, 2010, pp. 253–265. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/44578329.

Jones, Jonathan. “The Top 10 Ancient Greek Artworks.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 14 Aug. 2014, www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/jonathanjonesblog/2014/aug/14/top-10-ancient-greek-artworks-jonathan-jones.

“The Glorious Parthenon.” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/article/glorious-parthenon/

Wesciv. “Greek Mythology and Western Civilization.” Greek Mythology and Western Civilization, Wesciv, 3 Dec. 2015, greekmythandwesciv.wordpress.com/.

[thearthistory]

Introduction

This tumblr was curated to guide the studies of Greek political culture, the start of the victory against the Persians struck a great deal of political propaganda and fight for dominance. Close your eyes, think back to a time where your life was controlled by the people around you, and a greater power; that was the life for the greeks under the governmental and political control. With this, many greek artists and sculptors utilized the oppression in order to accentuate their artwork, used as a form of expression through oppression.  The Greeks utilized many forms of artwork and sculptures in order to most effectively assert their superiority, ranging from the Acropolis to the Panathenaic stadium, all used to portray their intended characteristics. The Greeks focused heavily on the ideology of forming an empire, an empire that was based upon the principles of riches and extravagance, all of the artwork and imagery within this blog will analyze and infer the political intentions of the the works in relation to the time in which it was created. The Greek politics of that time period were greatly influenced by the government and the notion of said dominance, especially through the Delian League, associated with greek city states and the accumulation of them under the Athenian control

[thearthistory]

Getting Started

Before looking at the images, there are a few characteristics one must keep in mind regarding ancient Greek Artwork ranging from the columns to the statues, as they have a representation of human emotions. Two of the main focal points will be the Early Classical Period from 480- c to 450 B.C.E, as this time period was when political motivation was high after the successful defeat of the Persians. Including the High Classical Period 400-450 B.C.E following the Peloponnesian was (Athens vs. Sparta)

[thearthistory]

Theater at Epidauros

Year: 380–360 BCE

By: Polykleitos the Younger

Era: High Classical 

The theatre provides insight into the technological factors and aspects that began to take shape during that time period regarding the engineering advancements. This leap forward was used as an example of dominance as it was able to send a message to outsiders regarding the advancements the nation is making. The theatre is able to hold 14,000 attendees and is built on a hill in order to support the height of the theatre, to allow individuals on top to have a clear image to the center of the stadium. It also touches on the growth of acoustics, which is one of the main reasons the theatre is still prominently used in Greece today. The Greek systematically used whatever they could to assert dominance, whether it be through technological advancements, or political superiority, they were able to make their message very clear. 

[thearthistory]

Year: 438-432 B.C

Era: High classical

By: Pheidias 

This piece of artwork is dedicated to the three goddesses within the east pediment of the Parthenon, made entirely of marble and sculpted by Pheidias, effectively used to provide insight to not only this time period, but the birth of Athena from her father Zeus. Including other goddess at are systematically placed to bear the moulding of the pediment. These gods are a prominent symbol in Greek politics as each god stands for a political aspect, emphasizing the notion of superiority and dominance through the artwork as well. The sculpture has a height 123 cm and a length of 233 cm, making them relatively equal in a sense. The goddess Hestia of hearth and home is on the left alongside her daughter Aphrodite, yet many believe this is a personification of both the sea and earth. 

[thearthistory]

Red figure pottery 425-400 BC

Era: Classical Period

VMFA - Virginia Museum of Fine Arts

Pottery is for all intents and purposes indestructible. In spite of the fact that it might break into littler pieces (called sherds), these would need to be physically ground into residue so as to be expelled from the archeological record. Accordingly, there is a plenitude of material for study, and this is especially valuable for present day researchers. Notwithstanding being a phenomenal instrument for dating, ceramics empowers specialists to find old destinations, reproduce the idea of a site, and point to proof of exchange between gatherings of individuals. Additionally, singular pots and their painted beautification can be contemplated in detail to respond to inquiries regarding religion, every day life, and society. This piece of artwork can heavily relate to the tradition of the all male symposium, which was a time after dinner where the noble men would get together and drink, also including philosophical and socratic dialogues to strengthen their knowledge. Since women were not allowed at this event, it was simply a mere representation of male dominance, and they ways in which it weaves itself into the political proponent. 

[thearthistory]

Year: 448 BC

height- 156m

overall dimensions-  170 by 350 

By: Callicrates and Ictinus

Athens built by Callicrates and Ictinus. The Acropolis is a staple mark in the City of Athens, and political domination through the Greeks, also seen as a religious statement. Symbolizing the democracy of the Athenian democracy and civilization, utilized to emphasize the wealth that came with the Athenians. The Parthenon is included within the Acropolis itself. The inclusion of the Caryatid Statues are architectural columns, they are believed to stand upon the mythical King Kekrops, yet, ancient Greek culture still remains one of the greatest mysteries. The Acropolis also greatly emphasizes politics especially through the fact that much of the nations democracy and assemblies took place within, as it was used as a technique to assert higher authority in order to place fear within the Athenians, however as time passed the Acropolis became a religious center.

[thearthistory]

Year: c. 460-450 BCE Height 6 feet 9 inches

By: Stefano Mariottini

Era: Early Classical 

The statues above, known as the Riace Warriors, were discovered off the coast of the coast of the Mediterranean sea. They are placed as two naked men, fully nude, curated by using detailed bronze. This statue is seen as a comparison piece to Doryphoros, which are both life size sculptures which go hand in hand with the physical appearance of man. The Riace Warriors utilize a more expensive bronze, with detailed physical appearance, all purposefully done to emphasize the strength and power defined through the Warriors, symbolizing dominance and virtue, characteristics which the Greeks highly focused no in order to assert their high political position. 

[thearthistory]

Year: 447 BC

By: Iktinos and Callicrates, including Phidias as the sculptor

height: 13.72 m

Era: High Classical 

The Parthenon was created as a Temple for the Goddess Athena, seen as a place of worship, as this was seen as a high point in the Athenian empire, as  they were engulfed in the ideology of superiority, dedicated as a symbolic representation of Athena. With the parthenon, there is great underlying meaning behind the Greek wealth, myths, and tales, all of which are embodied within the parthenon, symbolizing the western civilizations. During its construction, the idea of perfection was very prominent, as they wanted to emphasize Greek perfection through their sculptures. The Greeks also asserted their dominance through the fact that Pericles  called Athens the “School of Hellas” and utilized the Parthenon as the main aspect of their curriculum. The Parthenon was also sculpted with marble and detailed decorations within, all systematically placed to connote the idea of perfection, dominance, superiority, and wealth.