Greek & Estruscan Art

By cmclaughlin8
  • Period: 700 BCE to 600 BCE

    The Etruscan Orientalizing Period

    Orientalism originates from the Western fascination with and interpretation of Eastern cultures. This was a method of appropriating and adaptation of styles and motifs of the East. For the Etruscans, this meant
  • Etruscan, Bronze Bed and Carriage, Orientalizing Period, Bronze, Vatican Museums
    650 BCE

    Etruscan, Bronze Bed and Carriage, Orientalizing Period, Bronze, Vatican Museums

    Carriages like these were used to display the body of the deceased during a funeral. Mourners would watch their loved one on display, who would then be carted through the town to its final destination. This carriage was not used by everyone, another exclusive treatment for the rich.
  • Period: 650 BCE to 480 BCE

    The Archaic Period

    Artwork of this period characteristically incorporated symmetrical proportions, naturalistic figures, and emotive faces – often smiling. Much more artistic focus was put on the human body and its features, such as with nude female votive offerings (Kore) and nude male grave markers (Kouros). Pottery moved significantly from geometric shapes to decorated tales.
  • Greek, New York Kouros, Archaic Period, Marble Statue, 77 in x 20 in x 25 in, Metropolitan Museum of Art
    590 BCE

    Greek, New York Kouros, Archaic Period, Marble Statue, 77 in x 20 in x 25 in, Metropolitan Museum of Art

    Life-sized marble kouros. The figure’s hair is more reminiscent of Egyptian styles, while its large eyes resemble those of the Sumerian votive figures. Influence from other cultures is prevalent in early Greek art, before they formed their own identity.
  • Etruscan, Banditaccia Necropolis, Archaic Period, Cerveteri
    550 BCE

    Etruscan, Banditaccia Necropolis, Archaic Period, Cerveteri

    A Necropolis. Many rooms were built distinctly like a domestic space, meant to bridge the gap between the living and the domestic afterlife. Like many burial structures, the walls are decorated to reflect the Etruscan afterlife through household tools of the deceased. Contains the Tomb of the Triclinium as well, a chamber tomb with painted wall artwork depicting men and women in practices of recreation. The women and men are shown with equal heights, suggesting profound gender equality.
  • Period: 480 BCE to 300 BCE

    The Classical Period

    This period is broken into three segments: the Early, High, and Late Classical Periods. Early Classical artwork focused on naturalistic and mathematically perfect proportioned figures. High Classical artwork bridges the gap between the Late Classical period's usage of kinetic poses, where experimentation beyond perfection was practiced.
  • Greek, Riace Warriors, Early Classical Period, Bronze Statues, 6.5 feet ht, Museo Nazionale della Magna Grecia, Italy
    460 BCE

    Greek, Riace Warriors, Early Classical Period, Bronze Statues, 6.5 feet ht, Museo Nazionale della Magna Grecia, Italy

    Dual statues of two Greek Warriors. Early Classical Greek art continued heavy usage of heroic nudity, where figures (mostly gods and people of power) would be shown fully nude and with idealized proportions to cement their perfection.
  • Etruscan, Chimera of Arezzo, High Classical Period, Bronze, 31 in ht x 51 in lg, National Archaeological Museum, Florence
    400 BCE

    Etruscan, Chimera of Arezzo, High Classical Period, Bronze, 31 in ht x 51 in lg, National Archaeological Museum, Florence

    Large statue of the classical Chimera, being a lion with a goat head on its shoulder and a snake for a tail. This creature was a symbol of chaos, where depictions were used as a votive offering to restore or maintain balance. Etruscan art had, at this point, linked itself with much more detailed mythology.
  • Greek, Grave Stele of Dexileos, Late Classical Period, Marble Stele Relief, 6 feet ht, Dipylon Cemetery, Kerameikos,
    375 BCE

    Greek, Grave Stele of Dexileos, Late Classical Period, Marble Stele Relief, 6 feet ht, Dipylon Cemetery, Kerameikos,

    Stele relief showcasing the culmination of artistic efforts during the Late Classical Period. Figure depictions moved over time from still, symmetrical depictions to asymmetrical and kinetic poses.
  • Period: 323 BCE to 31 BCE

    The Hellenistic Period

    Age of Alexander the Great, known for his empirical reign spanning Macedonia to Ariana. Hellenistic art has a cosmopolitan subject matter, with themes such as humanism and realism.
  • Greek, Alexander Mosaic, Hellenistic Period, Mosaic, 8 ft 11 in × 16 ft 8 in, National Archaeological Museum, Naples
    120 BCE

    Greek, Alexander Mosaic, Hellenistic Period, Mosaic, 8 ft 11 in × 16 ft 8 in, National Archaeological Museum, Naples

    Artwork depicting the Battle at Issus, where the Greeks and Persians fought. This battle only happened around 300 BCE, suggesting its legendary status being depicted in art hundreds of years later.