ARTH 324: Hellenistic Art From Alexander to Cleopatra Professor Christopher A. Gregg MWF 11:30-12:30 email: cgregg@gmu.edu Office Hours: Robinson 373 A Wed. 10:30-11:20 am or by appointment This course will explore the final phase of Greek art, that of the Hellenistic period (ca. 331-31 BCE). After the military campaigns of Alexander the Great of Macedon, Greek culture was spread throughout the Eastern Mediterranean and the Near East by his successors. Hellenic civilization was profoundly changed by interactions with other cultures, changes marked by a sense of increased diversity and the importance of individualism. These deep societal changes also had a strong impact on art produced in the fourth century BCE and beyond. The resulting Hellenistic period of Greek art has been described as theatrical, intellectual, and emotionally vibrant: works of sculpture and painting seek to draw the viewer into a dramatically charged moment and evoke the sympathies and passions of the observer. Architecture of the period relies on scale and ornament to overwhelm the senses. From the beginnings of Hellenistic style under Alexander, to Cleopatra's Greco-Egyptian home in Alexandria, and beyond to lavish works created in this style under the Caesars of Rome, this seminar will examine the development of Hellenistic style, the major artists of the period, the variety of monuments and sculptural types that it produced as well as the interplay between Hellenistic culture and the art itself. We will focus on sculpture, painting, and architecture, but also examine metalwork, mosaics, and other media that embody the style of the Hellenistic Age. Course Goals To examine in detail the elements of art and architectural style during the Hellenistic period. To survey the wide-ranging forms of archaeological and art historical material preserved from this period. To gain a greater understanding of the diverse social and political environments of the Hellenistic period. To build research skills on a particular archaeological topic. To practice oral presentation of material in an organized and useful manner. To expand your visual and verbal vocabulary for archaeology and art history. Texts J.J. Pollitt, Art in the Hellenistic Age (Cambridge University Press): 2005. R.R.R. Smith, Hellenistic Sculpture (Thames and Hudson): 1991. Digital readings either hyperlinked to the syllabus, through JSTOR, or uploaded to Blackboard Graded Requirements Museum Assignment Sept. 8th 10% (Note: Exhibition ends Sept. 7 th ) Exam I Sept. 29 th 20% Exam II Nov. 3 rd 25% Final Exam TBA 30% Paper Nov. 19 th 15% ARTH 324, Hellenistic Art Fall 2008 1
Exams Exams will include slide identifications, architectural diagrams, terms, dates, and essays. Material will come from textbook, lecture, and readings. Study guides will be provided a week prior to the exam. Important Notes Attendance at exams is MANDATORY: no make-up exams will be offered without a doctor s excuse or other official documentation. I encourage questions and open discussion in class. Please, however, refrain from quiet talking during lectures. It is distracting both to your classmates and to myself. If you persist in this during lectures, I will ask you to leave the classroom. Please turn off cell phones when class begins. Texting during class will be treated the same as talking during lectures. Texting or other use of electronic devices during exams will be treated as a potential honor code violation. Turn electronics off and put them away for the entirety of the exam. Arrive on time for class. Coming in late is disruptive for everyone. If you have a class prior to ours which causes a problem with arriving on time, please discuss it with me. Discuss any special academic needs with me at the start of the term. Do not wait until after the first exam or later! Since the material in this course is based on the art and literature of another culture, some topics of violence, gender, and sexuality may be contrary to individual beliefs, but we will deal with them in an academic and intellectual manner. All reading assignments should be completed before class each day. No extra credit assignments are offered in the course. The schedule and pace of the course may be adjusted as needed. If the need arises, a revised syllabus will be distributed. It is your responsibility to keep up with the most recently distributed version of the syllabus All university policies of academic integrity and honesty will be enforced in this class: make sure that you are familiar with these policies. Paper Topics: 3-5 pages, details will be made available on Blackboard. August M 25 th W 27 th F 29 th September M 1 st W 3 rd Introduction Archaic and Classical Art Blackboard on-line Reserve: Survey of Archaic and Classical style Marilyn Stokstad, History of Art, vol. I pp. 121-129, 132-133, 137, 143-145, 160-164 Archaic and Classical Art Review previous reading assignment Labor Day: No class The Precepts of Hellenistic style in Art and Architecture Pollitt pp. 1-18 ARTH 324, Hellenistic Art Fall 2008
F 5 th M 8 th W 10 th F 12 th M 15 th W 17 th F 19 th M 22 nd W 24 th F 26 th M 29 th October W 1 st F 3 rd Precepts, Styles and Themes in Hellenistic Style Smith: Bronze Boxer (Terme Boxer) Lucilla Burn, Hellenistic Art, Chapter 5, pp. 138-154 The Results of Greek Expansion: Hellenistic Style in Afghanistan Museum Assignment due: hard copy in class Macedonia in the 4 th Century BCE: Rising Power and New Art Waldemar Heckel, The Wars of Alexander the Great, 13-27 Alexander and his Conquests Heckel, 28-34, 81-89 The Portraiture of Alexander Pollitt pp. 19-31 Images of Alexander: Echoes of the Portraiture Pollitt pp. 31-45; 59-78 Lysippos Pollitt pp. 47-58 Macedonian Royal Tombs: Vergina Manolis Andronicos, Vergina: The Royal Tombs, (excerpts in pdf file) Macedonian Royal Tombs: Vergina, an alternate interpretation JSTOR article: E.N. Borza, The Royal Macedonian Tombs and the Paraphernalia of Alexander the Great, Phoenix 1987: 105-121 The Royal Mountain of Nemrud Daji Pollitt pp. 274-275 ( Nemrud Dagh ) www.nemrud.nl Look at Photos, History 2: King Mithridates, History 3: King Antiochus, History 4: Art, and Nemrud Tour 1-7 Exam I Pergamon: Attalids and Gauls Pollitt, pp. 79-97 Pergamon: Gauls and the Pegamene School of Sculpture Review previous reading ARTH 324, Hellenistic Art Fall 2008 3
M 6 th W 8 th F 10 th M 13 th Tuesday 14 th W 15 th F 17 th M 20 th W 22 nd F 24 th Pergamon: Altar of Zeus Pollitt, pp. 97-110 JSTOR article: Diether Thimme, The Masters of the Pergamene Gigantomachy, American Journal of Archaeology 50 (1946): 345-357 Pergamon: Altar of Zeus Blackboard: Erich Gruen, Culture as Policy: The Attalids of Pergamon in From Pergamon to Sperlonga: pp.17-29 (pdf file) Pergamon: More Sculpture and the City plan Pollitt pp. 230-235 Blackboard on-line reading: John Freely, Pergamum in Classical Turkey, 27-40 COLUMBUS DAY: No class, but Monday classes will meet Hellenistic City Planning: Priene Lucilla Burn, Hellenistic Art, Chapter 3, pp. 79-88; 94-99 John Freely, Priene in Classical Turkey, 62-67 Hellenistic Sanctuaries Temple of Artemis at Ephesus Temple of Zeus Olympias at Athens Sanctuary of Asclepius on Kos Pollitt, pp. 230-249 JSTOR article: Phillys Williams Lehmann, The Setting of Hellenistic Temples, The Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians 13 (1954): 15-20. Hellenistic Sanctuaries: Temple of Apollo at Didyma JSTOR article: H.W. Parke The Temple of Apollo at Didyma: the Building and its Function, Journal of Hellenic Studies (1986): 121-131. Hellenistic Jewelry Dyfri Williams and Jack Ogden, Greek Gold: Jewelry of the Classical World (pdf file) Hellenistic Painting and Mosaics Pollitt, pp. 210-229 Hellenistic Painting and Mosaics Pollit, pp. 185-209 M 27 th Hellenistic Sculpture: New Forms of the Ideal Man ARTH 324, Hellenistic Art Fall 2008
Smith: Belvedere Torso Old Fisherman Mahdia Dwarf Dancing Youth Sleeping Hermaphrodite Orestes and Electra Group Archaic Athena W 29 th F 31 st November M 3 rd W 5 th F 7 th M 10 th W 12 th F 14 th M 17 th Hellenistic Sculpture: Images of Women Smith: Aphrodite of Melos Venus Kallypigos Aphrodite and Pan Group ( Slipper Slapper ) Old Women Baker Dancer Hellenistic Sculpture: Tanagra Figurines and Children Tanagra Figurines Web resource: http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/tafg/hd_tafg.htm Smith: Boy with Goose Bronze Eros Artemision Horse and Jockey Exam II Hellenistic Sculpture: Groups and Monuments Smith: Hanging Marsyas Group Nike of Samothrace Gandharan Art and the Far East Blackboard: Kurt Berhendt, The Art of Gandhara, ( Gandhara and Diffusion pdf file) JSTOR article: Charles Picard, A Figurine of Lysippan Type from the Far East: The Tra Vinh Bronze Dancer, " Artibus Asiae, 1956 vol. 3-4: 342-352 Hellenistic Technology Download handout from Blackboard and bring it to class Alexandria and Hellenistic Egypt Pollitt, pp. 250-263 Alexandria and Hellenistic Egypt Review previous reading Cleopatra and the Ptolemaic Dynasty in Egypt ARTH 324, Hellenistic Art Fall 2008 5
Review previous reading W 19 th Rome and Hellenistic Style: Portraiture and Iconography Terme Ruler Laocoon (Blackboard reading: Elizabeth Catterson s Theory) Paper Due in class: hard copy, no email submissions accepted (late penalties apply) F 21 st Rome and Hellenistic Style: Theatricality and Imperial Power JSTOR article: A Tradition of Adventures in the Imperial Grotto by Sorcha Carey in Greece and Rome 49.1 (April 2002): 44-61. M 24 th W 26 th F 28 th TBA Thanksgiving Break: No class Thanksgiving Break: No class December M 1 st W 3 rd F 5 th Rome and Hellenistic Style: Public and Private Sanctuary at Palestrina (http://australis.www2.50megs.com/fortuna/1.html) Farnese Bull Group (http://www.mlahanas.de/greeks/mythology/amphionandzethus.html) Hellenistic Style in the Art of Pompeii Assignment to be announced TBA Fall Exam Period runs from December 9 th -16 th Consult the bulletin for exam day and time Make travel plans accordingly: No early exams will be given ARTH 324, Hellenistic Art Fall 2008