No discussion of art history would be complete without
mention of the art of ancient Greece classical Greek. Art and
architecture has left its markthroughout the ages and across
the world. Greek art is usually categorized under three
headings:
Hellenistic
That lasted from 323 to 31 C.E.
During this period, sculptors
pursued and perfected
naturalism—an artistic interest
that Greek artists had been
developing over hundreds of
years. At this time, sculptors
adapted Classical techniques to
render realistic figures.
Classical
About 480 to 479-323 B.C.E.
Though experimentation in
realistic movement began before
the end of the Archaic Period, it
was not until the Classical Period
that two- and three-dimensional
forms achieved proportions and
postures that were naturalistic.
Archaic
The term is most frequently used
by art historians to denote the
period of artistic development in
Greece from about 650 to 480
B.C.E., the date of the Persian sack
of Athens. During the Archaic
period, Greek art became less
rigidly stylized and more
naturalistic. Paintings on vases
evolved from geometric designs to
representations of human figures,
often illustrating epic tales.