The four centuries between the composition of the Homeric epics and the conquests of Alexander the Great witnessed an immensely creative period in Greek art, one full of experimentation and innovation. But time has taken its toll; damaged statues have lost their colour and wall paintings have been totally destroyed. And yet sympathetic study of surviving sculpture and of drawing on vases can give extraordinary insight into and appreciation of these once brilliant works This book, designed originally for students, introduces the reader to Greek sculpture and vase painting in the critical period from the eighth to the fourth centuries BC. The works discussed are generously illustrated and lucidly analysed to give a vivid picture of the splendor of Greek art. The up-dated second edition includes a new chapter examining art in Greek society, a timeline to help relate artistic development to historical events, an explanation of how dates BC are arrived at, a brief overview of Greek temple plans and a further reading list of recent books.This clear, approachable and rigorous introduction makes the beauty of Greek art more readily accessible and comprehensible, balancing description with interpretation and illustration, and is an invaluable tool to help develop insight, appreciation and comprehension.

PrefaceNote on TerminologyAcknowledgementsMap1. Beginnings2. Attic Black-Figure Vase Painting3. Archaic Architectural Sculpture4. Archaic Free-Standing Statues and Grave Stelai5. Early Red-Figure Vase Painting6. Early Classical Sculpture7. Early Classical Architectural Sculpture: The Temple of Zeus at Olympia8. Early Classical Painting and Vase Painting9. High Classical Architectural Sculpture: The Parthenon10. High Classical Sculpture and Vase Painting11. Art in the Last Quarter of the 5th Century BC12. Sculpture in the 4th Century BC: The Opening of New Horizons13. Art in Greek SocietyEpilogueAppendices:- Literary sources- Establishing dates BC - Literary Sources: useful texts surviving from classical antiquity - The names of vase painters - The names given to statues - The authenticity of the Hermes of Praxiteles - The colour used on Greek sculpture - The Doric and Ionic orders - Greek temple plans - Identification of mythological figures and scenes GlossaryTimelineFurther ReadingIndex