LESSON 2 (Art)

Western Classical
Art Traditions
PRE-HISTORIC ERA
• Pre-historic includes all human existence before
the emergence of writing.
• Their art is of interest not only to the art historians

but also to archeologist and anthropologist, for whom
the art is only one clue – along with fossils, pollens,
and other finds to an understanding of early human
life and culture.
Paintings from the Pre-historic Era
• Their paintings were found inside the caves which may

have been their way of communicating with each
other.
• It may also be for religious or ceremonial purposes.
• These paintings may be more an artifact of the
archeological evidence than a true picture of humans’
first created art.
• The dominant features in the painting were
large animals native in the region.
• It was discovered on September 12, 1940
and given statutory historic monument
protection.
• The painting has nearly 2,000 figures
composed mainly of animals, human
figures, and abstract design.
• Some sections have been identified inside
the cave such as: The Great Hall of the
Bulls, The Lateral Passage, The Shaft of the
Cave of Lascaux, 1 Dead man, The Chamber of Engravings, The
5000-10000 B.C. Painted Gallery, and the Chamber of
Felines.
Paintings from Ancient Egypt
• The purpose of Egyptian paintings is to make the deceased afterlife place
pleasant.
• With this in mind, themes include journey to the underworld introducing
the deceased to the gods of the underworld by their protective deities.
• It emphasizes the importance of life after death and the preservation of
the knowledge of the past.
• Most paintings were highly stylized, symbolic, and shows profile view of
an animal or a person.
• The main colors used were red, black, blue , gold, and green derived
from mineral pigments that can withstand strong sunlight without fading.
The paintings of the
walls on the tomb show
events of the life of the
king while he was still on
earth and the scenes he
expects to encounter in
the underworld after his
death.
Paintings from Sarcophagus of Tutankhamen
XVIII dynasty
1362 A.D. - 1253 BC
Paintings from Classical Greek Era
Paintings during the classical era were most commonly
found in vases, panels, and tomb.
They depict natural figures with dynamic
compositions.
Most of the subjects were battle scenes, mythological
figures, and everyday scenes.
They reveal a grasp of linear perspective and naturalist
representation.
Most common methods of Greek painting:
1.Fresco - method of painting water-based pigments on a

freshly applied plaster usually on a wall surfaces. Colors are
made of ground powder pigments mixed in pure water,
dried, and set with plaster to become a permanent part of the
wall. Ideal for murals, durable, and has a matte style.
2. Encaustic - developed by Greek ship builders, who used hot

wax to fill the cracks of the ship. Pigments (colors) were added
and used to paint a wax hull.
Judgement of Paris
(370-330 B.C.)
Va s e p a i n t i n g
Kerch Style also referred to as Kerch Vases are red, figured pottery
named after the place where it was found.
Shapes commonly found are:

1. pelike (wine container)
2. lekanis (a low bowl with two horizontal handles and a low
broad foot)
3. lebes gamikos (with high handles and lid use to carry bridal
bath)
4. krater (bowl use for mixing wine and water)
Panel Painting
They are paintings on flat panels of wood. It can be either a small, single-pieced or
several panels joined together. Most of the panel paintings no longer exist because of
their organic composition.
The earliest known panel painting is the:
Pitsa Panel
(Archaic Period between 540 and 530 B.C.E.)
Tomb / Wall Painting
Tomb or wall painting was very popular during the classical

period. It uses the method frescos in either tempera (water-
based) or encaustic (wax). It has a sharp, flatly outlined style
of painting and because it uses water-based materials, very few
samples survived.
The image was painted using a true fresco technique with a

limestone mortar. It depicts a symposium scene on the wall.
Tomb of the Diver
(Paestrum 480 BCE)
In tomb paintings, artists rely on the shade and hues of paint

to create depth and life-like feeling.
Paintings from the Roman Era
• Most of the paintings in this era were copied or imitated from Hellenic Greek
paintings.
• Fresco technique was used in brightly colored backgrounds; division of the

wall into a multiple rectangular areas (tic-tac-toe design); multi-point
perspective; and a tropme-l’-oeil effect.
• Roman paintings have a wide variety of subjects, animals, everyday life, still
life, mythological subjects, portraits, and landscapes.
• The development of landscape painting is the main innovation of Roman

painting from Greek painting.
Mosaic
It is an art process where an image is created using an assemblage of
small pieces of colored glass, stones, or other materials.
This technique is used for decorative art or interior decorations.
The full image is a Roman floor mosaic in the

House of Fun Pompei, dated 100 B.C. The whole
mosaic depicts the battle between the armies of
Alexander the Great and Darius III of Persia.
Head of Alexander
Image from Treasures of the World, 1961 CCP Library
This fresco painting was believed
to depict a ceremonial rite,
either marriage or an initiation
of a woman in a mystery cult.
Fresco from the Villa of Mysteries

Pompeii 80 BC
Byzantine Painting
The lively styles of paintings which had been invented in Greek and
Rome lived on in Byzantium but this time for Christian subjects.
By the 11th century, the Greek and

Oriental styles seem to blend together
in magnificent, imposing images,
which adorned the churches in large
and small forms.
The court of Empress

Theodora, mosaic
6th century AD San Vitale, Ravena
Theodora was an Asian Queen with dark eyes
and hair with fierce expression;
Fresco from the Villa of Mysteries

Pompeii 80 BC
BRING THE FOLLOWING NEXT MEETING
15 points
Materials
➣➣ big empty glass bottle
➣➣ black permanent marker
➣➣ acrylic paint
➣➣ paint brush
➣➣ white glue
➣➣ water with container
➣➣ tee light candle

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Western Classical

• Their art is of interest not only to the art historians

• Their paintings were found inside the caves which may

1.Fresco - method of painting water-based pigments on a

2. Encaustic - developed by Greek ship builders, who used hot

Shapes commonly found are:

Tomb or wall painting was very popular during the classical

The image was painted using a true fresco technique with a

In tomb paintings, artists rely on the shade and hues of paint

• Fresco technique was used in brightly colored backgrounds; division of the

• The development of landscape painting is the main innovation of Roman

The full image is a Roman floor mosaic in the

Fresco from the Villa of Mysteries

By the 11th century, the Greek and

The court of Empress

Fresco from the Villa of Mysteries

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