Pictures of Greco-Roman art, artefacts & Museum antiquities.
The birth of the style that all western art derives from happened in the ancient Greek city states between about 480BC and 336BC This period is known as the Classical Greek era. The rules developed in this era that governed artworks and architecture are still used as the base points today.
The pantheon of Greek gods were made up of deities that looked like humans. They could not be depicted as mere...
more »Pictures of Greco-Roman art, artefacts & Museum antiquities.
The birth of the style that all western art derives from happened in the ancient Greek city states between about 480BC and 336BC This period is known as the Classical Greek era. The rules developed in this era that governed artworks and architecture are still used as the base points today.
The pantheon of Greek gods were made up of deities that looked like humans. They could not be depicted as mere humans though so Greek artists created perfect beings with perfect bodies. The body beautiful was highly prized by the Greeks and the depiction of this perfection led to some of the greatest nude sculptures the world has ever seen. Ancient Greek artists learnt how to turn stone into flesh and make marble figures that looked like they were alive and in action. Greek sculptures like Praxiteles enfaced his sculptures of Aphrodite with sexuality.
The Romans were in awe of Greek culture and imitated Greek art to create great monumental art of its own. Revered Greek sculptures were copied by Roman sculptors all over its Empire. Praxiteles style Aphrodite's have been excavated from many Roman archaeological site, as have copies of other Greek sculptures. The Romans in the west continued what became to be known as the Hellenistic style until its collapse in the 6th century AD.
It is hard therefore to distinguish clearly between Greek Hellenistic sculptures and Greek sculptures. Up until the time of Augustus, Roman sculptors were incredibly life like portraits that included warts and all. Augustus changed this by controlling what he looked like and how he was depicted across the emerging Roman Empire. After Augustus successive Emperors were depicted more like the gods of ancient Greece. Great monumental statues depicted them in an idealised way with the imperfections removed.
The Romans were great interior decorators who covered their floor with mosaics and painted their walls with trompe-l’œil decorations. Many Roman mosaics have survived and tell us a lot about the Romans. The intricate geometric designs that are often use to border mosaic floors tell of the Romans interest in mathematics and illusional designs. Some of the centre mosaic panels the Romans produced were very realistic depicting marine scene, animals and depicting gods and mythical scenarios.
The classical and Hellenistic styles were steeped in paganism and it wasn't until the style was revived by the great Renaissance artists that it was used for the representation of the Christian pantheon. By this time the Western Roman Empire, known as the Byzantine, had embraced Orthodox Christianity which banned 3 dimensional representations of christian deities.
Pictures and images of Greek and Roman Hellenistic art exhibits from the great Museums of Europe and the Middle East can be bought on line as photo art prints or downloaded as high resolution stock photos.
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