In this chapter, if you are of European descent, you are looking at the art work and society of your ancestors. There is no culture in the Western world that wasn't influenced by Greek and Roman ideas, social organization, and culture. Furthermore, all the new ideas the Greeks and Romans had—about government, religion, the value of the individual—found their way into modes of artistic expression. This Classical period is so important to Western culture that for anyone to be considered really educated in the liberal arts tradition today they would need some understanding of these societies. For example in most universities the works of Plato, Aristotle, Herodotus, Sophocles, and Sappho, are still read as foundational texts. Likewise, we still look at Greek and Roman art for the beginnings of our art traditions.

Note that in this chapter you read about people like Myron, Ictinos, Callicrates, Polykleitos, and Praxiteles. In Greek society, where the individual was valued, artists for the first time signed their art work. You also learned about Athena, Hermes, Dionysos, and later, Augustus and Marcus Aurelius. So you can see that not only were gods and goddesses seen as worth commemorating, but so were human leaders. It bears repeating that this idea of an individual being worthy of cultural recognition and artistic representation was handed down to us in the Western tradition from the Greeks, and it continues today.

There is so much to say about these societies that it can become confusing. There are lots of questions in the pre-test to help clarify all the information in this chapter. Also, be sure to look at this chapter’s flashcards on the ArtExperience CD so you can better understand the pieces covered. Here is the pre-test about Classical Art:

1. What achievements were the Greeks most known for? What were the Romans' most notable achievements?




2. What is humanism? What is rationalism?




3. What were two artistic styles combined in Greek art?




4. What were the four periods of Greek art?




5. How did the Geometric Period get its name?




6. Compare and contrast the black figure pottery with the red figure pottery.




7. Name and describe the characteristics of the three orders of Greek columns.




8. What are the Kouros figures? Kore figures? Describe their artistic conventions.




9. What is another name of the Early Classical period of Greece? Why is this name descriptive of this period?




10. What is the most significant thing about Early Classical sculpture? Give a specific example.




11. What is the canon of proportions?




12. Name and describe the Classical temple dedicated to Athena.




13. What is the S-curve?




14. Why is Hellenistic art different from earlier Greek art?




15. What is the Sarcophagus from Cerveteri?




16. What was the unique contribution of Roman sculpture to the art world? Give a specific example.




17. Explain what the Pont du Gard was and how it worked.




18. Describe the construction of the Roman Coliseum.




19. What is a basilica? What did it look like?