Essay

Jon-Paul Placella

The change in Greek art through time

Greek art has been constantly changing for many thousands of years. From the stone age and the geometric styles all the way to the classical and Hellenistic styles and everything in between. Greek Art has been changing for the better on a constant regular basis. A example of that is the Archaic period.

The Archaic period in Greece was from 800 BCE t o 480 BCE and is one of the periods that made up Ancient Greece’s history. The name Archaic has been standard since the 18^th century, and comes from the styles of surface decorating and sculpture. Falling in between the periods of geometric art and the classical Greek art. In the Archaic period the most important piece of art was a sculpture called the “kouros” which was a word that stood for a male standing nude. The biton and kleobis is a good example of this from 580 BCE and is at the Delphi archaeological Museum. Biton and Kleobis are the names of two human borthers in Greek mythology. The calf bearer or Moschophoros located in the Acropolois Museum in Athens and is a statue of a male carrying a calf that is supposes to be his offerings to the gods. Both of these pieces represent the new style of archaic art that is more realistic and smoother, more natural shapes. This shows a obvious change from the old geometric art from Greece.

Yet another revolution for Greek art was the classical period. Status became even more natural then the Archaic period because the statues began to have poses and weren’t in the stationary, default, stiff poses that were found earlier. Some examples of this were the Bronze sculpture of Poseidon or Zeus in 460 BCE which was in a pose as if he was throwing a bolt or spear. The Antikythera Ephebe in 460 BCE to 450 BCE is a bronze statue of a young man. His pose with his right hand outwards is thought to may be representing Paris handing the apple of discord, but no one knows for sure. Both of these statues are located in the Archaeological Museum of Athens. The skill of greek sculptors greatly increased and a variety or poses that could be created increased and from 500 BCE on statues also began to represent real common people as well. Both of these bronze statues show yet another change in the greek style to perfect the realistic poses of sculpture

The transition from the classical period to the Hellenistic period had the clash of many different influences because Alexander the Great had conquered almost all the of land around the Mediterranean and the Aegean Sea. Realism was focused on even more then the past. Although they didn’t focus on perfection, they focus on what it should look like and more realistic. Two pieces of art that can both be found at the Archaeological museum of Athens are Aphrodite Eros and Pan 100 BCE and the horse and young jockey 140 BCE. Aphrodite Eros and Pan is showing Aphrodite trying to bat pan away with the help of Eros. The realism and beauty in this statue is amazing and shows real life natural movements. The Horse and young jockey is a bronze statue of a boy pointing on a leaping horse. The detail and the seamless natural lines fit the style of Hellenistic art.

Getting to see each of theses in person was amazing. Things are much bigger in person then in the text books. Although sometimes they are also a bit smaller then they appear. The detail in person is so breath taking. And once you think about how long ago most of these things were made it just puts you in awe. Just knowing that people were making and touching this thousands of years ago puts chills down my spin.

In conclusion Greek art has been on a constant steady path of change. From these examples and the information provided show the change from the Archaic period art in transition to the classical period. Then the transition from the classical changes to even new and improved changes in the Hellenistic period. There have been many wonderful and exciting changes and discovers, and many more to come.