Art Appreciation DD2

Art of the Ancient World The Ancient World covers the time from the Paleolithic period through the rise of Islam. Many of the "modern" notions of art such as abstraction, surrealism, and expressionism can trace their roots to the ancient world. The history of civilization, however, also articulates and formalizes the fundamental ties between government, philosophy, and art. Let’s examine the roots of this unique art and culture relationship more closely.

The Ancient World

The beginning of humankind's artistic pursuits is a subject of much debate. The earliest art forms we can find are the cave paintings done some 30,000 years before the Common Era. From what scholars can gather, much of the artwork has symbolic meaning with a possibility of being of religio-magical in nature. Most scholars will agree, however, that artwork seems to become more common as a society grows and matures. Thus, the intimate link between society and the art produced by its members is established. From the ancient Sumerian idols and ziggurats to the sophisticated and dictated styles of the Egyptians, art remained a force in the political and religious circles of society.

Archaic Greece, the Aegean, and Classical Greek Art

While religion played a central role in the cultures and arts of the Ancient World, it would be reinterpreted in early Greek culture. At the core of Greek religion was a large family of superhuman gods, often represented in human terms, sometimes superior to us, sometimes worse than us, but central was an implied intimacy and recursive relationship between human and god. Not surprisingly, this relationship framed Greek artistic endeavors. In fact, archaic Greek art featured temples to the gods, but simultaneously depicted the earthly existence of its people in vase painting and the freestanding kouroi. As Greek culture evolved, so too did the Greek art forms. Reflecting classic philosophical thought, art forms emerged that exhibited self-control, rational thought, and physical perfection.

The Roman Period

Although primarily copiers of Greek artwork, the Romans took to creating an absolute realism to their art. The blend of Greek style with the Etruscan style led to a prolific and original set of work. It is a time of achievement in the arts and culture, as well as total suppression. On the one hand, we see the development of tremendous feats of engineering and architecture in the Roman forums, aqueducts, and the Coliseum. Humanism, however, which reached its pinnacle in Greek civilization, would not surface again until the Middle Ages.

Judaism, Early Christianity, and the Rise of Islam:

With the growth and expansion of the Christian Empire, art tended toward the representation of spiritual and heavenly themes. The acts of Christ and biblical events were portrayed by almost every artist. Constantine erected basilicas that featured rounded shapes rather than the traditional churches. As with almost everything else, music in the late Roman period also reflected Roman decline and Christian ascension. Just as St. Paul took the Judaic and Eastern mystical traditions of Christian thought and shaped them into the logical processes of the Greco-Roman world, so early Christian music began to combine the music of Jewish worship with forms from the classical heritage.

Equally impressive and different is the Byzantine Style, which emphasized the symbolic over the representational. Geometric patterns and gold leaf were fused with mosaics to produce a uniquely Byzantine flavor. Meanwhile, the Islamic culture created elaborate mosques and ornate designs incorporating the text of the Koran, while Asian temples reached an apex of complexity and detail. In short, the “arts” were highlighted within each culture and religious sector of both the Eastern and the Western worlds.