Classical Art in Ancient Greece
Classical art characterized ancient Greece, as evidenced by the masterpieces created by Jerome Pollitt in his work, Art and Experience in Classical Greece. The book is divided into five sections (chapters), which comprise Antecedents and First Principles; Consciousness and Conscience, in which the author discusses the early classical period between c. 480 and 450 BC; and Chapter Three, which deals with "The World Under Control" between c. 450 and 430 BC. The fourth chapter is titled "The World Beyond Control," and the final chapter is titled "The World of the Person."
Chapter Three: The Classical Moment
The essay focuses on chapter three that addresses the issues appearing on the classical moment appearing between c. 450 and c. 450. The work provides a detailed summary and analysis of the chapter three authored by Jerome Jordan Pollitt on Parthenon. The chapter starts by presenting the two opposing sides (poles) as confidence and doubt. It addresses the classical moment between c. 450 and c. 430 B.C commonly presenting issues surrounding Athens and Greece at large [65]. Self-believe was emphasized as well as the unchanging divinity associated with the world of man.
Periclean Athens and Its Influence
The chapter also highlights the classical Periclean Athens art and its influence on Greece and the world at large. Jerome highlights the position of man as a measure of all things. The phrase, "man is the measure of all things" was, in many cases, expanded to be used as the motto of the entire classical period [69]. The author quotes the poet Sophocles' work titled Antigone that expounds on the ideas of cultural evolution. The author addresses the Athens siege by the Persians in 480 B.C when they destroyed two temples of Athena, one dedicated to Polias and the other to Parthenos, the maiden warrior [71]. The buildings of the Parthenon were connected to the sculptures that explained the buildings' forms and meanings. Although most of the classical moment's metopes were destroyed, the iconographic and stylistic generalizations imprinted on them were not lost [80-81].
The High Classical Moment
During the 5th century defined in the High classical moment, Athens and the people in Greece and surroundings lost confidence in life. The period was characterized by the introduction of unchanging divinity that further harmonized the world. There was an anthropocentric drift in philosophy from the physical world where the change was shifted to preoccupation with the human society [75]. Chapter three addresses seven important parts that include the Periclean art, perception of man as the measure of all things, the Parthenon, as well as the Parthenon and the classic moment. Jerome also explains the Pheidian styles and the role of spirits, and the polykleitos that address the new versions of the old formulae [97].
The Periclean Art
The Periclean art was characterized by association with the strategos positions that represented one of the ten generals under the military force. The Periclean art was made to glorify the art and philosophy of Athens. Pericles aided in recalling Kimon from his exile and proceeded to work for five years as a general of the military force. The author shows how Pericles led Athens to signing a peace treaty with the Persians in 448 while maintaining his control of the tributary allies. During the Periclean art, there was the financing of the building program using resources from Athens and Delian allies. The period was also characterized by periodic oligarchic coups on the Athenian mainland [72]. The classical moment was also classified as a period when Pericles and Athens had conflicts with the Peloponnesian commercial Corinth city. Pericles interfered with Corinth colonies of Potidaea and Corcyra. One of the famous Periclean art was the Funeral Oration that best captured the spirit of the Periclean Athens.
Sophist Movement and Human Perception
Establishing values and interpreting experience as well as human perception was emphasized by the Sophist movement that emphasized the increasing confidence in human belief. Between c. 480 and 410 saw two influential Athenians in Abdera and Protagoras who were of the opinion that man presented the measure for all things. The interpretation of the phrase "measure of all things" indicated that human knowledge is subjective and depends on the sense organs and mind of the individual [69]. It further indicates that cosmological abstractions are not more important than the human achievements. The assertion of Jerome Pollitt in analyzing the Parthenon was to indicate that a golden age was possible through exploiting human knowledge and stretching it beyond the known limits.
The Parthenon and Architectural Variations
There was an economic and spiritual toll witnessed during the Peloponnesian war. The Doric Parthenon had earlier been reconstructed where the chief architect was Iktinos. There were many metopes that the Athenas and Parthenons produced, totaling to ninety-two that signified the new force in artistry and sculpture. Pheidias was the general overseer who was also associated with the cult statue of Athena as well as the chief designer of the architectural sculptures common during the Parthenon era. The basic dimension of the temple was in commensurable proportions of n and 2n+1 and colonnades of 8:17 and 4:9. The sculptures and the constructions of the temples and other architectural buildings had intentional variations from the common mathematical regularities found in the curvature of straight lines [72-75]. The variations can be explained in three theories of compensation theory, exaggeration, and tension theory. The compensation theory held that the use of subtleties in the architectural designs were "betterments" or "compensations" for counteracting the optical illusions. The exaggeration theory indicated that the curvature presented on the stylobate was to make the temple appear immense while the tension theory held that the temple would seem alive through reconciling the elements of the structure.
The Ionic and Doric Forms
The Periclean Athens were fond of using the Ionic and Doric forms that had different meanings. The Doric form was often associated with the somber simplicity expressed by Peloponnesos while the Ionic form was to show the luxury, intellectualism, and refinement of Ionia [79]. During the period, there was the construction of the external metopes between 447 and 442 while the internal friezes were done between 442 and 438 that signaled the establishment of a homogeneous style and a common spirit [83]. The use of the metopes signified the strength of Athens and harmonized culture. The metopes also indicated the triumph of civilization over barbarism, often pitting west Greeks versus the Amazons. In addition, the frieze indicates the Panathenaean procession where a new peplos was issued to the cult idol after every four years. The context of the sculptures was often reserved for gods, but the Athenians inserted their pictures into the context of god in the sculptures [80].
The Influence of the Classical Moments
From the sculptures and the metopes presented by Jerome Pollitt, the explanation of the Parthenon and the classical moments raised the confidence of Athens and belief in humanity to higher levels. The quoting of artists like Pheidia and Polykleitos (a non-Athenian) as well as presenting the metopes and friezes was to show the influence of the people in the classical moment in shaping the confidence of humanity, architectural changes, and new civilization witnessed during the period.
Works Cited
Pollitt, Jerome Jordan. Art and experience in classical Greece. Cambridge University Press, 1972.
