Greek and Roman Art Roman

Greek and Roman Art

Roman and Greek art represented the models for the Renaissance which is considered the most flourishing period in the history of humanity as far as the development of most intellectual pursuits, and especially in the artistic realm. Roman art encompasses sculpture, painting, architecture, and any other type of artwork produced in Ancient Rome or the territories of its empire from the founding of Rome in the 8th century B.C. until the decline of the Roman Empire in the 5th century a.D. As expected in the case of such a vast empire, Roman art was influenced by the art of the territories it annexed; also, it was deeply influenced by the art of ancient Greece and the Etruscans. As far as the character of Roman art, it is important to note that it reflected the character of the Roman people. Ancient Greek art represented the most important influence on the culture of many countries starting in ancient times until the present. The art of Ancient Greece is usually divided stylistically into four periods: the Geometric, Archaic, Classical, and Hellenistic, with the latter two being considered they heyday of Greek artistic expression. When talking about Ancient Greek art, historians and art critics often refer to the period also called the Late Classical period which spanned from the years from 400 to 323 B.C. i.e. The most flourishing period in Ancient Greek art. The political context was the element which changed the ideals of the artists. After the disastrous defeat of the Athenians by the Spartans in 404 B.C., no Greek state attained a dominant position for any length of time. A brief Spartan supremacy was followed by an even briefer Theban supremacy, and from 359 B.C. on, most of the Greek communities were gradually involved in the struggle with Philip of Macedon, which was brought to an end by Philip's victory in 338, and the establishment of Macedonian control over the cities of the Mainland (Chase: 137). War combined with a long period of political intrigue generated a significant growth in the feeling of individualism. In the 5th century, the Greek saw himself primarily as a citizen, devoted to the service of the state. In the 4th century, the Greek citizen began to regard himself as an individual, a tendency to which the doctrines of Plato, Aristotle and other philosophers no doubt contributed. This is reflected in the art of the time (Chase: 137).

Ancient Greek art has survived most successfully in the forms of sculpture and architecture, as well as in such minor arts as coin design, pottery and gem engraving. Greek architecture relied on two main styles, namely the Doric and the Ionic. The names were given by the Ancient Greeks themselves, who believed that these architectural styles were derived from the gods (Chase: 122). Ancient Greek art has survived most successfully in the forms of sculpture and architecture. However, most of the monuments of Ancient Greece have not survived; they were either destroyed by wars, or by nature in earthquakes or fires. Only a handful of temples, such as the Parthenon and the Temple of Hephaestus in Athens, have been spared.

Major forms of Roman art include architecture, painting, sculpture and mosaic work. According to a traditional classification of Roman sculpture, there are a number of distinct categories of Roman artifacts such as: portraiture, historical relief, funerary reliefs, sarcophagi, and copies (Gazda: 121). Minor forms of art were also explored by the Romans. Glass manufacture was rather developed; the large collection of glass vessels consists for the most part of products of the Greco-Roman and Roman periods (Chase: 235). Among the most striking products of the ancient workers in glass are the vases called millefiori, "a thousand flowers" by the Venetians of the Renaissance (Ibid: 236).