The Applied and Decorative Arts of Ancient Greece
The art of Ancient Greece signifies one of the highest rises in the cultural development of humanity. In their artworks the Greeks used the experience of preceding ancient art cultures, first of all Aegean art. The history of Ancient Greek art is usually divided into four periods. The first period the Homeric (the Ith -VIIIth centuries B.C.). That was the time of Greek slave-holding state formation. The development of productive forces caused the prosperity of agriculture, crafts, mining, shipbuilding and navigation. During the same period there was a great progress in the cultural life of the ancient Greeks. The influence of Egyptian and Assyrian arts revealed itself in the plastic arts, painting, especially in vase painting the decorative style of which was called orientalizing. The most widespread forms of vases were: an amphora (for wine and oil storage) - a graceful vessel with rounded capacity, a high mouth and two handles; a crater (a wine was served up in it) - a vessel with the capacity in the form of the overturned bell and two handles in its bottom part; a kilik - a vessel for wine drink in the form of a flat bowl on a high leg; a hydria (for water storage) - a high vessel with three handles.
The second period the Archaic (Vth-VIth centuries B.C.). During that period the art of glyptic (stone carving) arose. At first they used such materials as cornelian, jasper, sardar, later -garnet, emerald, sardonyx and onyx. Antique masters cut out scenes from mythology, images of gods and mythological heroes, portraits of governors. Glyptic in the Ancient Greece reached a high art level. Since the VIth century B.C. firmer stones had been used in glyptic: chalcedony, lazurite, cornelian. As for potteries in vase paintings of the first half of the VIIth century B.C. there was achieved a greater vitality in the person and animal depiction. Silhouettes were scratched with a thin sharp instrument that allowed transferring many details. The plots of vase painting were various. Along with orientalizing ornaments there could be seen military scenes, the scenes of hunting and mythological plots.
The Classics (Vth - first three quarters of the IVth century B.C.) was the third period, the art aspirations of which were brightly embodied in the artworks of Attic masters. The person possessing perfect physical and moral qualities became the main object of the classical art.
During the Hellenistic period (the fourth quarter of the IVth - Ist century B.C.) the Ancient Greek art spread far beyond modern Greece, covering Thrace on the Balkans, the western part of Asia Minor, many islands and coastal settlements by the Mediterranean and Black seas where there were Greek colonies.
In spite of the fact that the Greeks early reached significant success in the sphere of construction, in crafts they still considered the Egyptians and the Phoeniciansas the best masters. The Greeks from Asia Minor were the first to show their independence in crafts. Corinth was considered as the native land of many arts and crafts. The Corinthians are supposed to be the inventors of sculpturing, ornamentation of utensils, a potter's wheel and potter's skill in general. The art of drawing and foundry craft were also descended from Corinth.
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Each subsequent epoch used the experience of Ancient Greek art. Its significance was especially great in the periods when art development was influenced by rational and humanist ideals (the Renaissance and the Classicism). Then the antique tradition opposed the spiritualism and mysticism of the Gothic style and the Baroque.
Applied and Decorative Arts of Ancient Rome.
The development of culture on the West of Italy was promoted by Greek colonies which brought the knowledge of many crafts and more developed culture. Due to the Greeks arrival all the population of Southern Italy and Sicily borrowed Greek language and accepted Greek customs. Thus the aboriginal Italian tribes only remained in Northern-East and Middle Italy. Gradually Rome became a republic.
As soon as Rome became the major city of Italy aspiration for grand capital life with all its conveniences arouse in its citizens. The Romans only borrowed the things they considered useful or tempting for themselves. Ancient Romans were farmers, soldiers and had no natural artistic vein. At first they continued the traditions of their Etruscan precursors. Roman art came into being after the gain of Gallia, nearby 100 B.C., and only flourished during the Empire. Art was appreciated by the Greeks due to their natural love to the fine, by the Romans to their love to luxury. In architecture the Romans also imitated the Greeks. They borrowed Orders elaborated by the Hellenes. They created two new orders: the Tuscan and the Composite. The latter represented the combination of the Ionic and the Corinthian orders, differing with some excess of ornamentation.
The technique of stone sculpting was also brought to Italy by Greek artists. Before it Etruscan sculptors hadworked withsoft sandstone, piperin and alabaster. Besides they had seldom cut a figure entirely, compounding it of separate pieces. Owing to the Greek technique all types of stone became accessible to Roman sculptors: marble, porphyry, granite, etc. It is demonstrated with the multiple statues and various stone utensils: tables, seats, candelabra and others.
The richness of decoration grew together with political predominance growth. Art turned into a part of political influence. The ornament of some artworks executed in marble was characterized with richness. Among the most prevalent decorative motives of the Roman art there were splendid garlands, winged cupids and griffins. During the epoch of the Empire vases of semiprecious stones, such as agate, sardonic and porphyry became fashionable. Some of those vases were decorated with relieves in the form of peoples figures; probably it was the work of Greek masters. Mosaic was a great success in Ancient Rome. The Romans liked mosaic for its indissoluble connection with architecture.
Art glass production reached its peak in Ancient Rome. The Romans developed and disseminated this art. It is assumed that a glass-blowing tube was invented in the 1st century B.C. by the Syrians. Rome and Alexandria were the centers of luxurious glass goods production. The Romans invented the techniques of glass-blasting. Thanks to blasting invention glass products entered into a daily life.
By the beginning of the Imperial epoch the Romans had been able not only to color glass in every possible colors so that it was difficult to distinguish it from coloured rocks, but also to mix multi-colored glass alloys (like the color of opal or agate). In Ancient Rome there were also the techniques of glass engraving and painting. The new techniques found application not only in Italy, but also in Spain, Gallia, Germany.
