Ancient Greek Art
Ariel Oeffinger
Greek Styles in Art
The art of Ancient Greece are usually divided stylistically into four periods: the Geometric, Archaic, Classical, and Hellenistic.
There was no sharp transition from one period to another. Forms of art developed at different speeds in different parts of the Greek world, and as in any age some artists worked in more innovative styles than others.
Greek Sculpture
Phidias and other sculptors during this golden age aimed to create figured that were graceful, strong, and perfectly formed. Their faces showed neither laughter nor anger, only serenity.
Greek Architecture
Even though it seems simple, the Greeks created a wonderful and lasting legacy of architecture. The columns and architraves were carved with leaves and flowers, scenes of battles, and mythological creatures. The columns were decorated with lines and bases, and capitals, which topped off the columns and connected the architraves.
"We admire the work of art but despise the maker of it" -Plutarch (Life of Pericles, II)
Greek Art Influence today
The influence of Greek art upon Western civilization and consequently the entire world cannot be understated. The poetry of Homer has been mirrored and alluded to by some of the greatest writers in the English language, with one of the greatest novels of all time, "Ulysses" by James Joyce, being based upon the story of "The Odyssey." The architecture of Ancient Greece can be found in various forms in many of the US governmental buildings, such as the Lincoln Memorial and the US Capitol Building. The style of sculpture influenced such great Italian artists such as Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci in both their sculptures and their paintings.