Iconographic Representation in Greek Art

Paper Summary:

This paper examines the representation of gods in Greek art, and the very rigid patterns and canons that had been imposed by the masters of the past. The paper holds that those rules were followed religiously by art pupils, who learned the crafts to continue traditions. This is one reason why artistic representations of gods and goddesses show very similar features and obey to the same anatomical rules of body structure and proportion. The Greeks believed that the gods were perfect and their goal was to represent this perfection by finding the key to flawless harmony of features and lines. The paper argues that this created some troubles in representing a vast range of deities, since they all looked alike for following the same anatomical rules. The paper concludes that Greek representations of gods or heroes usually present only the best part of those characters, even if sometimes placed in human positions, with weaknesses, adversities and frustrations.

From the Paper:

"In Greek mythology Aphrodite was the goddess of love, lust, beauty and femininity. Although modern culture often refers to her as 'the goddess of love' it is important to state that ancient Greek conception of love was different from our days. The spiritual, romantic meaning of love, given by Christianity, is not what her power refers to. She is the goddess of sexual love."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Beard, Mary. Classical Art: From Greece to Rome. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001.
• Boardman, John. Greek Art. New York: Thames & Hudson, 1996.
• Havelock, Christine Mitchell. The Aphrodite of Knidos and Her Successors: A Historical Review of the Female Nude in Greek Art. University of Michigan Press, 1995.

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