Geometric Krater

ca. 740 BCE

Geometric Style

Athens, Greece

Located at the Dipylon Cemetery, the piece uses composite perspective- the use of layering to show depth. The decorative portions introduces patterns from fabrics. The Krater was used as a grave marker for a male. It was used to mix wine and water. Depicts scene from funerary procession in which deceased is laid out on a high bed.

Kouros

ca 600 BCE

Archaic Style

6'1/2" high, can be used to mark a grave or as an offering to the God.  To be shown as intellectual, rational, unemotional- displaying virtues as calm and composed. Kouros pertains to youth, especially of a boy of noble rank. Typically life sized.

Peplos Kore

530 BCE

Archaic Style

Athens, Greece. Probably Artemis which may have held a bow and arros or could be an Athenian woman with offering plate.  It is most likely an offering and these weren't as generic; they were most likely used for a different purpose. Could also represent Persephone.

Achilles and Ajax Playing a Dice Game

ca. 530 BCE

Archaic Style

Vulci, Italy

Exekias was both the painter and potter.  It was signed by Exekias meaning that there was competition among artists, these were "talking vases." Artist wants us to see the difference in their characters.  Achilles rolls a four and Ajax, a three.  Achilles is shown as composed and together while Ajax is regarded as a bit more tense. The artist displays subtle differences that would be easily picked up during that time period.

Doryphoros (the Spear Bearer)

450-440 BCE

Classical Era

Sculpted by Polykleitos, one of the best known Greek sculptures of the Classical Era. The work nonetheless forms an important early example of both Classical Greek contrapposto and Classical realism; as such, the iconic Doryphoros proved highly influential elsewhere in ancient art.  It is balanced, chiastic, perfect person.  Some think it is Achilles and may have held a shield and sword. Steps forward from a static pose.

The Parthenon

430 BCE

Classical

Temple on the Athenian Acropolis, Greece, dedicated to the Goddess, Athena.  It had three purposes- used as a gracious offering to Athena for the victory of Marathon, it was used as a treasury, and also a temple of worship. It is a doric temple with Ionic archetectural features. The columns are of Doric order, and contains a continuous sculpted frieze of low relief, ionic in style. Built in delicate curves. As the Greeks may have been aware, two parallel lines appear to bow, or curve outward, when intersected by converging lines. In this case, the ceiling and floor of the temple may seem to bow in the presence of the surrounding angles of the building. Striving for perfection, the designers may have added these curves, compensating for the illusion by creating their own curves, thus negating this effect and allowing the temple to be seen as they intended. It is also suggested that it was to enliven what might have appeared an inert mass in the case of a building without curves, but the comparison ought to be with the Parthenon's more obviously curved predecessors than with a notional rectilinear temple.

Temple of Apollo (Didyma)

330 BCE

Archaic

Ancient Greek sactuary on the coast of Ionia.  It was meant to be an individual experience rather than a group. The Persians caused the destruction of the temple. The third and largest temple the Greeks built around a natural spring.  The exterior looked much like other Greek construction but the inside was very unique and visitors could note that the roof that appeared on the outside, when inside, was an opening to the sky.

Apoxyomenos (The Scraper)

ca 330 BCE

4th Century Late Classical

Standing at 6'9," it represents an athlete, caught in the familiar act of scraping sweat and dust from his body with the small curved instrument that the Romans called a strigil. Ordinary scene, more personable and engaging.  Lysippos exaggerates the sculpture.  The function is purely decorative, 4th century. Probably an athelete or aristocrat. In a contrapposto position, Lysippos sculpts subjects not as the really are but as the appear to be. 

Nike of Samothrace (Nike Alighting on a Warship)

190 BCE

2nd Century BCE Hellenistic

Commemorative sculpture that was on the island of Samothrace.  It commemorates naval battle and is a dramatic, Hellenistic piece.  It is stop action, depicting the climax of action and the height of the drama. It stands at 8 feet tall and is located at the Louvre.

The Great Altar

150 BCE

2nd Century Hellenistic

The few inscriptions left on the altar do not provide enough information to know what God it was dedicated to. Depictions of great celestial battle between the Olympian Gods and the giants for reigning supremecy of the earth.  Extremely dramatic with deep drilling and dynamic lines and curacture.  Flamboyant and extravagant displaying and evoking much emotion.

Model of a typical 6th Century Etruscan Temple

6th BCE

Etruscan

Temples resembled Greek temples but had widely spaced wood columns only at the the front, and walls were made of sundried brink.  There isn't much left of the Etruscan temples but there are good descriptions according to Vitruvius.

Sarcophagus with Reclining Couple

520 BCE

Cerviteri, Italy

Etruscan

The figures are shown in a loving manner reclining on a couch.  They are shown doing ordinary things.  This piece is a sarcophagus which probably held the ashes of the man, woman, or possibly even both.  The figures are shown to be quite equal to each other unlike in Greek culture.  

Aule Metele (The Orator)

Early 1st Century BCE

Cortona, Italy

Etruscan

Life size, about 5'7"  Mostly in the style of Roman but also has Etruscan features.  The face is veuristic.  Virtues are shown in the veuristic qualities of the faces, displaying middle-aged wisdom, gravitas, focus, patience, and concern.  Patrition shos and toga signifies a senator, citizen of upper class.  He is in the middle of giving a speech, articulating.  Family name featured along bottom of toga.

Temple of Portunus

75 BCE

Rome, Italy

Etruscan

Ionic columns, took off the roof decorations.  There are limited decoration and found on inside with the cult object.  Materials are Roman.  There is no fieze, even though there was an area for it.  Temple to the God, Portunus.

Restored View of the Sanctuary of Fortuna

Late 2nd Century BCE

Palestrina

Etruscan

A predetermined path for visitors was set by a ramp.  There weren't many other paths to take.  Typical features of Roman archetecture.  Steps are located only at the entrance and was provided as an offering and place of worship to Fortuna.

Portrait of Augustus as General

20 BCE

Primaporta, Italy

Etruscan

Made of marble and larger than life at 6'8" tall it displays classical features, Augustus is shown barefoot and as a "divine."  Cupid resides at bottom suggesting Augustus' lineage of Venus.  Pure propeganda piece.  He is shown having an orator gesture, his toga symbolizes that he is of the people, the military breastplate displays the ability to command the army and peple.  Augustus is ushering in the Golden Age of Rome.

Altar of Augustan Peace

13-9 BCE

Rome, Italy

Etruscan

An attempt to revive republican ideas and symbolizes growth.  The temple was used as an area to make sacrifices, possibly by the Roman army to purify themselves and give thanks after times of war.  This altar was dedicated to Peace, the Roman Goddess.  externally, two-tier friezes run along the walls and portray the peace and fertile prosperity enjoyed as a result of the peace brought to Rome by Augustus' military supremacy.  Built to remind Romans.

Arch of Titus

After 81 ACE

Rome, Italy

Etruscan

Commemorates the ROman's desecration of the temple of Jeurusalem, Isreal.  It also functions as the burial place for Titus, as a triumphant arch and funeral monument.  Single bay arch, classical, and minimal decoration.

Column of Trajan

112 CE

Rome, Italy

Etruscan

Many scenes that repeat, a hallmark of Roman Art.  Was used to portray a consistent, persistentorder.  Erected between two libraries, Greek and Roman.  Visual equivalent to written scroll inside library. 125 ft high, 125 ft to clear hill.  Urn of Trajan and his wife in bottom. St Peter is on the top, whom replaced Trajan. 

Pantheon

118-125 CE

Rome, Italy

Etruscan

Hadrian built to all the Gods, and it is full of different kinds of marble.  The building is circular with a portico of large granite Corinthian columns (eight in the first rank and two groups of four behind) under a pediment. A rectangular vestibule links the porch to the rotunda, which is under a coffered concretedome, with a central opening (oculus) to the sky. Almost two thousand years after it was built, the Pantheon's dome is still the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome.^[3] The height to the oculus and the diameter of the interior circle are the same, 43.3 metres (142 ft).^{[4]   It is still used and operated by the Roman Catholic Church, most famously for the pentecost.}

Arch of Constantine

312-315 CE

Rome, Italy

Etruscan

The arch is heavily decorated with parts of older monuments, which assume a new meaning in the context of the Constantinian building. As it celebrates the victory of Constantine, the new "historic" friezes illustrating his campaign in Italy convey the central meaning: the praise of the emperor, both in battle and in his civilian duties. The other imagery supports this purpose: decoration taken from the "golden times" of the Empire under the 2nd century emperors whose reliefs were re-used places Constantine next to these "good emperors", and the content of the pieces evokes images of the victorious and pious ruler.

The Good Shepherd

Early 4th Century

Catacombs in Rome

Late Antiquity

Because the image of Christ as a shepherd is such an established part of church art today, one could easily regard it as being an image that is unique to Christianity. Its origin, however, goes back to prototypes found in Archaic Greek sculpture. A calf, goat, or ram on the shoulders of a man is found in works that were created several hundred years before the coming of Christ; Roman copies are known also. The subject of the Greek “Ram Bearer” is of an animal that is being carried to the place where it will be sacrificed. This pre-Christian image was adapted and used by Christians, not as a sheep or a goat being carried to the place of sacrifice, but rather to depict Christ as the Good Shepherd; the loving guardian and protector.

The painter of the Good Shepherd in the Catacomb of Priscilla was familiar undoubtedly with Roman copies of Greek sculpture and also familiar with paintings of pastoral scenes in Roman homes. The facial characteristics of Christ in this fresco are similar to figures seen in wall paintings of that time. He is beardless, without a halo, and not dressed in long white robes as he is depicted in later works. In Christian art, halos had not come into use as a symbol at the time this was painted.

Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus

ca 359 CE

Rome Italy

Late Antiquity

Corinthean and ionic, judgement scenes of Christ and being saved in the nick of time.  Much like Roman emporors and in the Roman style, not inventive.  Harvesting wheat and grapes, angels instead of eros figures, symbolizing the blood of Christ.

The style of the work has been greatly discussed by art historians, especially as its date is certain, which is unusual at this period.^[3] All are agreed that the workmanship is of the highest quality available at the time, as one might expect for the tomb of such a prominent figure.

The sarcophagus in many respects shows fewer features of the Late Antique style of sculpture typified in the Arch of Constantine of several decades earlier: "The sculpture ignores practically all the rules obeyed by official reliefs. Some figures are portrayed frontally, but certainly not all, and they are not shown in a thoroughly Late Antique manner; the scenes are three-dimensional and have depth and background .... drapery hangs on recognizable human forms rather than being arranged in predetermined folds; heads are varied, portraying recognisably different people."^[4] The sarcophagus has been seen as reflecting a blending of late Hellenistic style with the contemporary Roman or Italian one, seen in the "robust" proportions of the figures, and their slightly over-large heads.

The setting in the niches casts the figures against a background of shadow, giving "an emphatic chiaroscuro effect"^[5] - an effect much more noticeable in the original than the cast shown here, which has a more uniform and lighter colour. The cast also lacks the effects created by light on polished or patinated highlights such as the heads of the figures, against the darker recessed surfaces and backgrounds.

1st style- marble elements

2nd style- receeding background/windows

3rd style- picture gallery/framed pictures

4th style- encompasses all the above