Greece: they invented a lot more than the Olympics

The history of Western civilization began in ancient Greece. An explosion of creativity resulted in an unparalleled level of excellence in art, architecture, poetry, drama, philosophy, government, law, logic, history, and mathematics. Man's dignity and worth were central Greek concepts, the human figure was the principal motif of Greek art. Where Greek philosophy stressed harmony, order, and clarity of thought, Greek art and architecture reflected a similar respect for balance.

Painting. The Greeks were skilled painters. They achieved a breakthrough in realistic trompe l'oeil effects. Their paintings were so lifelike that birds pecked murals of painted fruit. Unfortunately, none of these works survive, but we canjudge the realistic detail of Greek painting by the figures that adorn their everyday pottery.

Vase painting. Vase painting told stories about gods and heroes of Greek myths as well as such contemporary subjects as warfare and drinking parties. The earliest (800 B.C.) vase design was called the Geometric Style, because the figures and ornaments were primarily geometric shapes. The later Archaic Period was the great age of vase painting. In the black–figured style at the outset of this period, black forms stood out against a reddish clay background. The artist scratched in details with a needle, to expose the red beneath. The red-figured style, starting around 530 B.C., reversed this color scheme. The figures, on a black background, were composed of natural red clay with details painted in black.

Sculpture: the body beautiful. The Greeks invented the nude in art. The ideal proportions of their statues represented the perfection of both body (through athletic endeavor) and mind (through intellectual debate). The Greeks sought a synthesis of the two poles of human behavior – passion and reason – and, through their artistic portrayal of the human form (often in motion).They came close to achieving it.

Greek statues were not the bleached white marble we associate with Classical sculpture today. The marble was embellished with colored encaustic, a mixture of powdered pigment and hot wax applied to hair, lips, eyes, and nails of the figure. Although male nudity was always acceptable in sculpture, the representation of female images evolved from fully clothed to sensually nude. In earlier statues, clinging folds of drapery united the figure in a swirling rhythm of movement. Another innovation was the discovery of the principle of weight shift, or contrapposto, in which the weight of the body rested on one leg with the body realigned accordingly, giving the illusion of a figure in arrested motion.

Rome: the organizers

At its height, the Roman Empire stretched from England to Egypt and from Spain to southern Russia. Because of their exposure to foreign lands, the Romans absorbed elements from older cultures and then transmitted this cultural mix to all of Western Europe and Northern Africa. Roman art became the building block for the art of all succeeding periods.

At first, Romans were overwhelmed by the Greek influence. Later, however, Romans put their own spin on Greek art and philosophy. Having founded the greatest empire the world had ever known, they added managerial talents: organization and efficiency. Roman art is less idealized and intellectual than Classical Greek, more secular and functional. And, where the Greeks shined at innovation, the Romans' forte was administration.

Roman Sculpture: politics as usual. Although the Romans copied Greek statues wholesale to satisfy the fad for Hellenic art, they gradually developed their own distinctive style. In general, Roman sculpture was more literal. The Romans had always kept wax death masks of ancestors in their homes. These realistic images were completely factual molds of the deceased's features, and this tradition influenced Roman sculptors.

An exception to this tradition was the assembly-line, godlike busts of emperors, politicians, and military leaders in civic buildings throughout Europe, establishing a political presence thousands of miles from Rome. The other principal form of Roman sculpture was narrative relief. Panels of sculpted figures depicting military exploits decorated triumphal arches, under which victorious armies paraded, leading long lines of chained prisoners.

Pompeii: paintings. A black mushroom cloud rose 12 miles over the peak of Vesuvius until the villages were covered with 18 feet of ash and pumice. They remained covered and forgotten for 1,700 years, preserving an incredible hoard of nearly intact artifacts, mosaics, and wall paintings.

Pompeii was a luxurious resort community with a population of 25,000. The scientific excavation that began in the mid–1800s disclosed the whole villas in which every wall was painted with realistic still lifes and landscapes. Since the interiors of villas had no windows, ancient Romans painted make–believe windows with elaborate views of fantasy vistas. This style of wall painting ranged from simple imitations of colored marble to trompe l'oeil scenes of complex cityscapes as seen through imaginary windows framed by imaginary painted columns. Artists mastered tricks of perspective and effects of light and shadow that were unknown in world art. Walls glowed with vivid red, tan, and green panels. Mosaics made of bits of colored stone, glass, or shell (called tesserae) covered floors, walls, and ceilings. Many were as intricate as paintings. In one, fifty tiny cubes composed a one-and-a-half-inch eye.

The paintings used to trace the evolution of portrait painting after Mount Vesuvius erupted. Some aspects to note are the refined use of the brush and the spatula, soft and delicate modeling, and sensitive portrayal of the calm demeanor of its thoughtful subject.

dignity –impressive behaviour of someone who controls their emotions in a difficult situation.

clarity – the ability to be easily understood.

adorn – to decorate something.

clay – a type of heavy wet soil that becomes hard when it is baked in a kiln (=oven), used for making cups, plates, and other objects.

nude – not wearing clothes.

passion – passions run high (=people become very angry, upset etc).

fold – to bend a piece of paper or cloth and pressone part of it over another part.

swirl – to move quickly in circles, or to make something move inthis way.

spin – the Earth spins on its axis.

literal – the literal meaning of a word is its most basic meaning.

relief – a relaxed happy feeling that you get because something bad has not happened or a bad situation has ended.

hoard –a large amount of something that someone has saved orhidden somewhere.

spatula – a similar tool used for applying paint or some other substance to a surface.