Art History Before 1450
Instructor: Roberta A. Mayer, Ph.D.  

Early Greek Art
Study Guide 5

The Geometric Period — 900-700 B.C.

Pottery

Geometric krater, from the Dipylon cemetary, Athens, ca. 740 B.C.E.

Sculpture

Geometric, Hero and Centaur, ca. 750-730 B.C.E.

The Orientalizing Period — 700-600 B.C.

Pottery

Orientalizing, Corinthian black-figure amphora with animal friezes, ca. 625-600 B.C.E.

Sculpture

Orientalizing, Mantiklos Apollo, ca. 700-680 B.C.E.


The Archaic Period — 600-480 B.C.

Sculpture
Archaic, Kouros, ca. 600 B.C.E.
Archaic, Calf Bearer, ca. 560 B.C.E.
Archaic, Anavysos Kouros, ca. 530 B.C.E.
   
Archaic, Peplos Kore, ca. 530 B.C.E.
Archaic, Kore from the Acropolis, ca. 520-510 B.C.E.

Pottery 

Archaic, Kleitias and Ergotimos, Francois Vase, ca. 570 B.C.E.


Archiac, Exekias,
Achilles and Ajax playing a dice game (detail)

Archaic, Andokides Painter, Achilles and Ajax playing a dice game (bilingual amphora), ca. 525-520 B.C.E.
Archaic, Andokides Painter, Achilles and Ajax playing a dice game (bilingual amphora), ca. 525-520 B.C.E.


Archaic, Euphronius, Herakles Wrestling Anteus, ca. 510 B.C.E.

Archaic, Onesimos, Girl preparing to bathe, Tondo, ca. 490 B.C.E.

Architecture and its Associated Sculpture

Archaic, Basilica (Temple of Hera I), Paestum, Italy, ca. 550 B.C.E.

Archaic, Pediment of the Temple of Artemis, Corfu, Greece, ca. 600-580 B.C.E.

Archaic, Temple of Aphaia, Aegina, Greece, ca. 500-490 B.C.E.

Archaic, Dying Warrior, from the West Pediment of the Temple of Aphaia, Aegina, Greece, ca. 500-490 B.C.E.
Archaic, Dying Warrior, from the East Pediment, Temple of Aphaia, Aegina, Greece, ca. 490-480 B.C.E.

Vocabulary

black-figure pottery
red-figure pottery
Bilingual pottery
Archaic smile
peplos
chiton
kouros
kore
acropolis
himation
Zeus
Hera
Athena
Aphrodite
krater
amphora
kylix
lekythoi
meander
centaur

Practice Essay Questions

  • Discuss the changes in vase decoration from early Minoan times through the fifth century in Greece. Include both techniques and motifs in your discussion.

  • Compare the conception of the individual human being in Greek society with that in the earlier societies of the ancient Near East. What effect did these beliefs have on the art produced by each?

  • Compare and contrast the black-figure technique with the red-figure technique. How were these pieces made? How did the style change over time? Why?

  • What is meant by the term "Orientalizing?"

  • Compare the structure and function of Egyptian temples with those of Greek temples. Be sure to cite specific examples to illustrate your discussion.