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Watch the video below. This video goes into detail about the culture during the Early Greek periods, but focusing more on the Geometric Era. It also scratches the surface on the transition of Mycanean culture into the Greeks. Maybe the Greeks main influence on art and culture came from the Mycaneans and then evolved to other cultures?

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Greek history - Geometric period (1000-700 BC)

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The city of Syracuse was one of the largest cities in Early Greece. At one point there was 250,000 citizens in its prime. Not only was it used for land, it was also a port city. Potentially this boosted the economy of Greece? Syracuse was also a place of great defense as it was located on a peninsula.

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Zagora (red) is a small town located on the island of Andros.

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This city was very significant because it had a great defense system as the cliffs that covered three sides of the town, seen below, forced the enemies to enter the town at only one entrance, which was covered by one massive stone wall. This made the defense of the town great. The inhabitants had to be ready for battle at all times. This also helped the Early Greeks maintain their power.

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The Greeks were known for originating their own language, which greatly resembles English. However, in this text, the author claims that the Greeks did not create their own numbers as they share some of the same qualities with Egyptians. Not only did the Greeks borrow ideas of art from other cultures, but they also used ideas from others to help create their own language.  Do we need to thank the Greeks or Egyptians for our language today?

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This statue represents a the hero called Kriophoros. The man is wearing armor, showing strength and braveness. He is holding a ram to presumably offer to the gods. This was not chosen for the purpose mythology however, as this could potentially show how the Greeks represented themselves realistically. During later periods in Greek history, there are many iconic, scarily realistic pieces that are still admired to this day. There had to of been a starting point to creating realistic statues of themselves, is this it? Or could the representation of three demensional, realistic humans be borrowed from the Egyptians? From the CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF ART.

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Description

In Greek art, the kriophoros is usually a shepherd or, later, Hermes. This statuette may be unique in presenting a warrior-hero as kriophoros. It is certainly one of the earliest sculptural representations of this type. The figure appears to be wearing a helmet, secured under the chin with a painted strap. Double outlines, reinforced at the bottom with incision and adorned with dotted circles in the area of the nipples, were used to suggest breastplates. A thick waist belt, decorated with painted crosshatched lines, is clearly the heroic zoster (warrior's belt). As described in ancient Homeric poetry, the zoster is the ultimate symbol of valor and prowess, worn by such heroes as the brothers Agamemnon and Menelaos and old King Nestor. This figure is shown in the solemn act of presenting a ram, most likely as a sacrificial offering, to a god or goddess.

Exhibition history

Gainesville, FL: University of Florida. Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art. "Intimate Rituals and Personal Devotions: Spiritual Art Through the Ages" 8/12/00 - 1/14/01

Intimate Rituals and Personal Devotions: Spiritual Art Through the Ages. Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art (organizer) (July 16, 2000-January 14, 2001).

Cite this page

{{cite web |title=Kriophoros (Ram-Bearer), Statuette |url=https://clevelandart.org/art/1998.172 |author= |year=650-600 BC |access-date=19 February 2019 |publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

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In Greek art, the kriophoros is usually a shepherd or, later, Hermes. This statuette may be unique in presenting a warrior-hero as kriophoros. It is certainly one of the earliest sculptural representations of this type. The figure appears to be wearing a helmet, secured under the chin with a painted strap.

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This text briefly discusses the culture of the Orientalizing Period in Greece. It recognizes the fact the Early Greeks borrow ideas from on the cultures and goes into detail about the influences. Are there any other cultures you can think of that the Greeks borrow from?

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Vase Painting in the Orientalizing Period

During the Orientalizing period, Greek art evolved to feature a blend of Near Eastern and Egyptian stylistic conventions.

Learning Objectives

Examine Greek vase painting during this period

Key Takeaways

Key Points

The Orientalizing period lasted from 700 to 600 BCE in Greece. During this time, trade with foreign cultures from Asia Minor, Egypt, and the Ancient Near East allowed for new artistic conventions to influence and be incorporated into Greek art.

The Corinthians developed the technique of black-figure painting. Corinthian black-figure vases in the Orientalizing period are distinguishable by the inclusion of exotic and mythical animals. This style quickly spread throughout Greece, and artists later developed uniquely Greek images.

Proto-Attic pottery refers to vases produced in Athens and the surrounding areas. This style is distinguished by the use of orange clay, the presence of simple human forms , and the first depictions of mythological scenes in vase painting.

Key Terms

black figure painting: A style of antique Greek vase painting where the figures are painted onto the pot with a slip that, when fired, turns black. The outlines and details of the figures are incised before firing. Additional red and white pigments may also be added to the pot.

Proto-Attic: A term applied to Orientalizing pottery from Athens and its environs.

The Orientalizing Period

The Orientalizing Period followed the Geometric period and lasted for about a century, from 700 to 600 BCE. This period was distinguished by international influences-from the Ancient Near East, Egypt, and Asia Minor-each of which contributed a distinctive Eastern style to Greek art.

The close contact between cultures developed from increasing trade and even colonization. Motifs , creatures, and styles were borrowed from other cultures by the Greeks, who transformed them into a unique Greek-Eastern mix of style and motifs.

Corinthian Pottery

During the Orientalizing period in Corinth human figures were rarely seen on vases. Animals such as lions, griffins, sphinxes , and sirens were depicted instead.

Palmettes and lotus blossoms were used instead of geometric patterns to fill empty space , although on some vessels negative space became more prominent. This oriental black figure style originated in the city of Corinth, spread to Athens, and was exported throughout Greece.

Black Figure Painting

The Corinthians developed the technique of black figure painting during this period. Black figure pottery was carefully constructed and fired three different times to produce the unique red and black colors on each vase.

The black color came from a slip painted onto the vessel, after which incised lines were drawn on to outline and detail the figures. Additionally, red and white pigments could be added for more color or to differentiate details.

The unpainted portions of the vase would remain the original red-orange color of the pot. The full effect of this style of painting would not have been seen until after the vase emerged from its firings in the kiln . As the style spread, the subject matter changed from strictly Near Eastern animals to scenes from Greek mythology and everyday life.

Proto-Attic Pottery

Pottery produced during the Orientalizing period across the Isthmus of Corinth in Athens is known as Proto-Attic. In this region, floral and animal motifs are common, but the human figure appears in the work of the most prominent painters such as the Analatos Painter, the Mesogeia Painter, and the Polyphemos Painter.

The Proto-Attic style marked the first depictions of discernibly Greek religious and mythological themes in vase painting. The bodies of men and animals were depicted in silhouette, though their heads were drawn in outline. Women were drawn completely in outline. Proto-Attic vases are usually distinguished by their orange clay, which is available in the Athens area.

Sculpture in the Greek Orientalizing Period

Sculpture produced during the Orientalizing period shares stylistic attributes with sculpture produced in Egypt and the Near East.

Learning Objectives

Discuss Greek sculpture during the Orientalizing period

Key Takeaways

Key Points

Sculpture during this time was influenced by Egyptian and Near Eastern artistic conventions. Rigid, plank-like bodies, as well as its reliance on pattern to depict texture , characterized Greek sculpture in the Orientalizing period.

The Daedalic style , named for the mythical inventor Daedalus, refers the use of patterning and geometric shapes (reminiscent of the Geometric period ) during the seventh century BCE.

The differences between the Lady of Auxerre and the Mantiklos Apollo demonstrate the early establishment of traditional social expectations of the sexes in ancient Greek culture .

Key Terms

kore: A sculpture of a young woman from pre-Classical Greece.

Daedalic: A style of sculpture during the Greek Orientalizing period noted for its use of patterns to create texture, as well as its reliance on geometric shapes and stiff, rigid bodily postures.

The Orientalizing Period lasted for about a century, from 700 to 600 BCE. This period was distinguished by international influences, from the Ancient Near East, Egypt, and Asia Minor, each of which contributed a distinctive Eastern style to Greek art. The close contact between cultures developed from increasing trade and even colonization.

Styles were borrowed from other cultures by the Greeks who transformed them into a unique Greek-Eastern mix of style and motifs . Male and female sculptures produced during this time share interesting similarities, but also bear differences that inform the viewer about society's expectations of men and women.

The Lady of Auxerre

A small limestone statue of a kore (maiden), known as the Lady of Auxerre (650-625 BCE), from Crete demonstrates the style of early Greek figural sculptures. This style is known as Daedalic sculpture, named for the mythical creator of King Minos's labyrinth , Daedalus. The style combines Ancient Near Eastern and Egyptian motifs.

The Lady of Auxerre is stocky and plank-like. Her waist is narrow and cinched, like the waists seen in Minoan art. She is disproportionate, with long rigid legs and a short torso. A dress encompasses nearly her entire body-it tethers her legs together and restricts her potential for movement. The rigidity of the body recalls pharaonic portraiture from Ancient Egypt .

Her head is distinguished with large facial features, a low brow, and stylized hair. The hair appears to be braided, and falls down in rigid rows divided by horizontal bands. This style recalls a Near Eastern use of patterns to depict texture and decoration.

Her face and hair are reminiscent of the Geometric period. The face forms an inverted triangle wedged between the triangles formed be the hair that frames her face. Traces of paint tell us that this statue would have originally be painted with black hair and a dress of red and blue with a yellow belt.

The Mantiklos Apollo

There are no inscriptions on sculpture before the appearance of the bronze Mantiklos Apollo (early seventh century BCE) found in Thebes. The figure, named for the individual who left it as an offering , is that of a standing man with a rigid and somewhat Daedalic form.

His legs bear the inscription, "Mantiklos offered me as a tithe to Apollo of the silver bow; do you, Phoibos [Apollo], give some pleasing favor in return." The inscription is a declaration of the statuette to Apollo, followed by a request for favors in return.

Apart from the novelty of recording its own purpose, this sculpture adapts the formulae of later Orientalized sculptures, as seen in the shorter more triangular face and slightly advancing left leg. This is sometimes seen as anticipating the greater expressive freedom of the later seventh century BCE. As such, the Mantiklos figure is referred to in some quarters as proto-Daedalic.

Similarities of the Statues

Despite the separation of several decades and over 200 miles, the Mantiklos Apollo and the Lady of Auxerre share interesting similarities, including their long plaited hair, cinched waist, stylized smile, and hand raised to the chest-all of which recall ancient Egyptian sculpture. Although the right arm of the Mantiklos Apollo is missing, the position of its shoulder implies a possible position similar to that of the left arm of the Lady of Auxerre, straight at its side.

However, we can already see striking differences that will remain the standard in Greek art for centuries. The male body, as a public entity entitled to citizenship, is depicted nude and free to move. This freedom of movement is seen not only in the legs of the Apollo figure but also in the separation of his hand from his chest.

On the other hand, the female body, as a private entity without individual rights, is clothed and denied movement. While the Mantiklos Apollo holds his hand parallel to his chest, the Lady of Auxerre places her hand directly on hers, maintaining the closed form expected of a respectable woman.

Temple Architecture in the Greek Orientalizing Period

The temples of the Greek Orientalizing period had simple plans and sculpture that were influenced by styles from Egypt and the Near East.

Learning Objectives

Identify some of the outside influences on Greek temples

Key Takeaways

Key Points

The earliest stone temples in ancient Greece derive their structure from Minoan and Mycenaean designs.

Temple A at Prinias, Crete is the earliest known Greek temple decorated with sculpture . It consisted of a single chamber and a portico with three simple columns .

The remains of friezes from Temple A share stylistic attributes with Egyptian, Near Eastern, and contemporaneous free-standing Greek Orientalizing sculptures.

Key Terms

entablature: The lintel area of a temple portico.

anta: The simplest form of an ancient Greek temple, it consists of a pronaos (portico) with two columns and a naos, or cella.

lamassu: A mythical winged creature with the head of a human and the body of a lion or bull.

capital: The topmost part of a column.

base: The bottommost part of a column.

cella: Also known as a naos, the central chamber of a temple, usually where the cult statue was housed.

Greek Temple Architecture

The basic principles for the development of Greek temple architecture have their roots between the tenth and seventh centuries BCE. In its simplest form as a naos or cella , the temple was a simple rectangular shrine with protruding side walls (antae) that formed a small porch. By adding columns to this small basic structure, the Greeks triggered the development and variety of their temple architecture.

The building of stone temples first began during the Orientalizing period. Earlier temples were made from wood and other perishable materials and used terra cotta revetments in the form of rectangular and circular panels. With the introduction of stone as a building material, revetments became unnecessary and were replaced by sculptural ornamentation.

These temples derive their structure from Minoan and Mycenaean architectural designs. Minoan shrines, as seen at Knossos, were tripartite shrines fronted by three columns, while the plan of the Mycenaean king's chamber (or megaron) was appropriated for use by the gods.

Oriental Greek stone temples were fronted by three columns and one entrance which lead into a single room chamber (cella), where the cult statue would be placed. The temple cella was reserved for the cult statue, while cult rituals (often sacrifices) took place outside in front of the temple and usually around an altar.

Temple A at Prinias

Temple A at Prinias (c. 650-600 BCE) on the island of Crete is the oldest known Greek temple decorated with sculpture. Its plan was similar to the anta design with a third column in the center in front of the doorway. One step spanning the width of the facade led to the pronaos . The columns were very simple, rectangular (as opposed to cylindrical) blocks with very thin bases and capitals . Unlike Minoan columns, the shafts of the columns of Temple A did not taper; rather, their width remained constant for the entire length.

On the entablature , the frieze of the facade consisted of a series of reliefs depicting a procession of riders on horseback with little variation. The scale of the horses dwarfs that of their riders. Each horse stands in profile, while each rider faces the viewer with his sword raised and his shield seemingly connecting his head to his legs.

Although their shields cover most of their bodies, the seemingly bare state of their legs implies that the riders might be nude, as was typical for the male body in art. Each rider has a stylized nose, eyes, and eyebrows and wears a helmet. Like free-standing sculptures of the time, the hairstyle of the riders is plaited in a somewhat Egyptian style .

A meander runs atop the reliefs. The current cracked condition of the frieze is a likely indicator that it was assembled in a piecemeal fashion, as opposed to being carved as a singular entablature. Atop the entablature sat sculptures of two winged female creatures resembling the sphinx or the lamassu of the ancient Assyrian and Babylonian cultures .

Behind the facade of Temple A sat a doorway with an intricately designed lintel . Its frieze consisted of six stylized panthers standing in high relief . This motif is typical of northern Syria.

Unlike the horses on the façade frieze, each group of three panthers face each other with their heads turned toward the viewer. Between each group sits a plain rectangular recess, probably to mark the location of the central column that supported the lintel.

Atop the frieze sit two stylized female sculptures in the round who face each other. One figure places her hands flatly on her lap, while the other holds her hands in a position to accommodate a cup or similar object. It is believed that these figures represent goddesses, although the identities of those goddesses remain disputed.

Each sits in profile on a plain backless bench. The face of each figure has almond-shaped eyes and stylized eyebrows similar to those on Egyptian sculptures. Their hair is plaited and falls to either side of their shoulders.

Like the free-standing sculptures of the Orientalizing period, each figure on the lintel of Temple A wears Egyptian-style headgear with geometric patterns and cloaks atop their geometrically patterned dresses, which are cinched at the waist. While their feet protrude from beneath their long skirts, the blocks that define the lower parts of their bodies provide no acknowledgement of the body beneath the clothing.

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During the Orientalizing period, Greek art evolved to feature a blend of Near Eastern and Egyptian stylistic conventions. Examine Greek vase painting during this period Key Points The Orientalizing period lasted from 700 to 600 BCE in Greece.

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This article gathers scholars opinions on the Greeks and borrowings from other cultures. Some believe that Greece did not directly steal ideas, but there was a lot of "intertwining" of aspects of different cultures into Greece. Do you agree with some of these scholars?

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Ancient Greece, the Middle East and an ancient cultural internet

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The ancient Greek world is being recast from an isolated entity to one of many hybrid cultures in Africa and in the East

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These vases were used for funerary purposes in Kerameikos, one of the main cemeteries in Athens. Dipylon vases similar to this one, were mostly associated with wealthier families. They came in two different shapes: amphora, which is the one below, that consists of a narrow mouth and two handles, or kraters. These vases had holes at the bottoms to allow offerings and rainwater to the gods. The design of the vases were also very interesting as they included figures such as humans, and animals. The painter made it obvious how many people and animals were at the scene. This particular vase shows horses and chariots. Sometimes, vases display the funeral of the person this vase is devoted to. This idea resembles the Egyptians, who would represent the dead on their tombs as well as focus on concept rather than optically pleasing artworks. From the CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF ART.

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To request more information about this object, study images, or bibliography, contact the Ingalls Library Reference Desk.

The information about this object, including provenance information, is based on historic information and may not be currently accurate or complete. Research on objects is an ongoing process, but the information about this object may not reflect the most current information available to CMA. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@clevelandart.org.

Is something not working on this page? Please email help.website@clevelandart.org.

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To request more information about this object, study images, or bibliography, contact the Ingalls Library Reference Desk. The information about this object, including provenance information, is based on historic information and may not be currently accurate or complete. Research on objects is an ongoing process, but the information about this object may not reflect the most current information available to CMA.

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In this piece, viewers can see a man as well as a centaur. The centaur is a mystical creature that is half human and half horse. This shows that the mythology of hybrid humans lived on past the Minoans. The idea of having a larger figure is also present here. Since the normal human is larger than the centaur, one can assume that the man is more powerful in this situation. Could this person be a ruler and perhaps the Greeks took stole the Minoans idea of hybrid humans and put their own twist to it? From THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART.

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The Metropolitan Museum of Art, i.e. The Met Museum

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Bronze man and centaur | Greek | Geometric | The Met

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Half man, half horse, the centaurs were thought to inhabit remote wooded areas. In much of Greek art, they appear in combat with humans and, by implication, are the antithesis of civilized men. The classic rendering of this subject can be seen in the metopes of the Parthenon in Athens.

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The Greeks were obsessed with religion. They created temples devoted to gods and even had different building styles later in history. Figures like these were placed in the temples, called a votive figure. These figurines would act as stand-ins for people who were not present in a temple. This was also originally seen in the Sumerian culture. Was this idea borrowed from them? From the BRITISH MUSEUM OF ART.

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Solid silver figure of a nude ithyphallic man standing with his arms close to his sides. The top of his head is flat, as if wearing a cap. A lower leg and a foot are broken off and separate.

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During the Orientalizing Period, the Greeks began to work with metal. This is a ring from this period. Not only did the early Greeks create objects with metal, they also decorated these objects. This ring portrays a winged griffin, showing the fascination of mythology with the Greeks. Coinage was also borrowed from the Near East and was being used at this time. This piece looks eerily similar to the currency at this time. Maybe this was mistaken for a ring, but it is a coin in reality? From THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART

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The Metropolitan Museum of Art, i.e. The Met Museum

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Silver ring | Greek | Orientalizing | The Met

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Richter, Gisela M. A. 1956[1920]. Catalogue of Engraved Gems of the Classical Style: Greek Etruscan, and Roman . no. 7, pp. 2-3, pl. 1, Rome: L'Erma di Bretschneider. Richter, Gisela M. A

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This helmet comes from the Orientalizing Period.  This period resembled the Geometric Period, but art became more detailed. The bronze helmet comes from Corinth, the birthplace of the Orientalizing Period. Since they were involved with warfare, bronze work was very important as it was used to create armor and weapons. From the BRITISH MUSEUM.