Ancient Greek Art

This particular room is devoted to Greek sculpture and pottery. During the classical period, the Greeks primarily made bronze sculptures which were later copied by the Romans in marble.

Frequently the original bronze sculptures don’t survive (bronze is valuable, so it was melted down and recast for other purposes). As a result, much of what we know about ancient Greek sculpture comes from Roman copies.

Even though we are in the south of Italy, this was once a Greek colony called Poseidonia (after the God of the sea, Poseidon). Three beautiful and well-preserved ancient Greek temples can still be seen here.

Two date from the archaic period (500s B.C.E.) and one from the classical period (400s B.C.E.). This allows us to see how the ancient Greeks were continuously adjusting the proportions of their temples in a search for beautiful, harmonious proportions.

This is the oldest of the temples, and, given that this is more than 2500 years old, it’s amazingly well preserved (though it’s missing the roof and much of the interior). Greek temples were houses for a god (or gods), and worship took place outside.

We can see how the Greeks were adjusting proportions since there is a greater sense of verticality here. It was at this time that the Greeks invented democracy. The architecture of many museums and libraries are influenced by ancient Greek architecture.

About 65% of the sculptures survive and the majority are in the Acropolis Museum and The British Museum.

The frieze depicts approximately 378 figures and more than 200 animals (mainly horses). We seem to see the Athenians taking part in a procession, likely the procession in honor of the goddess Athena.

Poseidon (god of the sea) sits in profile on the far left, conversing with Apollo (god of music and poetry). The Parthenon sculptures were overseen by Phidias, and here you see his style—ideal figures rendered with drapery that clings to the form of the body underneath.

All the blocks from the West frieze are here in the Acropolis Museum, except for two which are in The British Museum. Here, at the Acropolis Museum, the absent sculptures are represented by casts, so that we can still get a sense of the whole frieze.

Here we see a figure trying to bridle his horse. The sculptor perfectly described the movement and anatomy of both the horse and the figure. The incredible realism we see here was unprecedented in Western art to this time.

The sculptor has carefully observed not only the anatomy of the horses, but how they move. The chaos of the horses’ and riders’ legs, and the different positions of the horses, gives us the sense of a very real procession taking place before us.

These figures in profile are helping to prepare for the sacrifice to the gods and goddesses seated nearby. The parallel folds of drapery, and the slow movement of the figures creates an air of solemnity appropriate for a sacrifice in the presence of the gods.

Here we see the sculptures from the east pediment that tell the story of the birth of Athena. The figures fit the triangular pediment — the figures stand upright in the center and then sit and even recline toward the corners to fit the space.

This is perhaps the most complex building on the Acropolis and it houses shrines to several different deities, including Athena, Zeus, and Poseidon. It is named for the mythic King Erechtheus who judged the contest between Athena and Poseidon for who would be the patron deity of Athens.

Here are beautiful carvings from the Erechtheion. From bottom to top: a palmette and lotus pattern, a pattern called bead and reel, and then egg and dart. Imagine these brightly painted and you start to get a sense of the elegance of this temple.

The Erechtheion is an elegant temple. The scroll forms at the top of the column (the capital) indicate that this is the Ionic order. Just above and below the scroll shapes are decorative moldings, including one called “egg and dart” (egg shapes alternating with V-shapes).