OCR A2 CLassical Civilisations Notes: Art and Architecture in the Greek World
Clear and concise notes that are easily accessible. In depth analysis of each frieze on the Siphnian Treasury which will be of great benefit for the exam. These notes helped me to obtain an A* in my final exam.
L.Barlow A2 Classical Civilisations
The Treasury of the Siphnos
- Constructed 525 BC
- Celebrates the discovery of a seam of silver on the island
- Island sacked by Samos in 525 BC, therefore treasury must date before then or else the island
would not be able to afford the monument
- Referred to by Herodotus and Euripides
- Fairly small sanctuary- cella, porch and caryatids
- Materials:
• Base made of Delphic limestone (cheapest)
• Walls made of Siphnian marble (cheap)
• Mouldings in Naxian marble (expensive)
• Frieze of Parian marble (most expensive)
- Why build it?
• The cost of the building displays the wealth of the island
• Quality of carving and design show the cultural ability of the island
• The building provides a place to display the gifts of the island
• The building and treasures provide an advert for the island on mainland Greece
- Why is it important?
• Early example of Ionic architecture- continuous frieze
• One of the earliest examples of Caryatid columns
• It is one of the best example of Archaic monumental art
• It has pictures of battles on it
- 65 cm high
- West (front) Frieze = Judgement of Paris
- West pediment = lost
- East frieze = Trojan war
- East (back) side pediment = Apollo vs Hercules for the Tripod
- North (Sacred Way) Frieze: gods vs giants (gigantomachy)
- South frieze = rape of Helen or Antiope
- North Frieze:
• 8.9m long
• Runs left to right/ East to West
• Easily visible from the Via Sacra
• Faces of gods face right, except Hera
• Hera acts as a divider
• Each Giant different = helmet/shield
• Names painted or inscribed - only ever done like that with vase paintings- sculptor probably
was a vase painter
• Holes for metal attachments- adorned- diadems and jewellery
• Continuous frieze
• Battle scene- so much it can be confusing
• Problem of depth/foreshortening
• Many parts of a scene - lead to confusion
• Names written next to or below characters - can be seen as a negative but with the Archaic
limitations it can be seen as good
• Generally regarded as the finest of the two
• Great number of gods/goddesses take part, each carefully characterised so easily recognised
• One of the lions, who drew Cybele’s chariot, taking bite out of terrified giant
• Tail of the lion is very stylised
• To the right of the lions- Apollo and Artemis marching side by side, shooting arrows at a group
of 3 giants facing them with overlapping shields
• Between the two groups- frightened giant tried to run away. Legs rush forward to right but
looks back anxiously to left
• Body turns improbably at the waist
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