El arte griego. Características generales.

The Foundations of Greek Art and Its Influence on Western Culture

Overview of Greek Art

• Greek art laid the groundwork for Western art, with lasting contributions in aesthetics and form.

• Key concepts include art as a representation of reality, beauty channels, proportions, and architectural orders.

Historical Context

• Greek art developed in the Aegean region (L.A.D.) from around the 13th century BC among Greek-speaking peoples.

• It spread through colonization to southern Italy, western Mediterranean, and Black Sea until Roman conquest around the 2nd century BC.

Cultural Unity Among Greeks

• Despite lacking political unity, there was a shared identity among Greeks through language (classical Greek), religion (anthropomorphic Olympian), myths, and common rituals like Panhellenic games.

Characteristics of Greek Art

Anthropocentrism

• Central to Greek culture was anthropocentrism—viewing humans as the measure of all things versus Eastern theocentrism.

Concept of Mimesis

• Art was seen as mimesis or imitation of nature but aimed to idealize it rather than merely replicate it.

Rationality in Art

• Beauty was linked to perfection found in order, proportion, symmetry, geometry, and mathematics; artists aspired to achieve an ideal beyond chaos.

Values in Artistic Evaluation

• Unlike Eastern civilizations that valued utility or grandeur for rulers/gods, Greeks valued harmony (the beautiful union of diversity), clarity, balance, symmetry, and proportion.

Mathematical Proportions

• The pursuit of artistic perfection involved meticulous calculations; beauty stemmed from harmonious relationships between parts and wholes.

Architectural Orders and Canon in Sculpture

Architectural Order

• Architectural orders dictated rules for building size/decorations ensuring aesthetic coherence across structures.

Canon Concept

• In sculpture, a canon established ideal measurements/proportions for representing human bodies based on beauty prototypes.

Public Nature of Greek Art

Civic Engagement

• Greek art was closely tied to civic life within city-states (polis), serving public needs rather than divine or monarchical purposes.

Types of Structures

Cultural and Artistic Developments in Ancient Greece

Urban Planning and Architecture

• The development of urbanism in Greek city-states (polis) aimed to create spaces that served citizens, featuring an acropolis for defense and religion, alongside public areas for civic activities.

• Key architectural monuments included temples and sanctuaries dedicated to religious ceremonies, reflecting the polytheistic and humanized nature of Greek religion and mythology.

• Artistic representations often depicted Greek values through myths, showcasing themes like order versus chaos, with notable scenes such as battles between gods and mythical creatures.

Evolution of Greek Art

• Greek art evolved from static forms seen in Eastern civilizations to dynamic expressions aiming for perfection; this evolution allowed for the representation of movement and emotions.

• The Geometric Period (up to 8th century BC) featured limited architectural remains primarily made of wood, characterized by small bronze figurines and geometric pottery designs.

Influence of Eastern Cultures

• The Orientalizing Period (late 8th - 7th century BC) saw influences from Eastern cultures like Phoenicia and Egypt, leading to rectangular temple designs and more varied ceramic decorations inspired by nature.

Archaic to Classical Transition

• The Archaic Period (700 - 488 BC) marked a transition towards expressive naturalism in art, with monumental Doric temples becoming prevalent alongside sculptures that began showing greater realism.

• Notable sculptures from this period include kouroi (youthful male figures) and korai (female figures), which evolved from rigid Egyptian styles into more lifelike representations.

Golden Age of Athens

• The Classical Period (480 - 323 BC), particularly the 5th century, is recognized as the Golden Age of Greece under Pericles' leadership, marked by significant artistic achievements in architecture and sculpture.