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ART RECOGNITION (4)

SIMO JELAČA, Ph.D.

GREEK ART

The Greeks, or Hellenes, as they called themselves, consisted of several tribes that had the same language, the same gods and a common awareness that they all had the same ancestors. They belong to the Indo-European community and are related to the Latins, Germans, Persians and Indians.

The Hellenic tribes arrived in the southern part of the Balkan Peninsula, between the second and first millennium BC. Over time, they also settled in Sicily, Southern Italy, Spain, on the coasts of Asia Minor and Southern Russia. They all remained unique and created extraordinary achievements around the fifth century BC.

Architecturа

Greek architecture dates back to the period called the ‘‘Greek Middle Ages’’. They supported the extensive fortifications of the Achaeans, from the island of Crete, who were influenced by the Assyrian and Egyptian civilizations. The Greeks, however, created their own world of architecture. They based their buildings on the ancient Mycenaean temple with columns, thereby creating the foundations of art that lasted for over two millennia. The Greeks set the rules for architecture, sculpture and painting. The system chose the column and beam as the basis of the structure. This determined the types of buildings. Temples in Greece were the subject of theoretical research. The basis was a rectangular room with columns around it, an example is the Temple of Poseidon in the Doric style (fifth century BC). In exceptional cases, the room was circular. The wall and columns accepted the weight of the roof and stone blocks, that is, the entire weight of the building. The systems of connecting the elements were Doric and Ionic. The Parthenon, the most beautiful temple of the Doric style, was built in the Ionian center of Athens. The three styles and their modifications form the basis for understanding Greek architecture.

For the later development of architecture, the Doric style took precedence. The final part of the column is called the capitol, which is connected to the roof. The Ionic style column has the same thickness up to ⅓ of the height, and from there it decreases to the capitol.

Ionic and Doric columns differ in their processing, especially the capitol. Structurally, the Ionic capitol was less practical than the Doric. These two styles also differed in the base of the columns. In the Ionic style, the base was an important component. The Ionic and Doric styles also differed in dimensions. Greek temples were striking because of their external appearance, the interior was only like a closed box, a stone safe. The Corinthian style is just a more decorative variant of the Ionic style. Its innovations consisted of a richly decorated base of the column and a new form of the bell-shaped capitulum. The Greeks did not use it much, but it was fashionable in Rome. Classical Greek architecture began in the 9th century BC, and reached its highest point in the 5th century BC with the construction of the Acropolis of Athens. Greek styles were also adopted by many civilizations as the basis of their own architecture. The Doric styles were more massive than the Ionic and more densely arranged. The styles are actually external decoration. The third style, Corinthian, is actually a variation of the Ionic style. Variations in the Corinthian style are the richer base and the capitulum. Hence, the Corinthian style is more decorative than the previous two. Accordingly, the Greeks used it only for smaller buildings. Before the appearance of the Corinthian style, the Caryatid, a column of female statues, was introduced to the Ionic style.

In Greek architecture, theaters, tragedies and comedies play a major role; they were the greatest manifestations among the Hellenes, the beginning of dramatic art. For these performances, the outer space of the hillside was chosen. The seats for the spectators were arranged in a semicircle towards the central part. This central part could be circular or semicircular. The Romans turned this space into an amphitheater. The Romans separated the theater from the hill, they built a circular staircase. The Greek theater, open to nature, remains a remarkable achievement in architecture. The columns of the buildings, Doric, Ionic and Corinthian, changed their proportions.

Sculpture

Many of the original Greek sculptures were looted, such as the Great Statue of Athena in gold and ivory, commissioned by Phidias for the interior of the Pantheon. Many copies, marble and bronze copies, have survived, and others have lost their originality. The artistic heritage of the Greeks surpasses the entire artistic heritage and creativity of many human cultures. Greek sculpture of the earlier era is connected with the architecture of that time. Greek gods, unlike Egyptian and Persian, were imagined as human with human features, without flaws. They were divided according to the age of people (as a boy, 15-16 years old), as a mature man in full strength, a lovely young girl and a serious woman. Children and the elderly were not represented in sculpture. In Greek sculpture, the names of artists are known. For example, Praxital, whose mistress was Phryne of Thebes, was the first to depict a naked woman. Greek artists made sculptures in stone and marble. Next came the figures of the god Apollo. Sculptures of women with hair and dresses, much more difficult to make, were an advance in the making of sculptures. The most representative work is considered to be the charioteer from Delphi, preserved in the original, in bronze, around 475 BC. With extraordinary folds on the clothes. By the middle of the 5th century BC. The Greeks had reached the pinnacle of sculpture, true perfection. Polykleitos determined the exact proportions of the human body, which must be maintained in the making of a sculpture. Greek sculptors emphasize the muscles in sculptures. The greatest Greek sculptor is considered to be Phidias. Sculptures are usually presented in groups, not as individual figures. Greek sculptures enchant viewers with their beauty and as a whole.

Painting

In addition to architecture and sculpture, the Greeks excelled in painting, jewelry, ceramics, coinage, and metalworking. They all followed the paths trodden by architects and sculptors. Little remains of Greek painting. Greek painting was as advanced as architecture and sculpture. The image of grapes, painted by Zeuxis, was so faithful that birds constantly pecked at it. Painters most often painted on ceramic vases. Greek vases were highly valued on the market, thanks to their decoration. Vases for carrying water had three handles, one for holding while filling and two for lifting. Many vases served only as souvenirs for decoration. The first painted vases date back to the 8th and 7th centuries BC. They have a characteristic geometric decoration. They were made in Rhodes, and from the middle of the 6th century BC in Athens. Athenian vases are considered the most beautiful. Around 500 BC, vases were made black with figures on them in red.

Types of columns in Greek architecture

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