Greek Art

Art, in the world of ancient Greece, has left an indelible mark on history through time, and has also left its influence on many cultures and walks of life.
There were many different styles of Greek art, all of which excelled and are why they are so respected. The major types include Archaic, Hellenistic, and Minoan art, as well as the Classical Period. All of these brought forth their own creative style and left a significant mark in the history of Greek art.

A prominent change would appear in the world of Greek art during the seventh century B.C., which became known as the Archaic period. The abstract geometric patterning that had controlled the art world during 1050 and 700 B.C. would be replaced in the seventh century by a more relaxed, unaffected style that would depict and show a noteworthy influence that came from the Near east and Egypt. The Kouros statues were one of the dominating features the Archaic period of art. All of the Kouros were either male or female statues that served as the promoter for their state. They were also designed in order to be decorations for the outside of religious buildings and were commonly carved out of marble. Formally, the Kouros statues that followed a carving formula that divides the human body into proportionally pleasing geometric entities. The stylization of the different figure planes, along with the rigid poses allowed the sculptor an easy way to create the human figure.(Getlein 371) This was because all he had to do was follow a well- established traditional formula in order to represent the different parts that compromise human-likeness. The Archaic period of art acted like a silent witness to the extraordinary development that took place in western society. The Kouros statues resembled a true cultural revolution.

The Hellenistic period of art expanded the horizon on dramatic posing, high contrast of light and sweeping lines. It also allowed the artist to explore in order to get inspirations from unique points of view. Different from previous styles, the importance of Hellenistic art shifted from natural and religious themes to more dramatic human appearance. It accomplished this through depicting the human figure with bold expressions and energy through the carving the images in motion- like positions. The sculptures of this period abandon the self-containment of the earlier styles and appears to embrace its physical surroundings with dramatic groupings and creative landscaping of its context.(Freeman 11) The sculptor not only wanted to depict his subjects outward appearance, but the inward emotions and attitudes. This resulted in the statue acquiring an individual personality.

Minoan art portrays a society that was very much in touch with their environment and what has survived has afforded us great insight into the cultures and peoples that thrived in Crete. During this time, known as the Prepalatial period, many important developments were seen throughout Minoan culture that brought about a freedom to build and create in a peaceful and prosperous lifestyle. Above all, the unearthed artifacts reveal a people who had developed a high degree of self- respect and a keen eye for observing and adapting to their physical environment who had devoted insight and appreciation for the coherent order of the natural world. It would be through the Athenian vases that we would be able to witness Greek life in what is known as iconography art. (Getlein 374)These vases describe and portray Greek culture as related to funerary rites, daily life, government, athletics, warfare, religion, and mythology.

Pottery was the key item made using this style of art. The type of pottery was categorized as having thin walls, sweeping curves, and elegant spouts, along with decorations. The surfaces of the pots were usually decorated with bold lines, in which created naturalistic scenes. They rapidly became popular in areas such as Crete and Syria, and were commonly exported. Furthermore, it is through the plastered walls from the Minoan palaces and villas that we can retain a glimpse into the portrait of what life was life during this time. The Minoans were known for their “true” or “wet” panting method which allowed for creativity and naturalness which also benefited the Minoans style of movement and nature scenes that depicted their known style. An additional interest aspect of Minoan art is seen within the expression of human emotions and feelings portrayed in the faces and figures that had not been observed in the history of art prior to the Minoan culture. Because of this articulation of emotions, the Minoans were to become known as a people who were in touch with the human condition and inner world.

During the Classical Period of art, Ancient Greece produced some of the most beautiful sculptures that the world has ever seen beginning about the middle of the 5th century BC. By this time, many of the difficulties that artists had been facing in the early archaic period had been resolved, thus enabling more freedom and creativity to produce. This classic Greek style is categorized by cheerful freedom of movement and expression. Sculptors were able to replace the strict asymmetry of the figure with a free flowing form more true to life, while they approached an ideal aesthetic vision through stone and bronze. Architects transformed blocks of marble and stone into proportional realistic figures with the illusion of if they were moving through space. The sculptures were truly a demonstration of perfect proportions, values, and a newly discovered sense of freedom. Many of the works of the Greek painters have disappeared completely and we are only granted insight by way of what historians are able to tell us. From this time periods, fortunately, we have many artifacts in the form of Greek vases and the decorations on them that were left in tombs or unearthed by archeologists that portray and give us examples of what Greek painting would have looked like. They depict the true form and line that made the Greeks famous in the domain of sculpture.


Greek Art as described in the form of sculpture, vases, paintings and pottery, known as classical art, were huge contributions to the world of art and artists forever will owe a debt of gratitude to the ancient Greeks. As portrayed, each type of Greek art expressed unique style in accordance with the time period. Greeks have become renowned and seen by many as the foundation to western society’s art and ideas and encompasses a large amount of what made the Greek civilization so distinguished.