Essay 3b

Art History: Ancient to Medieval - ARTS 1510 – 001

Essay 3b

Using specific art references, why did the Greeks consider "beauty" to be the same as "truth" and how different was this philosophy from that of the Romans?

Part One

SUMMARY:

"Beauty is truth, truth beauty"

                                 John Keats

In his poem, "Ode to a Grecian Urn," John Keats was inspired by his belief that classical Greek art was idealistic and captured Greek virtues. In the last lines of the poem he writes that "beauty is truth, truth beauty," – that is all ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.” For the Greek philosopher Plato, true beauty was an ideal beyond human perception. He portrayed beauty as eternal - like truth. (Gill) I believe this portrayal was carried over into all form of classical Greek art.

                                                              

                                                   Plato, Marble bust


In my quest to answer this question, I discovered that there were significant differences in Greek and Roman art which I believe were heavily influenced by the society in which they lived. The Greeks were more focused on philosophy and the more spiritual aspects of their existence while the Romans, it seems, were preoccupied with obtaining power and glory. While the Greeks exalted their gods in their art, the Romans portrayed themselves "in heroic terms." (Stokstad, 233)

My research has enabled me to look at both Greek and Roman art from a different perspective and it reminded me of a story I once heard about a group of third graders whose art was showcased at a gallery in New York. The invitees were told that the work showcased was that of a new but up and coming artist who was very popular in Europe. The attendees to the showing certainly viewed the artwork much more differently than they would have had they known it was created by elementary students. This exercise has helped me to understand that in order to better understand the art, one must have an understanding of the background or "history" of the art.

REASON:

I believe the reason for this particular question was to challenge us to consider the external influences or forces that surround classical art in order to see it from a different perspective. "Knowledge of the politics, religion, and culture of ancient Greece is vital to understanding its art." (Stokstad, 219)

PURPOSE:

I believe in order to better understand and most certainly appreciate art, the course is intended to teach us to think outside of the box .

DIRECTION: 

The exercise of researching and answering this topic has taught me to take all things into consideration as it pertains to art of a particular period. It also showed me how to differentiate between realism and idealism and that while the two are closely related they are very different as they pertain to the visual arts. (Stokstad, 178) As I am planning to visit Greece for the first time in January, I believe I am better equipped to more greatly appreciate the museums and ruins in Athens.

IMPRESSIONS:

I believe the greatest surprise for me was the idea that not only did the ancient Greeks incorporate the surreal into mythology but also into their art. The idea that they strived to achieve celestial perfection in their art as paying homage to their gods is now very apparent to me whereas it wasn't before. 

Part Two


ANSWER TO ESSAY QUESTION:

Historically, the Greeks were the primary influences of Romans artwork and although there are many similarities between Greek and Roman art, there are also significant differences. The Romans broke away from the Greek mold and developed techniques to express their own ideals and values. Because Romans were more interested in realism, their art is more naturalistic and less stylized then the Greeks who were more interested in idealism. (Gill)

The Greeks believed that art was an expression of perfection and worked to perfect the physical form of their objects. They often represented the gods in their art to express an ideal form of physical strength and beauty. 

The first and greatest period of classical art began in Greece about the middle of the 5th century BC. By that time Greek sculptors had learned to represent human physical form both naturally and easily. They considered their gods as people, but portrayed them as being much more beautiful. Their focus was on portraying ideal beauty rather than an individual which is reflected in their sculptures which achieved almost godlike perfection. (Montgomery)

An example of this is the beautiful marble statue "Aphrodite of Melos", commonly referred to as the "Venus de Milo" now exhibited in the Louvre, Paris. Another example is what is believed to be an original work of Praxiteles, the statue 'Hermes with the Infant Dionysus', the only statue that can be identified with one of the great Greek masters. The figure of Hermes is also known for its beauty as it portrays strength, grace, nobility and sweetness.

Venus de Milo, White Paros Marble, 100 B.C.

The greatest name in Greek sculpture is that of Phidias who planned and directed the sculptures decorating the Parthenon. It is thought that some of them may have been the work his own hand. Among his masterpieces were the huge gold and ivory statue of Athena which once stood in the temple and also which once stood in the temple at Olympia. Phidias sought ways to enrich the domain of art forever. In seeking the ways of the highest truth, his standards were truths that were immortal and divine therefore his work was focused on celestial, moral grandeur, and divine majesty. (Guisepi)

                                                                  
 The Parthenon, Limestone, Marble, 447-432 B.C.

Even the architectural buildings of the Greeks to perfection such as in The Temple of Hera and the Parthenon. The columns of both were curved toward the top and the pediment was also slightly curved to give the appearance of visual perfection. (Vasilika, 132)

Because the Romans often borrowed from the cultures that they conquered, many ideas and of the Greeks were "borrowed" by the Romans. In 146 BC, when Greece was conquered by Rome, Greek art heavily influenced Roman art, however, it was not imitated. They expressed their own uniqueness and dominating spirit, especially in their architecture. Unlike Greek art, Roman art was used not so much for the expression of noble ideas and emotions but for ostentatious decoration therefore losing spiritual quality. Roman art had a much more practical function. Artwork was primarily used for ornamentation and decoration. (Montgomery)



Ancient Roman Interior

Roman sculptors produced many vigorous realistic statues such as the beautiful bust of the young Augustus which has both historic and artistic value. So while Greek sculpture represents an unrealistic ideology, the Romans preferred to sculpt historical events and real people. (Guisepi)

Caesar Augustus, marble, 1st Century A.D.

While Greek and Roman art share similarities, the differences in art including their purpose, materials used, and influences of these two societies gives us some insight as to what these two cultures were all about. Their works of art cannot be seen outside of their culture or history. From the Greeks focus on the idea of perfection and intellectualism to the Romans focus on domination and power.

“We have never stopped trying to see how Greek and Roman art was seen, how it looked and was meant to look, what it meant and can mean.” (Beard and Henderson, 46)

Works Cited

Beard, Mary and Henderson, John. Classical Art: From Greece to Rome

Oxford University Press. New York. 2001

Stokstad, Marilyn. Art History. Harry N. Abrams. New York 1995

Vassilika, Eleni. Greek and Roman Art. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge. 1998

Comparing Ancient Roman and Greek Art. Jane Montgomery. March 2008

http://www.helium.com/items/955679-comparing-ancient-roman-and-greek-art


Comparisons Between Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. N.S. Gill  http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/greecevsrome/ss/GreecevsRome_2.htm


Greek and Roman Art. International World History Project. Edited by R.A. Guisepi 
history-world.org/arthist.htm