Greek Art #10

The Greeks are still to this day admired for their remarkable skill and creativity in architecture, sculpture and paintings. The Greeks have continued to inspire many things that still exist today. During the Hellenistic period is where some of my favorite art in the Greek world was created. Hellenistic art was the last phase of Greek art, which refers to the time after Alexandra the Great, and how Greek culture spread to new areas. This period of art was most known for its Greek sculptures such as Laocoon, Aphrodite of Melrose or Venus de Milo, and Athena battling Alkyoneos.   

            In this period I have noticed a repeating quality in most pieces of art composed during the Hellenistic period. It is the way they show great drama, violence and emotion in their art. Just by looking at the work you can see it tells a story, most often relating to Greek mythology and the gods and goddesses themselves. The stories of Greek mythology have always captured my interest an imagination in a way the stories sometimes make me wish these myths had occurred in reality, considering the vivid detail each story contains.

            One of my favorite pieces is the sculpture of Athena battling Alkyoneos, which dates back to 2^nd Century BCE. It is a good example of Hellenistic art that was inspired by Greek mythology. This work of art depicts a scene from the battle of Zeus along with the gods fighting against the giants for control of the world. This battle was apparently a popular subject in Greek art, but this piece was the most detailed that exists. It shows Athena pulling the hair of a giant to the left while to the right Nike (the goddess of Victory) tries to crown Athena. This piece was made of marble using a technique that was popular amongst the Greeks called relief sculpting. Early on when the Greeks started to become interested in sculpture they actually picked up this technique form the Egyptians. It is done by chipping away at the stone and creating a raised effect that makes the subject look like its half way coming off the surface. These deep carvings create dark shadows, which add to the lifelike effect. This piece is only one of the many intricate works of art created by the Greeks during the Hellenistic period. The Greeks were truly skilled at their craft and I consider them to be the most impressive artists that existed.

The Three Goddesses, Greek sculpture made in marble, 438-432 B.C.E.

Athena battling Alkyoneos, Greek sculpture made in marble, 2^nd Centre B.C.E. 

Aphrodite of Melrose, Greek sculpture made in marble, 150 B.C.E.