We turn our attention away from Egypt and confront the classical era of Greek art. John Dryden, in his letter/essay “To Sir Godfrey Kneller” (1694), made the following observation on Greek art: “By slow degrees, the godlike art advanc’d; As man grew polish’d, picture was enhanced; Greece added posture, shade, and perspective; And then the mimic piece began to live.” What are your thoughts on Greek art, especially compared to Egypt, within the Dryden context listed above and the two works illustrated below? Is Greek art more “advanced” in your opinion than Egyptian? Be specific in your assessment.
Parthenon, Athens Greece, 5th century B C
Nike of Samothrace, Greece, 2nd century B C
Art Appreciation 
In my opinion, if you placed a picture of the Egyptian Mortuary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut next to the picture above of the Parthenon, the Parthenon seems like the natural progression of architecture. There are more details and of course it seems more massive. In reference to Dryden’s comment on Greek art, some of the artwork (but not all) does seem more advanced. For example, both Greek and Egyptian etchings and drawings are drawn from the side of the figures, they have many symbols filling the empty space, and spatial elements are the same (they both draw dead or conquered people below the victors). Additionally, the drawings/etchings signify the same kinds of activities or implications to gods. So I believe that this type of art is quite similar between the Egyptians and the Greeks. In contrast, the Greek sculptures differ significantly from the Egyptian ones. The Egyptian sculptures don’t seem to be free standing, the figures are usually sitting on something (with the exception of the pillar statue of Akhenaton) or it is simply a bust (like for Queen Nefertiti). Whereas the Greek sculptures are free standing (life size or larger) and have an incredible amount of detail, as in the Nike of Samothrace shown above. The viewer can see the difference in textures of the sculpture – the feathered wings, the sheer robe, even the dimple in the knee. The details make the statues feel realistic, as if they are moving or more alive. An additional observation is that the Greeks included less clothing and were more free with nudity than the Egyptians, from what little of both I’ve seen. I personally enjoy the realistic Greek art more than the Egyptian art from what I’ve seen.
Very well put! you seem to have explained what I was thinking in some part, but couldn’t explain near as well!
I like your comparison between Queen Hatshepsut’s temple and of the Parthenon.
Nice.
I agree with many of your points especially the one considering the movement of the Greek art compared to that of the Egyptians.
Excellent post! The idea of architecture and art progressing is fascination, especially considering that Greek and Egyptian culture interacted in many ways.
Although I am just basing my opinion on a couple pictures, I would have to say that Greek art does look more advanced that Egyptian art, but they are both gorgeous in their own ways. I think that there is more detail in Greek art as well as more definition. I agree with the comment made by John Dryden. For example, when I compare the structure of the Parthenon (Greece) to the Giza Plateau (Egypt) I see a lot more detail such as carvings that are displayed in the structure. It looks like a lot more time went into the creation of the Parthenon. When it comes to art, I am someone who likes the attention to detail and I see it more Greek art.
Greek art was way more advanced than Egyptian art due to the attention of detail that Greek art contains. I am not saying that the Egyptians were lacking in detain but I do not think they were perfectionist as the Greeks were. The Greeks developed three architectural systems, called orders, each with their own distinctive proportions and detailing. The Greek orders are: Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian. By naming their architectural structures, showed skill and dedication to their work and allowed them to explore and advance.
I think that Greece did seem more advanced, only because they used the work that the Egyptians innovated and created something new. They were just building on the work of the Egyptians. While the Egyptians created sculptures, the Greeks had sculptures as well, but they were different. I would have to agree with John Dryden, “they added posture, shade, and perspective.” They were in a different time, they had different things going on, they were had more resources available to them. They were able to go into much finer detail with their sculptures and be more creative because they had more advanced resources available to them. I don’t think that it’s a fair comparison. They are both from a completely different time, and their styles were completely different. Egyptians sculptures were less realistic and more artistic, while the Greeks were more realistic, which is what made them artistic. The Greeks were completely different in their architecture, and they bore very little similarities to that of the Egyptians. I don’t think it’s a fair comparison, because they both obviously have way different types of style.
I’d have to I agree that they just continued to build on top of the Egyptians.
I think every new generation or century makes progress in every field. People can look back and see what was done and look to make it better or do it differently. It’s that easy. I agree that the resources were different but did that have more advanced resources or did they just have easy access to them or knowledge of them? Everything was always there they just tried something different and it worked out for them.
Greece had advancement in the sense more things where provided for their art creations. They where both in different time periods. Egyptians and Greeks had done sculptures one was more mondern than the other. Eygptians to me was less modern; and as things changed Greeks
became the more modern artist of the time. I dont think you can really compare them because of the different beliefs and time periods its two different culutres that are being out next to eachother. So its hard to really say they are alike.
We turn our attention away from Egypt and confront the classical era of Greek art. John Dryden, in his letter/essay “To Sir Godfrey Kneller” (1694), made the following observation on Greek art: ”By slow degrees, the godlike art advanc’d; As man grew polish’d, picture was enhanced; Greece added posture, shade, and perspective; And then the mimic piece began to live.” What are your thoughts on Greek art, especially compared to Egypt, within the Dryden context listed above and the two works illustrated below? Is Greek art more “advanced” in your opinion than Egyptian? Be specific in your assessment.
I thoroughly enjoyed the Egypt module, but I have always wanted to go to Greece. i love Greek Mythology and a lot of the structures and areas mentioned in the myths are standing today. I think that is awesome. The Colosseum and the Parthenon are such historical areas in Greece. I think that Greek and Egyptian art is very similar. They took a lot of their religious beliefs and put them to artwork, or maybe even historical pieces to what they might have thought. I think that they are similar in that way, but in the way of what they made I feel they are completely different. I think that Greek artists used much different materials and presented their pieces differently. When speaking of whether Greek is more advanced or not, I’m not really sure. I think that they both have different levels of difficulty to them, and maybe the Greeks did a bit more in depth things. But i can’t say they were way more advanced. Egyptians did some amazing things. They had their wall paintings and slabs, but Greeks have the in-depth marble sculptures. I’m not sure what the “mimic piece” is… But I assume that he is trying to say that once the Greeks did their art everyone else followed and tried to make it just as theirs. I like how he said it posture because when I think of Egyptian art i think of just a flat surface painting where the head is all turned and the arms are in a “V” shape outward and the legs are in the same shape but downward. You know what I mean. Maybe that’s a misconception, but if it’s true I can see where he’s coming from. Because the sculptures from these Greeks are flowing and you can see the movement. Just a thought.
First I’m going to begin with asking whether art can be more “advance.” I see art as being relative. Ancient Egypt’s art reflects the culture of Ancient Egypt. They were ruled by a pharaoh who was believed to be a god. His power was absolute, and it was necessary for his people to believe in his absolute power. As a result the art is centered around the Pharaoh, and it’s perfect rigidness reflects a belief in a divine entity.
Ancient Greece is different. In this culture, we see the beginnings of democracy and free thought. The art of Ancient Greece reflects this in its sculptures and its architecture. These pieces of art are reflections of not only the beliefs of the culture, but are heavily influenced by the perception of the artists themselves. As a result you we see more variations with Ancient Greece. So it it more advanced? Nay, just more modern.
When reading John Dryden’s letter, I can see why he would say that “art advanc’d; As man grew polish’d, picture was enhanced; Greece added posture, shade, and perspective.” It is true. These features were not present in Ancient Egypt. However, perhaps this because Ancient Egypt didn’t value these features. I must say, the image of Nike of Samothrace seen above is just spectacular. I wonder what would have happened to Egypts culture had the Pharoahs of Egypt visited Greece and saw such sights; how would they have reacted?
I would also like to reiterate what Heather Galloway said (in the first posting): The architecture of the Egyptian Mortuary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut and the Partenon do display some interesting similarities. However, Hatshepsut was seen, in the Egyptian culture, as being a bit of an eccentric, and her styles and influence in no way embodies the whole of Ancient Egypt. Regardless, it is a very remarkable comparison.
I do like the artwork of ancient Greece better than the artwork of ancient Egypt because, it has a little more “emotion” into it. The artwork of ancient Greece has more depth and detail, but i woudn’t say that it is more advanced. I don’t think the word advance is the proper word to use when describing artwork because it is two different cultures with two different ideas and preferences in art it wouldn’t be a good idea to say that it is more advance. I think that the artwork of ancient Greece is more evolved than those of Egypt. Kind of how artwork evolved from cavemen drawings to modern drawings. saying advance is like saying that it is more superior but saying evolved is like saying that it grew and expanded from one form to another.
I’m not quite sure if “emotion” is the word I would choose to use when comparing the two eras of artwork. I think they invoke different types of emotion though. For example, the Egyptians seemed to make their pharoahs as daunting and powerful, so their followers revered them or feared them. Whereas the Greeks seemed to make their gods more human-esque. Almost like the mortals had something to strive for or find beauty in.
I agree. I think that the Greeks had more advanced tools, but the Egyptians had their own ways of showing off their artwork. Every generation moves up a step or two, and that’s because they are able to look back and see what other cultures and what their own ancestors did. That’s how they advance, but I wouldn’t call them advanced either.
When looking at the “Nike of Samothrace” and the “Statue of Khafre”, I agree with Dryden’s opinion that there is an advanced progression or a more polished live look in the Greek’s art. The “Nike of Samothrace” has more detail added and seems to show a livelier appeareance. The statue flows, where “Statue of Khafre” is more stone like. I think the Egyptian’s made their art pieces for purpose rather than just showing off skills. The “Pyramids” were made to last and still stand strong today where the “Parthenon” is in crumbles. The “Parthenon” was created for the Goddess Athena and the pyramids were made for the Egyptians rulers, who they believed to be part of the Gods. I think the pyramids were built in a more advanced way just because they have survived better, but the “Parthenon” had a more appealing look.
Learning module:
I think the Egyptian art still speaks to us today. We still read and study to learn what their hieroglyphics meant. We are still analyzing the designs and excavating tombs to learn from their history. What was meant as art has turned into key study areas for anthropologists to get a better idea of how they lived during those times. I think the pieces will always give us new knowledge as they continue to stand. Looking at the art work is one of the better ways to get an idea of how they lived.
In my opinion, the ancient past still speaks to us today. If we were to look at the great pyramids in Egypt and South America, and the monumental structures in Britain and Chin, we still wonder how they did it. We see the use of precise and accurate geometry, and masonry, more than a few hundreds of years ago. It still speaks to us today because we still use some of the mathematical methods necessary to construct our structures today. Furthermore, the use of structures as a tribute, or monument continues today, with structures that make the mind wind, seen as artistic.
Through the makings of ancient Egypt, we can learn the capabilities we as humans posses. It is said that it is impossible to construct these wonders having no modern tools, however it is seen before us. I think there is still a momentous amount that is still to be learned.
Although most people do not construct elaborate tombs, you are so right that the way people have cemetary monuments relates to what the Egyptians did. I like how you also mentioned mathmatical methods. Great post!
What are your thoughts on Greek art, especially compared to Egypt, within the Dryden context listed above and the two works illustrated below?
Greek art appears to be more advanced because of the use of advanced tools. As each era passes the next has more knowledge, ideas, and tools that are able to be more advanced than the one before. I seriously doubt the Egyptians or the Greek could have constructed the Sears tower during the time they created the Parthenon or the pyramids. While the pyramids are a wonderful mystery, the details of the Greek architecture are more advanced.
The statue, Nike of Samothrace, has much more details than the Egyptian art carvings but probably only because the tools that were available made it possible. They are intricately made to show how art has evolved.
My thoughts on Greek art is that in comparison to Egypt in Greece the architecture was very detailed, perfected and more executed precisely. Within Dryden’s context I agree with his observation that as “art advanced, polished and enhanced” so did the works of art. I believe like Dryden that Greece had “added posture, shade and perspective,” unlike what was missing from some of Egypt’s works of art. When I look at the Parthenon compared to the Giza Limestone the Greeks used limestone, marble, and stone in their sculptures and architecture to emphasize artistry, whereas in Egypt the landscaping was more creative. Egypt’s symmetrical designs of pyramids and buildings were based on mathematics.
Is the ancient past still speaking to us today? I believe that it is otherwise it wouldn’t be talked about, looked at and studied as it is today. We are interested in the dynamics involved and that’s why they are deemed the “wonders of the world”. People of the past spent considerable time and effort constructing elaborate tombs for the kings. When those tombs and other relics are recovered, we study and marvel at them. The beauty, the ingeniuty and the degree of labor involved stuns us.
They had a financial system, a formal language, a government, a military among other things. They laid the foundation of what we have become today.
I agree completely, I think we really would not be as advanced of a human race as we are if it wasn’t for the fact that these ancient societies put forth such great efforts to explore the imagination and bring a completely new approach to advancing the human race forward.
It would seem that the Greek architecture has advanced over the Egyptian one. There is more detail in the Greek artwork and more dimensions to see. However, I find that both of them are beautiful in what they express. They are pieces of work that stands for a culture and a tell a story of that region. I like both Egyptian and Greek work even though the Greek works look more ‘sophisticated’ in the sense that most of the artwork is created to look almost life like. The Egyptian artwork tells long stories of past pharaohs and many other things and is sophisticated for its time but are mostly drawn from the side view. I must say that one of the things I love most about Greek art is the amount of detail they put in to the clothes and every quirk of the body. They hold true to human anatomy and there sculpture are gorgeous representations of the people or gods they are trying to portray.
I enjoy the period of Greek art over roman because of its history and impact it had on future societies. It was basically the Greeks that set the standard for classical everything from art in reference to theater, sculpting, architecture and so on to the era of great philosophy by Socretes illustrated in the profound literary works of Plato. The ancient Greeks helped to lay the foundations for art, literature, theater, math, science, architecture, engineering and warfare. In fact, practically every area of American lives is influenced by Ancient Greece Greek influence on society can be seen even to this day. The ancient Greeks gave America and the rest of the world formulas and theorems. In addition, they provided written records that ended up being the foundation of all that followed in every basic field of study. My favorite part of Greek art is in the architecture. The buildings and landmarks are so precise and just overwhelmingly beautiful in their size and detail. Both roman and Greek art and architecture are amazing and almost identical in representation but it’s obvious that the romans took the idea of the Greeks like the pantheon and tweaked it, adding there spin on improving the design to yield the Parthenon. Never the less it was Greek influence that paved the way for the development of other society’s marvels that are admired today. I would love to take a trip back in time to the era of Greek development just to see the work in progress. Wouldn’t it be amazing to be physically immersed in the actually development of art and culture that gave such great influence to our every changing world.
Although it does seem like greek art is in some ways more advanced then Egyptian art I would have to say mostly this idea is due, in my opinion, to attention to detail. Not that the ancient Egyptians didn’t have that quality but that greeks seemed to pride themselves on it and giving something depth and better detail can most definitely change the quality of work produced. I believe it was mostly a preference and ultimate goal of each society to produce images and buildings of specific reason. Egypt’s art looks more like it was used as documentation for events and practices where greek art is more for its appeal and admiration.
I don’t know that I would say Greek art is more “advanced” but I definitely think it may be more thoughtful. I think that the stonework shows more emotion than a lot of Egyptian art. Someone wrought that statue by hand, and you can feel that. Someone made it out stone because nature can take with that art and do what it pleases and it will still be a work of beauty. In my opinion Greek art is more fascinating and tells more of a story, but I certainly do not think that it is more advanced.
Greek art had more movement and freedom than that of Egypt. Many of the pieces shown in the previous module depicted stiffly postured Pharaohs. I feel the art of Greece can be viewed as a progression from that of Egypt. The Greeks adapted the style and broke the mold allowing for the added posture, shade and perspective Dryden had mentioned. While the Egyptian art often featured a stiffly seated male looking forward the Greeks progressed to the movement of a standing (often life size) figure. The figures were often nude or only partially clothed; something I did not see in the Egyptian art. It also appeared from the slides that it was more common to see woman as the subject of interest, but that could have just been because of the limitations of options shown. In all I feel that Greek art may be more advanced in its ability to portray the human form but not more advanced overall. They both stand on their own, the Greek art just displays the ability to portray the human form more realistically.
I do believe that the Greek art work is advanced than the ancient Egypt art. However, this is more like a progression to me rather than advance. The Greek culture were much more thoughtful and much easier to understand because their society is more freedom. The Greek artist also bulid up their art piece on the Egyptian art works.
I also think the Greek art was easy to understand because it is more realistic. A lot of people still consider the Egypt work as Magic, myth, Miracle. However, they have different opinion on Greek art because they think those art pieces are within the imaginations.
Last but not the least, Greek culture is much more like the western culture as it for today. Greek bulid up their society by democracy, capitalism and trades. I think people understand them better than the Egypt culture.
I feel that the Greeks were much more meticulous than the Egyptians were. When I look at Greek art I see a lot of detail. I don’t however feel that one is better than the other. They’re both fascinating in different ways. I think that Greek art is obviously more realistic, but to me, that is it, beautiful. Egyptian art on the other hand is much more historical.The Greeks, I feel, were more worried about how magnificent a work of art was, where as the Egyptians wanted to make things bigger and grander. So they will go down in history.
I feel that Greek art was influenced by Egyptian art and it can be considered “advanced” since it is their improved or more modern version.
Both Egypt and Greece were heavily influenced artistically by their religious beliefs. Greek art did seem to put more emphasis on realism and three-dimensional art. They also included sculptures that put focus on the body which looked more “godlike” and beautiful. Artists did become more polished, but isn’t everything with time?
When I first read Dryden’s comment about the “mimic piece,” I immediately thought that yes, the Greek Parthenon looks like a modern shelter. These pillars they created or “post-and-lintel construction,” which our textbook calls it, passes for pillars you see today. They continue to be the ideal for architecture support that allows room for people inside the structure (in comparison to the Egyptian architecture).
Learning Module:
I have have to say that I prefer the artistic period of the Greeks more than the Romans. Considering that the Romans were influenced by the Greek artists. I feel like they were the original. But, they are very similar. I do like one aspect that the Romans had over the Greeks and that was that they were willing to try different types of art. For example, they borrowed from both the Greeks and Egyptians.
The strongest image between the Greek and Roman slides was the Nike of Samothrace. I find it absolutely beautiful and mysterious. The flowing of her clothes from the wind and the how the artist portrayed wet clothing was done really well and very detailed. Even though the head and arms are missing, it still is mesmerizing. I love that the Greeks as well as the Romans used marble for most of their works of art. It keeps the hold and shape of these ancient figures nicely.
If I had to choose a period out of the three to visit, it would be the Egyptian era. I have always been fascinated with their time period. I think the culture was very interesting and I’m very curious about this era. I think that their art is very informative about the way of life for the Egyptians and I think that they execute that very well.
Roman/Greek Learning Module:
After looking at both the art created by the two cultures, it was hard to decide which one I liked best, but I think I genuinely like the Greek’s contribution to art more than the Romans. Much of what the Romans contributed was just a representation of power. They created huge buildings and made them meticulously and flawlessly. The point of their creations wasn’t for the sake of art and expression of beauty, it was a representation of their power and dominance over other cultures. The Greeks had a completely different approach, while they still had beautiful buildings, they were more well-rounded. They created beautiful sculptures demonstrating the simplicity in just studying humans.
The images that made the most impact on me from the Greeks was probably the “Nike of Samothrace” because there is just so much beauty found in this sculpture. The rendering is beautiful and it adds so much dimension and drama to the sculpture. The fact that they didn’t sculpt the face is beautiful. Just the body posture and the body language seen in this sculpture is amazing. It just demonstrates the Greeks genuine appreciation for humanity and the beauty that can be found in the simple things. The Romans created the “Pont du Gard” which is completely amazing, and I don’t want to take away from their amazing architecture, but I think that they could have done so much more with their ability. Instead of trying to demonstrate their power and superiority they could have created much more beautiful things. In looking at both of these cultures contributions, I am quite convinced that the Greeks were more expressive in their art, and I think that’s what I like about them.
If I could go back in time and visit one culture, I would have a really hard time deciding, it would be amazing to see all of these cultures, but I think that I would have to choose to go back to Ancient Egypt. There was just so much mystery left behind in Egypt, and I would have loved to just have an idea of what life was really like there. Was it as grand as it looks in the carvings on the wall in the pyramids? Or was that all just a facade?
I think the roman and greek arts are very similar yes even though greeks art came first. I feel that the greeks where more passionate in their art an in love with it. The romans where more of showing who was in power or superior is the kind of feeling when I look at the two. I really like the Nike of Samothrice; it looks very classic; detailed. Their similarities are that they both design sculptures and emaculate buildings. That are still kind of used in bulidings today.
I think that they have their own things compared to the Eygptians. While the Eygptians had their monuments errected for their pharrohs, the Greeks just did it for the fun of it. I dont think that the Greek art it better than that of the Eyptians but in a way it is more “advanced’ than that of the Eygptians. Take for instance their statues and sculptures, the Eygptians did not have much for three dimensional painting and and when it came to statues, they were block form with no real life-ness to them. It was as if they were just there but the Greeks have statues that come out at you and tell a story. They are better to express through their art what a human really is and what it is that they do. In the end, the both group of people have their own touch to everything and have something special that does not make one better than the other. We can not blame the Eygptians for the lack of resources and or the technological advances that the Greeks might have had.
Speaking within the Dryden context I think that Greek art is indeed an advancement to that of Egyptian art; however, though more modern it is not better. I think it is more advanced because it is more aesthetically pleasing by Western standards, and features less of that rough, amateurish, hand drawn look that is characteristic of some ancient egyptian pieces. At the same time Greek art is less meticulously detailed, thus it seems slightly less passionate than its Egyptian predecessor. All in all, both art forms have structurally and metaphorically withstood the test of time.
I have found myself interested in Egyptian art for nearly all of my life, however, I do not find it the most special. The Egyptians used shapes in their art more than actual sculptures as the Greeks did. After reviewing the Greek art provided above and the art from the learning module I find Greek art to be much more advanced. The Greeks set the standard for modern architecture by designing buildings that are the foundation of the iconic buildings still constructed today. Throughout Washington DC we can find countless buildings that stand in the eye of a great country, all modeled after Greek architecture from thousands of years ago.
When comparing Greek statues to those of Egypt the differences are quite obvious. The Egyptians used rough edges and rounded corners to create art in devotion to their Gods. These art forms were riveting for the time and still are today. The Greeks however, took their sculptures to a entirely new level with emasculate detail. When viewing ancient Greek art we are able to see the amazing detail and cuts in the sculptures. Due to the advanced detail and design, I am forced to find Greek art to be much more advanced than Egyptian.
I always find it difficult to decide what is more “advanced” because it looks to me that during their time, they were advanced in their own way. We are comparing two distinct periods of time that were divided by sea. Even with trading and the Library of Alexandria in Egypt, the Greeks still had their humanistic art- after the ancient Egyptians. Therefore, it is difficult for me to judge what is advanced. of course, Egyptian art is very different than Greece art, for example, the Greeks were artistic in the sense that they were trying to recreate humans in the form of art. I think they saw the anatomy of the body as the greatest challenge in trying to replicate the human shape, facial expressions and body moment- as well as muscle flexing. In the power point there is a quote that said that “Greeks turn humans into gods or gods into human….” and that’s exactly what the Greeks were doing. The Egyptians considered their Pharaohs as gods already so I can see why the Egyptians did not follow the path of the Greeks in art. I mean, for the Egyptians, it was insuring the afterlife of the pharaoh and making sure he survived for eternity. The Egyptians made things so they would last for eternity and for them it was not necessary to built or make art to the likeness of the pharaohs. The Greeks were more interested in discovering or knowing the mystery of the body and they were successful at it. The Greeks belief was more encouraging for the people and they did not mind showing how strong, beautiful or powerful the people can be and the Egyptians could not do that because the Pharaohs were the ultimate law.
Which period do i like best and what image?? I prefer the Greek art because of their achievement in humanism. AS I was looking at the powerpoint on ancient Greece, i was captivated by the statue of Nike, the Warrior and the maidens in the Parthenon. I can stare at the statue of Nike all day and i would come to the same conclusion that it is amazing at how detailed her landing is. I can envision her landing so gracefully and her clothes sticking to her skin from the wind. I can see her famine features as beautiful. Her landing is so graceful that she inspires confidence and security. I love it when art can make me visualize it and transport me to the world it represents. The Goddess of Nike makes me want to learn it and just get lost in all the details it has.
If I could go back in time, I would love to travel to ancient Egypt. Egypt has such a fascinating past that can go back to the Bible. I would love to see the pyramids being built and uncover all the mysteries we have in our time about Egypt.
Roman/Greek Module:
I greatly enjoyed learning about both Roman and Greek artistic period but I must say that I really like the Roman period. I enjoyed it because of the details involved with the artwork. I understand that Greek also incorporates a tremendous amount of detailing but I feel can relate more to Roman, I went to a catholic Elementary school that the church was based on Roman inspiration. The church was beautiful and had tremendous detailing. I find it unbelievable for building to have precise detailing as the ones featured in the Roman powerpoint. I greatly enjoy seeing the details and the message that they deliver.
I greatly enjoyed Nike of Samothrace because of the great detailing. I like that it is a simple but powerful piece of art. I think that the artist did a great job portraying the message with the piece. I like that the piece is not perfectly straight nor smooth. I feel that the non straight lines has a message in itself. I can easily see that the artwork represents beauty but victory.
If I were able to visit Egypt, Greece or Rome, I would choose to visit Greece because of the Nike of Samathrace. I really enjoyed that piece of art and I would love to see it in person. Not only would I like to go see that only piece but also all the others featured such as the Venus de Milo and the Athens Acropolis. I find it amazing that people were able to create such beautiful artwork without the technology that we have now. I think that it would be fun to learn more about Greek art and the reasoning of their artwork.
I think that Greek and Egyptian art are both amazing but I enjoyed Greek more. I liked Greek art better becaus of the greater amount of detailing involved. Although Egyptian art does consist of a great amount as well, I find Greek artwork a bit more complex. It is for this reason that I feel that Greek art is more advanced. I understand that they are both different time periods but In my opinion Greek artwork seems more complex. Although builing a perfect pyramid without the technology of today is very hard to accomplish. I think that Greek art is more advanced in the sense of detail but not in the sense of architectural complexity. I personally do not know much about building so I am just judging with an outside image perspective.
I agree that the Greek art from the learning modules appears to be more enhanced than Egyptian art. They are shown in the modules having many full body statues. They are very detailed and you can see emotion in the faces and body language of those depicted. They are standing in a way that humans truly stand versus the stances of the greek art pieces. Many of them are head shots only and straight on. Both show intricate detailing, but the Greek art is more humanistic. Both have many pieces of architecture in their art. The architecture from Greece appears more squared while the Roman architecture appears more domelike. They are both similar in that they both have pillars. Overall, I preferred the Greek art because the art pieces of humans seemed more realistic and detailed. Aesthetically, they are more pleasing to the eye.
In the way Drydan speaks of Greek art and construction compaired to Egyptian, it is more advance in adding a more artistic and realistic element of their construction and artifacts. The Egyptian pyramids and statues were well ahead of their time in how they were constructed but were more mythological like with the sphinx. Greek constuction was more clean but had more detail added into it and their statues like Julius Ceaser & Augustus depicted humans with good detail unlike Egypt’s giant sphinx.
Learning Modular:
I prefer the artistic period of the Greeks a little bit more then the Egyptian’s because the Greeks had more detail and work into their projects and artwork. Perfect example of their detail to design that I liked was the intrerior of the Pantheon with the circular dome opening. Today to achive that in modern construction building usually have a see-through glass dome cover over a opening like that to support the building but in Greece they were able to do that without no tall cranes and equipment is nothing short of amazing. I would like to go back in time to the period of Greece’s early prosperity to see how they constructed all their buildings and how they made their artwork and statues because they had just as much influence on the modern world as Egypt and Rome.
I would believe that both of these arts are well developed and I wouldn’t be able to say if one was more advanced then the other because they both have their different styles, if you compare those two images a building to a sculpture you can defiantly say that Greece is more advanced because that is a huge piece of art, but overall I think they both are the same.
I like the rome period, their art is different from any other kind of place, I love the little details that they incorporated into their sculptures or buildings and just wonder about the time it took to create those sculptures also what tools were used in the making. The image I liked the most and reason for picking the roman period to live in was the colosseum, I love the detail it has and how bit it is, I looks super old as well so I think that’s interesting. When it is just during the day it looks cool and you can look at it for hours but at night time when it is all lighten up, its just beautiful. I would probably want to live during the Roman Period because, I like how they focused on the Church and State, how they had set gods and what their gods meant, I also really enjoy just their history and how different it is from any other history
Module 10:
I prefer ancient Greek art because I think the Greeks focused more on the beauty in things and were progressive, while the Romans focused more on power. The ancient Egyptians could make magnificent works of art on a large scale, but they were overall not very progressive and their art stayed two-dimensional throughout their reign.
The images that made the strongest impact on me were “Nike of Samothrace” because of the pleasant detail given to the fictitious goddess and the Athens Parthenon because of the scale and lasting impression it has made over the time. I also appreciate the nakedness of Greek art. The Greeks tried keeping accurate records to a scale that hadn’t been seen before, they were comfortable being human without trying to hide their features like the Romans did, and they made great strides in understanding the human body, how illnesses affect the human body, etc.
If I could go back in time, I would most want to visit ancient Greece, for the above mentioned reasons.
I agree with the dimensions of Egyptian art compared to greek and roman art concepts.
I would be hesitant to call Greek art more “advanced” than Egyptian art, because they focused on different forms of art. Greek art was more diverse, dimensional and realistic, but as we’ve discussed before in this course, even now artists make pieces that are more realistic and ones that are simpler and require more imagination. The Egyptians, similar to the Romans, focused on making large, lasting monuments, while the Greeks created more works of art for the art itself. To the Greeks it seems like something that could last thousands of years was a bonus, but took second in importance to creating something that was thought of as beautiful or magnificent that could bring honor to the household.
Egyptians still puzzle modern-day historians about how they supported their culture, how they created such accurate monuments to their Pharaohs, and how they were able to get large, solid pieces of marble in remote areas to stand tall and stay in one piece. The Egyptians worshiped their gods (the Pharaohs as well) and wanted everyone to know that, years down the line.
Greeks however didn’t worship their gods; the Greeks wanted to keep the gods happy and try to minimize the gods’ impact on their day-to-day lives, only asking for godly interference/intervention in special instances. I think this also shows in their art. They were proud of their successes, but were also willing to change and seek out “better” ways to live in unity. They were progressive and the cities often fought each other and works of art were destroyed, whereas Egyptians mostly did not want to interfere with the art left behind for those in the afterlife.
The artistic period that I prefer is Roman, symmetry is very important when constructing innovative architecture, and the materials and tools must be symmetric as well. It amazes me to see what these ancient peoples can build without powered tools and big Caterpillar machines. The Pantheon is one structure that surely amazes me because of their purpose of building it and how the sun plays a huge role in its symmetry. The dome shaped structure of the building doesn’t seem possible to hold its ground for this many years, so that means the Romans had a very strong base in mathematics and art in order to construct this building.
Greek art also caught my attention when comparing it with Roman art. My opinion is that Roman art had much to do with symmetry, structure, and statuesque, but Greek art had a lot to do with animation, musculoskeletal illusions, and emotion. For example, “The Fallen Warrior, 5th Centure BC”, this sculpture displays a great example of animation and emotion, the soldier appears wounded using his resources (shield) for support while trying to move. I interpret this piece as a “never give up” concept. This soldier is using every last breath to move before he collapses.
If I could go back in time I would visit the Egyptian period. The Egyptians have so much art and myth mixed with their government that it seems like it is another reality. In order to understand this “reality” we would have to have been there living and breathing during this time to understand their social structure as well as their spiritual structure. I still want to know how the pyramids were built and the reason for their pinpoint location of many of their structures.
Learning Module 9: I would have to say that it does still speak to us today somewhat because we are still focused on their art. We are still trying to figure out what each hieroglyphic means and what each statue or picture or any form of art truely means. We are always analyzing their art. In my opinion, art from the past will always have some sort of part in todays art because we never truely move on from it. We are always still focused on analyzing art from centurys ago. It never truely stops or leaves us.
Is Greek art more advanced than Egyptian art? In a word: yes. Like the Greeks themselves, the architecture and art had a flair for the dramatic. This is visible in the images presented and in other examples of Greek art, such as paintings, sculpture, etc. In my opinion Greek art and Greek philosophy are inseparable. The ideas advanced by the Greeks, particularly in regards to political thought, we revolutionary and are responsible for the ideas that our (and many other) nation(s) are founded upon. The same is true for Greek art, particularly architecture. Visit any government center and you will traces of Greek architecture, if not overt overtures to it. While one would be hard pressed to find someone who denied the majesty of the pyramids, in my opinion they do not hold the same beauty as the Parthenon and similar structures. The Greeks and Egyptians were both producers of functional and non-functional art, but in comparison it seems that Greeks had a greater sense for the human condition were Egyptian art largely served the purposes of the divine.
I do think Greek art is more advanced than Egyptian art. Their architecture is beautiful, different, whereas what we have from Ancient Egypt are mainly pyramids. The Parthenon is a good example, with its classic Greek columns. Dryden said it all, “Greece added posture, shade, and perspective; And then the mimic piece began to live.” We see this with the two above pieces.
The Nike is a good example because Greece brought the “mimic” into art. There are tons of sculptures, paintings, etc. of real people back then, whereas Egypt was not so concerned (unless it was their man in power!). I enjoyed looking at the Greek art far more.
Yes, the architecture from Greece is much more beautiful and seems to have a lot more meaning behind it than the Egyptian artwork we have seen. The Nike sculpture was so advanced in detail compared to Egyptian artwork.
Greek vs Roman Module:
If i had tp pick from the Greek or the Romans, I would have to say i like the Greeks a lot more. I feel that their building structures were a lot more to my liking. It could also be that I’m so used to seeing Roman influences in some of our buildings that it seems like something ordinary. The images that had the strongest impact on me was that of the pantheon which was later “remodeled” to the liking of the Pope. Or for instance when there were additions made to the already buildings a couple of centuries later. I know understand the need to add more and then to take things away from it. If it really needed the bell towers then it would have had it but just to add on to make it more religous and less pagan just doesn’t fly with me but then again that’s what I think. If I had a choice to go back and be in an era, I’m not sure which one i would want to be. Each has its own thing. But I think I would have to really consider between Greece and Roman. I mean Egyptian would be wonderful to see in action the pyramids and pharoahs seems so great but then thinking about history and how they worked their slaves to death just doesn’t sounds to appealing. Now for instance Greece and Rome, with all their gods and all the great mythological tales of heros and disasters is just great. To see and live amongst the greatest and get to see the buildings, statues, art as if they were just another normal thing. I dont know which of the two I would pick. Each has their own thing and each has pluses and minuses. On one hand, one was considered to be the where the greatest artwork came from which in the other, advances and knowledge. I like a little bit of both.
In my opinion, Greek art is way more advanced than Egyptian art. Greek art has such detail to it and meaning. The Nike of Samothrace is so beautiful and elegant to me and has a great deal of detail to it. It has a deep meaning put into the artwork. To me Egyptian art has to do with more of their religion and what they believe in for the afterlife. Most of their art is centered on what they do in the afterlife and does not serve an artistic purpose for me. I think what Dryden was exactly right. Greece brought life to their artwork, which separated them from the Egyptian artwork that was much more dull.
Greek vs Roman Module:
I prefer the Roman artistic period. The Roman Empire seemed to extremely smart and knew how to build a long lasting empire. The Pont Du Gard has such intricate architectural and engineering skills put into it. It is still in use for its original function, which is amazing that they were so far ahead of themselves at this time. The Colosseum which is the greatest arena ever mad in my opinion, that housed many great shows and so many people died and reveled in such brilliant shows. The place held 50,000 people because it was such a great piece of architecture. I think the Romans were just so efficient in their way of thinking about their artistic views and really were able to bring them to life vividly.
I think the image that made the most impact on me was the sculpture of Julius Caesar. When I think of the Roman Empire that is who comes to mind for me, a strong, powerful Roman dictator who ruled the empire with just great force. The sculpture has great detail and when I look at it I see a man with confidence who knows exactly how he wants to run his empire. He looks older in the sculpture and has a sense of being a powerful leader. It is a great piece of artwork to me because it depicts a man who is strong willed and willing to do what it takes to rule an empire. I also find the Colosseum an amazing piece of engineering by the Romans. They build this amazing amphitheater, which by today’s standards is a football stadium that housed gladiators and many theatrical plays. It is truly a breath-taking piece of artwork to look at.
I would love to visit the Roman Empire if I could go back in time. They have such beautiful artwork and sculptures throughout the empire and the cities. Sitting in the Colosseum watching these courageous battles between gladiators and the plays that were put on there were probably something that cannot be described unless seen for one ’s self. It seemed like such a great time to live in and experience all of the great artwork that was being produced.
Based on the images in this blog and the Greek module, I would have to say that Greek art seems to appear more advanced than its Egyptian counterpart. As far as what John Dryden said in his letter, I would have to agree that Greek style is more polished than Egyptian art. I did notice that this particular kind of art focuses a lot on posture, body language, and detail. Geometry and meticulous attention to the overall shape and symmetry of the piece is very evident in Greek art. I feel as if Greek art is an evolved form of Egyptian art because I see similar revised aspects of the latter in Greek works. The Greeks definitely took pride in their architecture and the success of their particular style has proven to be a success as it can still be seen in today’s modern structures. The sophistication of Greek art is what separates it from the art of Ancient Egypt.
Looking through the different pieces between Egyptian and Greek architectures I see many similarities, but the two cultures have distinctive styles that distinguish them from one another. The Egyptian architecture seems to emphasize on the structure and form of the building versus Greek architecture that focuses on the details of the entire figure. The sculpture above seems to bring the sculpture to life because the clothing has ripples delicately sculpted with intentional details to the figure on the body like her belly button and the indenture on her knee. In contrast the Egyptian sculptures keeps a smooth exterior throughout the figure portraying a simple yet elegant detail. The pyramids constructed by Egyptians also have smooth sides with sharp yet smooth aspects of the architecture. I agree with John Dryden because Greek architecture does have heavy emphasis on posture and shade to its portrayal of art.
Even though I prefer the Egyptian art more than Greek art, due to what I believe is a very unique look to them, I do have to admit that the Greek art is more detailed than Egyptian art. When you see a Greek sculpture, it seriously looks like it could come to life at any moment because of just how human it looks. Every facial feature, every fold in a cloth, and even every little unique physical feature, such as the feathers on Nike’s wings, seems to have been taken into account when being created. The Greek art looks more real than the Egyptian art.
Roman and Greek Art
The purpose of this essay is to compare the Roman artistic period to the Greek artistic period. To be exact, my personal view on the two periods will be outlined and three questions will be answered. First, I will explain which period I prefer and why this is my preference. Secondly, I will describe which images had the strongest impact on me. Finally, I will explain which period I would like to visit, if I could go back in time.
Which artistic period do you prefer—Greek or Roman—and why?
Both the Greek artistic period and the Roman artistic period, had positive attributes. However, since I have to choose one period, I would choose the Roman artistic period. Although, the Roman art borrowed a lot from the Greeks and Egyptians, I prefer Roman art for exactly this reason. In a way, Roman art combined the best of everything and blended it with its own ideas. It is true that the Romans valued Greek art; however, I prefer the less idealized and more diverse Roman approach to art.
In addition, I admire the beauty of Roman architecture that is combined with its practical use. For example, I believe the Roman aqueducts to be not only beautiful, but also a very important feature. Aqueducts are a prime example of the fabulous Roman engineering and building skills. The Pont du Gard is probably the best proof for how remarkable the Roman artistic period was.
Which image or images made the strongest impact on you and why?
Even though I prefer the Roman artistic period, there were a couple of pictures from all periods mentioned that had a strong impact on me. From the Roman period, the picture of the Pont du Gard, made the strongest impression on me. As stated above, I admire the combination of beauty
and usefulness. Moreover, I am fond of the amount, position and various sizes of arches in the Pont du Gare.
With regard to the Greek artistic period, there are two images that impressed me. The first image is the image of the majestic Parthenon, due to the balance and symmetry of the building itself. Secondly, the image of the Venus de Milo made a very strong impression on me, because it is a beautiful and captivating statue.
If you could go back in time, which period would you most want to visit—Egypt, Greece or Rome—and why?
This is a difficult question to answer. As outlined above, I am impressed by both the Roman and Greek artistic period. However, if I was able to travel back in time, I would probably visit Egypt. The main reason for this decision is that I would have loved to see the Ancient Library of Alexandra, which was the largest and most important library of its time. From what we have learnt, it must have been a marvelous place.
The Library of Alexandra held over half a million documents from various nations, such as Persia, Greece and Egypt, which is a remarkable amount of documents, even compared to our standards. In addition, many scholars lived in the library, which is another reason for my decision. I can only begin to imagine the overwhelming experience to be surrounded by all those ancient documents and ancient scholars. Finally, from an architectural point of view, it would have been a wonderful experience to see the outside and inside of the building itself, which was sadly destroyed. I guess the fact that the Library of Alexandra was completely destroyed increased my fascination with it.
Greek art to me seem somewhat similar to Egypt art. I believe both cultural artistic skills were at the same level. However I believe that had different views. I believe the Egyptians art work was used to praise pharaohs and put the fear in their followers. Whereas the Greeks use their art to show their god in a human figure. Both are pretty good to me.
Powerpoint Questions:
Which artistic period do you prefer—Greek or Roman—and why? I honestly do not have a preference when it comes to Greek and Roman artistic periods. I am indifferent only because both have so much history behind it. With art, I like the meaning behind it rather than the physical aspect of both. Both are just as beautiful and cannot be compared because they both depict the way of life in that era.
Which image or images made the strongest impact on you and why? Of all the images, I honestly feel that both the Greek Parthenon and the Roman Colosseum made the strongest impact on me. It may seem biased as to why they both made an impact on me, but the reason why it makes a strong impact is because I’ve seen many images of it before and the building structures are still just as beautiful as the first time I saw it. Like stated in the powerpoint, both of them are iconic architecture achievements in the ancient world. Still today, architectures are recreating it in different places in the world and copying the beauty of both buildings.
If you could go back in time, which period would you most want to visit—Egypt, Greece or Rome—and why? If I could go back in time, I would probably want to visit Egypt. It seems that in the present, Greece and Rome were well-preserved since it’s time. Many of the artifacts from Greece and Rome are still very much like the way it used to be. In Egypt, there are so many unanswered questions that are still wondered about today. I would honestly not be surprised if there are still Egyptian buildings and huge statues that are underneath the dirt and are still waiting to be found. I would like to know what it was like in those times, and I wonder how its people created everything from stone and how long it really took them to make it.
Greek Art’s foundation is definitely structure and cleanliness. In a way, I do agree with Kneller, because Greek Art added posture, shade and perspective. Comparing it to Egyptian art, an onlooker could look at the structure and see that it was made many centuries ago. It’s very simplistic and rugged. However, looking at Greek buildings and structures, it is evident that that type of structure can still be used in today’s world. Now, columns, such as those in the Parthenon, imply stature and power – a big reason why many government buildings look like that today. Being that those structures were created in centuries upon centuries ago, I definitely agree that it was advanced for its time – extremely advanced compared to Egypt.
I agree that the Greeks added something more to art. I prefer their more elaborate buildings and structures versus the Egyptian ones. However, obviously the Egyptian structures were well made to outlast centuries, so this shows you that these were meant for something more than just onlookers. Their structures were meant to serve a purpose, not to look pretty. However, considering that structures like the Parthenon were still constructed hundreds of years ago, I agree that the Greeks were ahead of their time.
I definitely would agree that Greek art is far more advanced than Egyptian art. Not to say that the Great Pyramids are not excellent pieces of art. I just feel as if Greek art is really focused around detail. When I look at Egyptian art I see a society that created structures and pieces of art to symbolize the kings that ruled the country. When I look at Greek art I see a lot more detail and purpose. The Greek sculptures are one of a kind. They have an extreme amount of detail and seem as if they are real. Many things that the Greek’s did are still used today. The civilization was far ahead of any other civilization in its time. Most of Greece’s artifacts have been kept up and are well known throughout the world but I believe they are still here because of their beauty and detail. It gives us as a modern society something to look back at and say “Wow, that is a beautiful statue.” If it wasn’t an amazing piece of art, I don’t think it would have been protected the way Greek art has been.
Roman and Greece Art Module-
I prefer the Greek Artistic period over the Egyptian or Roman periods. I feel like the Greek put a lot more detail into their art. Even though the Romans and Egyptians created marvelous structures I think that the Greek created art and structures that had great detail. Throughout the module the sculptures had the biggest impact on me. I think its amazing how someone can create something so real out of a piece of stone. It is amazing to see such great detail in these statues. It allows us to really see what someone might have looked like rather than just looking at a painting. If I could go back in time to visit a period it would have to be a toss up between the Roman and Greek eras. I have a great fascination for both of these time periods and find both of their works of art to be magnificent. I think that Greeks created art with a lot more detail but I think the Romans made things that were well beyond their time as far as physics.