An Introduction to Greek Art

The four centuries between the composition of the Homeric epics and the conquests of Alexander the Great witnessed an immensely creative period in Greek art, one full of experimentation and innovation. But time has taken its toll; damaged statues have lost their colour and wall paintings have been totally destroyed. And yet sympathetic study of surviving sculpture and of drawing on vases can give extraordinary insight into and appreciation of these once brilliant works This book, designed originally for students, introduces the reader to Greek sculpture and vase painting in the critical period from the eighth to the fourth centuries BC. The works discussed are generously illustrated and lucidly analysed to give a vivid picture of the splendor of Greek art. The up-dated second edition includes a new chapter examining art in Greek society, a timeline to help relate artistic development to historical events, an explanation of how dates BC are arrived at, a brief overview of Greek temple plans and a further reading list of recent books. This clear, approachable and rigorous introduction makes the beauty of Greek art more readily accessible and comprehensible, balancing description with interpretation and illustration, and is an invaluable tool to help develop insight, appreciation and comprehension.

Susan Woodford is an independent scholar who has written five other books for the general reader: The Parthenon (1981), The Art of Greece and Rome (2004), Looking at Pictures and Images of Myths in Classical Antiquity (2002, winner of the Criticos Prize 2003), and The Trojan War in Ancient Art (Bloomsbury Academic, 1993).

Preface Note on Terminology Acknowledgements Map 1. Beginnings 2. Attic Black-Figure Vase Painting 3. Archaic Architectural Sculpture 4. Archaic Free-Standing Statues and Grave Stelai 5. Early Red-Figure Vase Painting 6. Early Classical Sculpture 7. Early Classical Architectural Sculpture: The Temple of Zeus at Olympia 8. Early Classical Painting and Vase Painting 9. High Classical Architectural Sculpture: The Parthenon 10. High Classical Sculpture and Vase Painting 11. Art in the Last Quarter of the 5th Century BC 12. Sculpture in the 4th Century BC: The Opening of New Horizons 13. Art in Greek Society Epilogue Appendices: - Literary sources - Establishing dates BC - Literary Sources: useful texts surviving from classical antiquity - The names of vase painters - The names given to statues - The authenticity of the Hermes of Praxiteles - The colour used on Greek sculpture - The Doric and Ionic orders - Greek temple plans - Identification of mythological figures and scenes Glossary Timeline Further Reading Index