de Beaufort AA ch16

1. The Classical and Medieval West

2. 1
Influence of Greece over concept of "beauty" as ideal, perfect
Classical Greek and Roman cultures dominated Western civilization from fifth century BCE until the decline of Rome.
Europe from 117 to 1400 CE

3. 1
Greece
Culture regarding humankind as the
closest thing to perfection in physical
form
Gods had human weaknesses
Mortals had godlike strengths
Importance of the individual
Power of reason
Painters better known than sculptors
Euphronios Krater
• Refers to shape of handled vessel
Euphronios Krater. c.515 BCE.
Terra cotta. Height 18”, diameter 21-
3⁄4”.

4. 1
Archaic Period
Late seventh to early fifth centuries BCE
Individual achievement statues
• Kouros (male) and kore (female) youths
Adapted Egyptian form to reflect Greek cultural values
• (individual not superhuman ruler)
Kouros. Statue of standing youth. c.580 BCE.
Marble. Height 76”.

5. 1
Classical Period
Art emphasizes rational simplicity, order, and restrained emotion
Increasingly naturalistic sculpture
Spear Bearer of Polykleitos
prime-of-life athlete
“ideal” proportions- divinely inspired ratio
Contrapposto (counterpoised) pose of rest
Polykleitos of Argos. Spear Bearer (Doryphoros).
Roman copy of Greek original, c.440 BCE.
Marble. Height 6’6”.

6. Classical Period
Surviving buildings mostly
religious, symmetrical, based on
post-and-beam system
Three architectural orders
identified by capitals at the top
• Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian
Architectural Orders

7. Ictinus and Callicrates. Parthenon. Acropolis, Athens. 448–432 BCE

8. Parthenon, designed by Ictinus and Callicrates
Built as a gift to Athena Parthenos
Post-and-lintel construction
Refined clarity, harmony, and vigor
Careful ratio of 4:9 throughout
None of the major lines is straight
Slight bulge called entasis above center
Ictinus and Callicrates. Parthenon. Acropolis, Athens. 448–432 BCE

9. 1
Classical Period
Lapiths (reason) and
centaurs(emotion) featured on
metopes
The Battle of the Lapiths and
Centaurs. Metope from the
Parthenon. c.440 BCE.
Marble. Height 67-3⁄4".

10. Classical Period
Later period led away from noble and serious, favoring the
sensual
Venus de' Medici, Praxiteles
Refined and modest pose
Venus de’ Medici. 3rd century BCE.
Marble. Height 5’.

11. Hellenistic Period
Most historians date from 323 BCE to
30 BCE
Decline of Athens as city-state
The Laocoön Group
Mythology interpreting gods’
disapproval of Laocoön’s prophecy
Hierarchic proportion
Theatricality and the human
experience
Laocoön Group. c.1st century CE.
Roman copy of a 1st- or 2nd-century
BCE Greek original, perhaps after
Agesander, Athenodorus, and
Polydorus of Rhodes.

12. 1
Rome
Grew in power during Hellenistic era
Major power in the Western world
Empire included Western Europe, North Africa, the
Near East, shores of the Mediterranean
Art emphasizes public use
Reflects need to administer a huge empire
Practical, less idealistic than the Greeks
Bust of Emperor Vespasian
High degree of individuality
Recorded imperfections give character
Bust of Emperor Vespasian. Flavia Era. Marble.
Height 21-5/8”.

13. 1
Greatest achievements in civil
engineering, town planning, and
architecture
Round arch featured
Used to build arcades, barrel
vaults, and domes
Public works projects
Colosseum
Flavian Amphitheater
• Three-story round-arch
colonnade with different
architectural orders
• Meant for amusements such
as gladiatorial matches and
game hunts
The Colosseum. Rome. 70–80 CE

14. Public works projects
Pantheon
Major temple to all gods capped
by dome
Pantheon. Rome. 118–25 CE.
View of the entrance. © Vincenzo
Pirozzi, Rome

15. Single entrance framed by a columned porch
(portico) Recessed squares called coffers
Oculus at the top
Pantheon plan and section. Rome. 118–125 CE.

16. 1
Giovanni Paolo Panini. The Interior of the Pantheon, Rome. c.1734.
Oil on canvas. 50-1⁄2” × 39”.

17. 1
Paintings
Show love of luxury
Survived from Pompeii, Herculaneum
One from a villa near Naples
• Complex urban scene
“mixed perspective”
After collapse of Roman Empire,
representation of third dimension ceased
to be of interest.
Roman Painting. 1st century BCE. Bedroom
from the Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at
Boscoreale, Pompei. Fresco on lime plaster.
Height (average) 8’.

18. Early Christian and Byzantine
Art
Followers of Christianity
Initially forced to hide
Burial chambers called
catacombs
Simplified figure painting
As in Christ and the Apostles
Christ and the Apostles. Early
Christian fresco. Catacomb of
St. Domitilla, Rome, Italy.
Mid-4th century

19. Early Christian Art
Constantine’s role
• Acknowledged and adopted Christianity
Spiritual values stronger than failing stability of material
world
Pioneered new type of imperial portrait
• Head of Constantine
• Large eyes, stiff features express an inner spiritual life
Moved capital to Byzantium
Head of Constantine. c.312 CE.
Marble. Height 8’.
Museo dei Conservatori, Rome

20. 1
Byzantine Art
New image of Christ as Pantocrator, or ruler of the
universe San Vitale apse mosaic’s typical hierarchic scale
Art looks down at the viewer
Christ as Pantocrator with Mary and Saints. Apse mosaic.
Cathedral of Monreale, Sicily. Late 12th century.

21. Eastern Orthodox style
Closely supervised
Portraying symbolic, mystical aspects rather
than physical qualities
Andrei Rublev, Icon of the Old Testament
Trinity
• Tenderness of expression and elongation
of bodies Bright colors’ intensity
Andrei Rublev. Icon of the Old Testament
Trinity. c.1410.
Tempera on panel. 55-1⁄2” × 44-1⁄2”.