Greek Art Facts & Worksheets

A high level of artistic idealism distinguishes Greek art; it depicts an idealistic and perfect picture of the artist’s imagination rather than reality. Between 900 BCE and 30 BCE, Ancient Greek art was created and categorized into four periods: Geometric, Archaic, Classical, and Hellenistic.

See the fact file below for more information on Greek art, or you can download our 27-page Greek art worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

CHARACTERISTICS

• Greek art is renowned for depicting the Greeks’ devotion to the gods and goddesses of their culture. Sculpture, architecture, and pottery are some of the art forms that flourished in their time.
• Throughout Greek art history, artists used various materials, such as bronze and stone for sculpture, terracotta for vases and figurines, different colors for painting, and gold, silver, and bronze for coins.
• The relationships and achievements of humans are the primary subjects of Greek art.
• The Archaic period of Greek art was initially experimental. The Classical era was strong and artistic, while the Hellenistic “Greek-style art” emerged after Alexander the Great‘s death.

ART FORMS

• The architects of Ancient Greece devised a variety of complex procedures to ensure that their structures were precisely symmetrical. They designed horizontal planes with a slightly upward U-shape and columns wider in the center than at the extremities. Without these advances, the buildings would appear to sag; with them, they appeared perfect and majestic.
• Greek stone and bronze sculpted figures have become some of the most recognizable pieces of art ever created by any civilization. The Ancient Greek artistic visions of the human form have been widely imitated. However, Greek sculpture is not limited to standing people. In addition to portrait busts, the talents of Greek sculptors were tested by portrait busts, relief panels, tombstones, and stone items.
• The pottery of the Ancient Greeks is significant not only for the intrinsic beauty of its shapes and design but also for the insight it provides into the evolution of Greek visual art. Small terracotta figures were given as gifts to gods and goddesses, buried with the deceased, and given to children as toys. Most of the time, the Greeks used pottery to store, transport, and drink liquids like wine and water. Smaller pots were utilized to store perfumes and ointments instead of large ones.

ANCIENT ART FORM: GREEK ARCHITECTURE

• The Ancient Greeks developed a unique architectural style that is still followed today. Intricate details, high columns, and a sense of symmetry are all hallmarks of classical Greek architecture. The Greeks created several structures. Prominent Greek temples are the primary surviving specimens of Greek architecture.
• The Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian styles dominated Greek temples and government structures. Styles (called “orders”) were represented in column types. Most columns have fluted sides. This depth balances the columns.
• Greek temples were minimalistic but majestic. Outside were columns and above the columns was a frieze. The pediment rose above the frieze and featured more statues in a triangle shape. The temple’s inner room held the god or goddess statue. The Parthenon is a well-known example of Ancient Greek architecture. The Athenians built it at the height of their prosperity.
• The Parthenon was created primarily as a temple for the goddess Athena, the principal deity worshipped by Athenians. The construction of the temple lasted from 447 BCE until 438 BCE. The temple was built in Doric style. It has 46 6-foot-diameter, 34-foot-tall columns.
• In addition to temples, the Greeks constructed several public structures. They built a thousand-seat theater. The theater, built into a hillside, offers acoustics that allows even the back rows to hear the actors. Other public buildings include gymnasiums, courtrooms, council buildings, and sports stadiums.

ANCIENT ART FORM: GREEK POTTERY

• Greek pots are significant because they reveal so much about life in Athens and other Ancient Greek cities. Pots existed in a variety of shapes and sizes based on their intended use and were frequently elegantly adorned with images from everyday life.
• The Ancient Greeks used clay to make pots. Large pots were used to prepare or store food, and small bowls and cups were used to eat and drink. When people died, they were burned, and their ashes were buried in pots. Athenian potters used a watery clay mixture to paint delicate pots. The red-figure approach made human figures more lifelike and appealing.

ANCIENT ART FORM: GREEK SCULPTURE

• Greek sculpture broke free from aesthetic standards that had held sway for years throughout various cultures. Instead of recreating figures according to a fixed formula, they pursued the idealized form of the human body. 
• Greek sculptural figures in stone and metal are some of the most recognizable works of any culture, and the Greek artistic vision of the human form was replicated in antiquity and since then.
• Sculpture and architecture were intertwined in Ancient Greek culture. Both temples and sculptures were made to honor the gods. The sculptures weren’t just decorations for the temples but made a whole that worked well together.

GREEK ART PERIOD: ARCHAIC (650-480 BCE)

• Beginning in the seventh century BCE, artists shifted their focus from geometric designs to human bodies and natural elements. During the archaic period of Greek art, sculpture and adorned pottery emerged, particularly red and black-styled vases.
• The Greek archaic period began with a significant increase in population and drastic transformations that rendered the Greek world unrecognizable by the end of the eighth century. During the archaic period, Greek governance, economy, foreign relations, warfare, and archaic Greek art all evolved.
• Greek art became increasingly lifelike throughout the archaic period. The paintings on vases progressed from geometric patterns to human figures, frequently portraying historical stories. In sculpture, features were animated with the “archaic smile”, and bodies were depicted with increasing concern for human proportion and anatomy. The development of the doric and ionic orders of architecture during the archaic period reflected a greater emphasis on proportional harmony.
• Kouros and Kore, male and female standing sculptures, became fashionable in the world of Greek sculptors. Large-scale statues like these adorned sacred areas like cemeteries and temples. The stelai of Athens’ aristocratic families, carved in relief and displayed at their loved ones’ graves, were also built at holy sites. 

GREEK ART PERIOD: CLASSICAL (480-323 BCE)

• In the classical period, two- and three-dimensional shapes reached realistic proportions and positions. The early classical phase (480–450 BCE) was a transitional period with archaizing holdovers and “severe style” sculpture. The style incorporates realistic anatomy, extreme emotions, pouty lips, and heavy eyelids. Perspective and many ground lines strengthened painters’ compositions, as seen on the Louvre‘s Niobid Painter’s vase.
• The Niobid Painter was an ancient Athenian vase painter who worked in the red-figure style between 470 and 450 BCE—named from a calyx krater depicting Apollo and Artemis murdering Niobe’s children, the Niobids. He favored Amazonomachy scenes and three-quarter-view faces in other pieces.
• The Classical era in Greek art is best known for its literary and historical texts, such as those of Pliny the Elder. Unfortunately, we are unable to view the magnificent works that cemented mythological beliefs and honored political successes.
• Reliefs and statues were common and prominent in Athenian cemeteries, depicting loved ones interacting with family during their lifetimes or a depiction of a family saying goodbye to the departed. These emotionally stirring exhibits are authentic and naturalistic.
• Aphrodite of Knidos was one of the first life-size female Greek and Roman statues. The Athenian artist Praxiteles introduced the first modest feminine nudes. Praxiteles’s Aphrodite of Knidos was naked with her hand modestly covering her body as she stood next to a cloth that had been draped previously.

GREEK ART PERIOD: HELLENISTIC (323-31 BCE)

• The Hellenistic period in Greek history lasted from 323 BCE to 31 BCE. During this period, sculptors pursued and mastered realism, which Greek artists had cultivated for centuries.
• In history and art, the Hellenistic period refers to the time of Alexander the Great’s conquests and the spread of Greek civilization throughout the major cities and nations of Southern Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Near East.
• The art movement of this period is primarily conveyed through sculpture, which was more skilfully rendered in detail, anatomy, expression, and action than the artist’s classical forefathers’ sculptures.
• In 400 BCE, Praxiteles constructed a life-size naked statue of Aphrodite (Venus). It was a major breakthrough in classical sculpture, and Hellenistic sculptors created more nude Aphrodite sculptures to accentuate her sexuality. 

Greek Art Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle that includes everything you need to know about Greek Art across 27 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use worksheets that are perfect for teaching kids about Greek Art, which depicts an idealistic and perfect picture of the artist’s imagination rather than reality.

Complete List of Included Worksheets

Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document.

1. Greek Art Facts
2. Check the Facts 
3. Hunt for Art
4. Knowledge Chest
5. Tell Me About it
6. Text Twist
7. This or That?
8. Around the Word 
9. Greek Art Check
10. Ink It 
11. Describe Me 

Frequently Asked Questions

What is unique about Greek art?

Influenced by the Phidias sculptures, Greek art began to idealize beauty. The sculpture depicted people in a more naturalistic way, with an emphasis on proportion and balance. The contrapposto method, which was previously used sparingly, became increasingly popular.

What inspired Greek art?

Ancient Greek art was shaped by the philosophy of the time. This means that it is hard to understand it from our perspective today. The philosophers had a theoretical view of color and art, while the artists were more pragmatic in their production.

What was Greek paint made of?

There were different ways to make paint. One way is to mix pigment with a binder, like gum or animal glue. This makes the paint workable and it sticks to the surface being decorated. Another way to make paint is with the encaustic painting technique. This technique uses wax or wax and resin as the binder for the pigment.

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