1 ART 381 HANDOUT 4.1: LATE CLASSICAL ART AND ARCHITECTURE Late Classical: the period ca. 400-323 BCE. Politically this age saw the decline of the individual poleis, and the rise of the northern semi-Greek kingdom of Macedon, which took over all of Greece in 338 BC. Intellectually, the Late Classical age saw the rise of developed systems of philosophy in Athens, particularly those of Plato and Aristotle, but also the rise of Rhetoric, or persuasive argumentation,. The last is particularly associated with the practical philosopher Isokrates (who advocated that the Greek cities unite and attack Persia), but its greatest political practitioner was the Athenian politician Demosthenes. The Rich Style in sculpture and painting continued until c. 375 BCE in art, but the period c. 375-323 was characterized by heavier drapery, a new interaction of cloth and anatomy, new pose-types (especially leaning and more three-dimensional ones), and by the development of new secular and purely artistic types of art. Emotion also re-emerges. Religious architecture shows greater variation than previous temples II. Historical figures. Philip II: King of Macedon 358-336 BCE Built up the Macedonian army, and conquered all of Greece by 337. Was preparing to attack the Persian Empire when assassinated in 336. Alexander the Great: succeeded his father Philip in 336. In 334 invaded the Persian Empire, by his death in 323 had conquered the Near East as far as the borders of India. His conquests began the Hellenistic Age, and his policy of employing court artists was followed by the Hellenistic kings. III. Painting. South Italian vase painting: arose after 440, and lasted until ca. 300. Artists there used two techniques, red-figure and overpainting (the colors are painted on top of the black slip or gloss). The Apulian ornate style can be seen in the Darius Painter’s “Darius Receives the News of Marathon” of 330. The vases, especially the later ones, tend to be florid, but preserve hints of contemporary monumental painting and show us scenes of the contemporary theatre (see the work of the Paestan painter Assteas, such a “Robbing the Miser”). Tomb of Persephone, Vergina: a chamber tomb of c. 340 with a scene of the Rape of Persephone by Hades on its interior. This has dynamic and 3-D poses, strong emotion (Persephone and her attendant), and shading. Since it is in a royal tomb, presumably it was the work of a gifted artist. IV. Sculptors and Sculpture Attic Grave reliefs: the classical series of grave reliefs begins around 430 and continued down to 317 or 310., when their production was outlawed. They are valuable because they mirror contemporary developments in sculpture in the round (such as the Polykleitan Chairedemos of ca. 420), and they show us something of funerary beliefs. Some of them (Dexileos stele, 394) are fine works of sculpture in their own right. Other relief sculpture, such as record and votive reliefs, show the same stylistic development. Kephisodotos the Elder: Athenian sculptor who made a group of Eirene and the Infant Ploutos (Mother Peace holding the infant Wealth) around 370 for the Athenian Agora. It survives in2 Roman copies, and shows a new interest in the depiction of realistic drapery, as well as a natural interaction between the woman and child. Generally considered to be Praxiteles' father or uncle. Praxiteles: Athenian sculptor of the second and thrid quarters of the fourth century, known for his graceful leaning figures. Unfortunately, these are only preserved in Roman copies (Apollo Sauroktonos-the lizard Slayer, ca. 350, Hermes and the Infant Dionysos, original c. 340???). His most famous statue was the nude Aphrodite of the Knidians (c. 360). The closest contemporary reflection of his style is the small bronze Marathon Boy of c. 340-325; this likely was made by one of his students or circle. Praxiteles' work heavily influenced Hellenistic sculpture of women, both nude and draped. Skopas: sculptor from Paros, also the architect of the Temple of Athena at Alea of around 340. Active in the second and third quarters of the fourth century, Skopas' most famous work was on the Mausoleum at Halikarnassos. He was known for the expressive emotion of his work; the badly battered heads from the pediments at Tegea, which were done by his workshop, and a few identifiable Roman copies (the Dresden Maenad, Pothos), show deeply cut eyes which create anguished expressions. Lysippus: sculptor from Sikyon in the Peloponessos who apparently worked only in bronze. His career may last from the 360s into the last decade of the fourth century His work survives only in Roman copies. He devised a slimmer proportional system for male statuary (see the Apoxyomenos, or man scraping himself, orig ca. 330) to replace Polykleitos' proportions. He was also known for his three-dimensional poses and momentary stances, and his statues of Herakles (Weary Herakles). Lysippus was the court sculptor of Alexander the Great, and made his most famous image (the Alexander with the Lance). Lysippus' students dominated Early Hellenistic sculpture to 250. V. Architects Polykleitos the Younger: architect of the elaborate Tholos at Epidaurus (360-330). Also said to be the architect of the Theatre at Epidaurus (second half of 4th BCE, or later). He was probably a relative of the famous sculptor (grandson??). Pythius: architect of the Temple of Athena at Priene (340s-334), which preserves an ideal proportional system for Ionic architecture. Earlier he worked on the Mausoleum at Halikarnassos. VI. Buildings Temple of Apollo, Bassai: 6 X 15 Doric temple built in the western Peloponnessos between 430 and 400. Its initial phase may be associated with Iktinos, but the final product shows clear signs of plan changes. Its ground plan is archaic (6 X 15 column peristyle, but the temple has a revolutionary cella design with engaged Ionic columns running down the sides, and at least one free-standing Corinthian column forming the return behind the cult statue. Above the columns ran a continuous sculpted frieze depicting in the "Rich Style" the Battle of Greeks and Amazons and the Battle of Lapiths and Centaurs. The working of this is unfortunate, but it, and the architectural decoration, reveal clear signs of influence from the High Classical temples of Athens (notably the Hephaisteion). The Mausoleum at Halikarnassos: the tomb of a Carian ruler named Mausolus built between 358-350 at Halikarnassos on