Photos of the Classical Antiquity Historic Sites, Museum Art

Classical Antiquity Photos of Historic Sites & Museum Art

Photos of the Classical Antiquity historic archaeological sites & museum antiquities & artefacts from the great Classical civilisations of Europe, the Mediterranean & Near East. Photos of Classical Antiquity – the Etruscans, Lycians, Greeks & Romans.

Classical Antiquity

Classical Antiquity stated around the 8th century BC with the Ancient Greek Archaic Era and ended around the 5th century AD when the western Roman Empire collapsed.

The art and architecture of the Ancient Greeks created the benchmark of Classical Antiquity which still influences us today. The Roman embraced Ancient Greek culture making it their own. It is almost impossible to separated Ancient Greek and Roman art so it has been combined by academics as Greco-Roman.

Greco-Roman Art

Greco-Roman collections of every major art museum and is copied in the neo-classical facades of public buildings throughout the Western World. Many statues people think of as Roman were copies of earlier Ancient Greek statues.

Praxiteles Sculptures

One of the beat known Ancient Greek sculptors was Praxiteles, 4th century BC, who made some of the most accomplished sculptures of Classical Antiquity. His original works were probably in bronze and have been lost, but his works can be seen in the hundreds of Roman copies of his statues in Museums.

Ancient Greek City States of Classical Antiquity

Classical Antiquity started when the city states of the Eastern Mediterranean, in particular the Greek City States, grew in power and turned art, architecture, writing and philosophy into high culture. Hellenic historic art spread to other cultures around the Mediterranean and its influences can be found in Etruscan and Lycian historic art. The Romans loved Greek culture and when they eventually conquered all of the Mediterranean they spread Greco-Roman art and architecture that is familiar to all of us today.

The Romans

The Romans occupied the Greek cities of Magna Greca in present and southern city as well as all the Greek City States of the Eastern Mediterranean by 146BC. Because the Romans admired Ancient Greek culture so much they did not distort the great buildings and art of Ancient Greece.

Great Greek Doric Temples were left standing and any Roman redevelopment was carried out in a Greek Style. The Romans built on Greek Classical styles but made them their own. Roman sculptors searched for ultimate reality in their portrait busts, wart, wrinkles and all. There are still some magnificent examples of bronze Roma sculptures such art the incredible bronze statue of Emperor Marcus Aurelius on horseback in the Capitoline Museum in Rome.

Roman Mosaic & Fresco

The decoration of choice in Roman villas was mosaic floors and painted fresco walls. The Romans made mosaic with incredibly fine detail as can be seen in the Palestrina Mosaic. The scale of the use of mosaics in Roman Villas is best illustrated at the Villa Rmana del Casale in Sicily.

Villa Romana de casale

When the Villa Romana del Casale was excavated in the 1950’s, 3,500 square meters of exquisite Roman mosaics perfectly preserved by the mud was revealed. These mosaics at the Villa Romana del Casale are the largest area of Roman mosaics in situ in the world and are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Pompeii Fresco

Some of the best Roman fresco to have survived were excavated from Pompeii and can be seen in the wonderful Naples Archaeological Museum. Along with its famous Pompeii Erotic frescoes, the museum has wonderful decorative fresco wall panels. These give some idea of the rich wall decorations enjoyed by the Romans.

The Legacy of Classical Antiquity

In the early 1500’s there was an explosion of new art and architecture known as the Renaissance. This is directly attributable to the excavation of the old Roman Forum. When Rome collapsed in 500 AD, its population was severely reduced and those that remained built a new Rome next to the old. Old Roman marble statues and buildings were destroyed and made into quick lime to be used in the new building of Rome.

Thanks to the interest of Roman Catholic Popes and Archbishops in what was being dug up, what remained of Ancient Rome was preserved. Old Roman statues were collected and the wonders of Classical Antiquity were revealed. This was the driving force behind the Renaissance as Classical Antiquity was held up as the high point of Civilisation. Without these influences Michelangelo would not have sculpted David.

Again in the early 1800’s architects and sculptors turned again to Classical Antiquity for inspiration and Enlightenment. During this Neo-Classical period great houses were built with Greek Temple Facades. This influence has continued until today. Picasso was heavily influence by Classical Antiquity and the whole of western civilisation is grounded in the styles from Classical Antiquity.