Going Greek: Hellenistic Art Throughout The Ancient World

Recognizing Greek Art Forms on a Wider World Stage

What you'll learn

Students will learn the key developments, vocabulary terms, and works of art which are associated with the Hellenistic period and style.
This course covers a vast geography from Europe through Asia and even down into South Arabia to discover the extent of Greek influence in late antiquity.
Vocabulary terms to know are included as a final list at the end of the course.
Students will learn about a variety of mediums, from bronze to stone and beyond, used in Hellenistic artwork.
Requirements
Students who have completed the preceding courses "The Art of Archaic Greece" and "Classical Greek Sculpture" will be most prepared to appreciate the broad view of how art developed in the ancient world, but this course also can stand alone and provide a solid grounding in Hellenistic artwork in Greece and Beyond
Description
In the fourth century B.C.E., Alexander the Great swept across Greece, Egypt, the Near East, Mesopotamia, Persia, and into north India. With him came sweeping changes in the style of artwork produced by much of the interconnected global civilizations at the time. In a sense, the Hellenistic style united a far greater swathe of geography than even the Macedonian’s military campaigns did. With exposure to the dramatically different Greek concept of the representation of the human figure, especially as the Hellenistic Period progressed as more and more emotionally-compelling, hyper-realistic sculptures emerged, innumerable centers of local art production across Asia Minor, Arabia, Mesopotamia, Persia, and into the Indus Valley were energized by the new style and absorbed its tell-tale markers. From the Hellenistic Period onward, much of the ancient world looked to Greece for guidance in the visual arts. Not only art was influenced; this lecture also takes a look at the scientific legacies of Greek Alexandria in Egypt and its spread throughout the ancient world. While on the one hand, Greek art forms were being introduced, on the other, Classical Greek art also absorbed many previously foreign elements into its canon. This distinctive fusion of cultures and traditions produced the style of artwork we know as the Hellenistic.

Overview

Section 1: Introduction

Lecture 1 Who Were the Macedonians?

Lecture 2 The March of Alexander the Great and its Trail in Art History

Section 2: The Greek World

Lecture 3 Alexandria, Lighthouse of Civilization

Lecture 4 The Hellenistic Baroque

Lecture 5 Hellenistic Art in Arabia

High school, university, and graduate students will find both a review of key pieces and developments as well as original research and connections which are exclusive to this course.