This document provides an overview of ancient art from prehistoric times through the Roman era. It discusses the major styles and forms of art from Egypt, Greece, and Rome. For Egypt, it describes pyramids, sculpture like the Great Sphinx, and wall paintings containing hieroglyphics. For Greece, it outlines the three architectural orders, periods of sculpture, and painted pottery. For Rome, it examines architectural structures like basilicas, pantheons, and colosseums as well as forms of art like sculptures, murals, and baths.

1. Art History
-AncientArt-
PREHISTORIC TO ROMAN ART

2. Pre-Historic
Art

3. Artifacts

11. Egyptian
Art

12. Architecture
 The pyramids once were
covered with a smooth layer
of polished white limestone.
 They were massive, pure
white monuments standing
against a backdrop of
constantly shifting brown
sand and blue sky.
 What purpose did the
pyramids serve? How were
were they built?What is
inside?

13. The Design of Pyramids
Each pyramid was built
on an almost perfectly
square ground plan.
The pyramid base is
much greater than the
height. Because the
pyramid is wider than
it is tall, it lacks an
upward movement.

14. Sculpture
The massive size of the Great Sphinx was
intended to demonstrate the power of the
pharaoh.
To make certain the ka still would have a body
to unite with, sculptors were ordered to carve
the pharaoh’s portrait out of hard stone.
These sculptures were placed in the tomb near
the sarcophagus, where they acted as
substitutes for the body inside.The Egyptians
believed that even if the real body were
destroyed, the ka would be Great Sphinx, Giza, Egypt. c. 2600 B.C. 13

15. Painting
This limestone relief conforms to the rules governing
ancient Egyptian art. Methethy with His Daughter and
Son. c. 2565–2420 B.C. Polychromed limestone relief.
143 76 cm (561⁄4 30). The Nelson-Atkins Museum of
Art, Kansas City, Missouri. Purchase: Nelson Trust. 14
 The Egyptians were greatly concerned about
life after death.
 Paintings and relief sculptures of the dead
were meant to serve as substitutes for the
body.
 When artists created images of the pharaoh,
they wanted to make sure that all parts of
the body were clearly shown.

16. Women of Ancient Egypt

17. Copy of wall painting from Tomb of
Nakht. c. 1425 B.C. 2 1.53 m (6.5 5).
Egyptian Expedition of the Metropolitan
Museum of Art, New York, New York.
Rogers Fund, 1915. 15.5.19e. 16
The tomb of every
important or wealthy
person was enriched with
Painted Relief Sculptures.
Nakht and His Wife.
Hieroglyphics

18.  Under the border at the top of the painting are
rows and columns of small birds and other
shapes.
 These are Egyptian hieroglyphics, an early form
of picture writing.
 These symbols, some of which represented
objects, communicated information and were
included in wall paintings and other art forms to
help tell the story.
 The signs were generally spaced to form
attractive patterns, frequently clusters of
squares or rectangles.
Hieroglyphics

19. Classical Art-
Greek

20. The Greeks believed in living the
perfect life. They believed that a
variety of different gods (as in Greek
Mythology) controlled different
aspects of every persons destiny on
earth. They believed these gods acted
in very human ways and had great
respect and fear for them.
Culture, Religion, Art

21. A sacred hill in Athens,
Greece that rises
some 500 feet above
the surrounding city. It
is covered with
buildings, temples,
and statues. It was
intended to be a
tribute to the Gods
and placed at high on
the land so they could
be closer.
TheAcropolis

22. One of the Greeks greatest
contributions was in architecture. An
example of this would be the
Parthenon. It took 10 years to build
this massive structure that sits atop
the Acropolis. Its purpose is that of a
temple.
The Parthenon
Its appearance today is much different than how it originally looked. Inside
there was a giant statue of Athena, a Greek goddess, along with other
statues and embellishments. Centuries of war and environmental factors
have left it just a shell of what it once was.

23. The Three Orders of Greek Decoration
Style

24. A simple, heavy column
without a base, topped by
a plain capital that has no
ornamentation.
The Doric Style

25. The Ionic Style
Used an elaborate base and
capitol in the form of scrolls

26. The most elaborate of the
three orders. It is elongated
and decorated with leaves. It
usually sits atop a plain
column and has heavy detail.
The Corinthian Style

27. Greek Sculpture Three Distinct
Periods

28. Sculptors created large, rigid,
freestanding sculptures called
Kouros.
TheArchaic Period

29. Greek sculptors were interested in
to the Human Form moving in
space.There was also great care
taken to create the Ideal
Proportions of the human form.
form. Anatomical Perfection was
important.
The Classical Period

30. Aesthetic beauty was less
important to the sculptors of
this time period.They were
interested in Showing
Emotion on the face and used
used Realistic Proportions as
opposed to ideal proportions of
the classical period.
The Hellenistic Period

31. The ancient Greeks loved
color…at one time most of the
the sculptures were painted in
bright, vivid colors and layered
layered in gold. Over time this
this has worn away, but there are
some that are still found with
traces of faded color.
Greek Painting

32. The Greek vase served
the purpose of grave
markers for the ancient
Greeks. Although not
urns for ashes, they
marked the burial site.
Early vases were
decorated with simple,
geometric patterns.
GreekVase Making

33. Later vases used realism
to construct a story on
the outside of the vase
about the deceased.
Similar to the way the
Egyptians before them
would use hieroglyphs
inside of the tombs.
GreekVase Decoration

34. Classical Art-
Roman

35. Roman
Architecture

36. Were large
rectangular buildings
constructed to hold
large numbers of
people. It was often
used as a public forum
and meeting place.
Basilicas

37. Was a temple built for
the Roman gods but
eventually became a
Christian church. Its
main feature is a
massive domed roof
with a hole in the
middle to allow for
light.
The Pantheon

38. It was built to house
all sorts of sporting
events...chariot races
and gladiator fights
among them.The
Colosseum is a great
example of the use of
arches.
The Colosseum

39.  the floor of the
Colosseum was
lined with trap
doors that could be
raised and lowered
 as many as 5,000
pairs of gladiators
and 11,000 animals
were killed
Colosseum

40. A heavily decorated
arch used by the
Romans to celebrate a
successful military
campaign. Upon return
from battle the
victorious would march
thru the arch in
celebration.
ATriumphalArch

41. Was a system used by
the Romans to bring
water down out of the
mountains to be used
in the city. Gravitational
flow and the use of
arches in construction
help make this system
work.
TheAqueduct System

42. Roman Recreation

43. Roman baths were
vast enclosed
structures that
contained libraries,
gyms, restaurants,
and other forms of
leisure.
The Famous Roman Baths

44. Roman Sculpture and
Painting

45. The public often commissioned
portrait sculptures, and artists
strived to create what the
person actually looked like.This
was in contrast to the Greeks
who were more interested in
the ideal forms.
Portrait Sculptures

46. Were used to
decorate the often-
elaborate homes of
the Romans.These
paintings were not
hung on the wall, but
painted on the wall for
decor.
Mural Paintings