Classical art: definition, history, types and examples

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

The term "classical art" comes from the Latin word classicus, which means "exemplary". This concept in the narrow sense includes the art of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome, and also involves the periods of renaissance and classicism that were based to some extent on ancient traditions. If we turn to the broader meaning of the definition of classical art, then these are the highest artistic achievements of the eras of the rise of art and culture of different times and peoples. These achievements can manifest themselves in a variety of forms, which are sometimes very far from ancient forms. Classical art and culture are inseparable concepts.

What is called a classic?

In the simplest sense, the art of the classical period is called works of art, which to this day have retained aesthetic value and have the highest value of perfectartistic sample. Each work that belongs to the classics has features that are characteristic only for them. First of all, this is artistic truth, humanistic ideological content, clarity and perfection. However, the traditions and characteristics of classical art may differ in different states due to the peculiarities of both cultural and historical development inherent in a particular country. Taken together, all the world's works of the classical period are the heritage and heritage of all mankind. This is the basis that underlies the development of contemporary art. The main types of classical arts are sculpture, architecture, visual arts, theater, philosophy.

Classicism

Since modern classical art is directly related to classicism, it is worth analyzing this direction in more detail. This style in literature and art dates back to the 17th-beginning of the 19th century, this direction is associated with the ancient heritage as a norm and an ideal example of art. The beginning of classicism was laid in France, and the style was associated with the Enlightenment. Here the ideas of philosophical rationalism, the rational laws of the world, the expression of heroic and moral ideals took place. All images were built in strict organization and were based on logic, clarity and harmony. This style represents rationalism, monumentality, simplicity, nobility and balance.

As for genres, here they were divided into three categories: high, low, mythological. To the firstcategories include such areas as tragedy, ode, painting. To the second - comedy, landscape, fables, portrait. And to the mythological only themes of history and religion. The names with which we associate classicism in philosophy are R. Descartes, J. B. Molière, N. Boileau; in literature - Voltaire, Goethe, Schiller, Lomonosov; in the theater - Chanmel, Leken, Neuber, Dmitrievsky; in music-opera by J. B. Lully, C. Gluck, in artistic skills - C. Lorrain, B. Pigalle, M. I. Kozlovsky, G. Shadov.

Culture of Ancient Greece

Ancient Greek culture is the basis of classical art. It is defined as a set of achievements in both the material and spiritual spheres of the society of Ancient Greece. The peculiarity of the culture of Ancient Greece is that throughout the entire period of its existence it was purely mythological in nature.

The merit of this time is that everything was absorbed, analyzed and transformed. All tribal myths, which were scattered, united into a religious and mythological system. It was a difficult stage in the development of art, and already in the VIII-VII centuries. BC e. this system becomes complete, acquiring a finished look. This is especially true in Homer's Iliad and Odyssey. Now the culture of Ancient Greece can be safely called the basis of the entire ancient worldview.

Basis

It so happened historically that the plots of myths became the basis for classical art. First of all, it is worth mentioning the myths and legendsHellas. It was on their basis that the art of Ancient Greece grew and developed. And if in other countries mythology depicted man in a constant struggle for dominance over nature, then in Greece everything was completely different. Here, the basis was the end of the forces and elements of nature that had power over man.

Thanks to the ancient Greek myths, nature began to be perceived as it really is, without constant struggle, with its inherent secrets and dangers. And in these legends, a person resisted the elements, but not through witchcraft, magic, deification of any idols.

Life was presented not only as a struggle, they tried to convey to people that the main thing in life is joy. Therefore, unlike the mythology of other peoples and cultures, Greek classical art has always been lit up with a smile of calmness and joy. The gods in beautiful human forms have become the embodiment of the passions that the whole world lives by.

Designs of classical art

Ancient Greek culture had two main areas - philosophy and art. Thales of Miletus is considered the first representative of the philosophy of ancient Greece. His research concerned the fundamental principle of all things, he sought answers to the most burning questions in the logical explanation of the facts, and not in the deeds of God.

Following Thales of Miletus, the teachings of Anaximus and Anaximander, Heraclitus, Democritus, and then Plato and Aristotle appeared. Over time, Greek philosophers completely stopped using mythology as an explanation for their ideas. Facts and conclusions became more and more firmly involved in the matter. However, despiteto this, they also put their thoughts into the images of the language of mythology. Along with philosophy, the primary forms of scientific knowledge began to develop in Ancient Greece - astronomy, mathematics, medicine.

Greek art is a person

The goal of classical art is to reflect all human possibilities without exception. Any spheres of art, poetry, philosophy, and science were based on this. For the first time in the history of mankind, there was a realization that man is the highest creation of nature. Ancient Greek culture became the basis for the development of all mankind, which is why it is called classical, which is why it has great weight to this day.