Art and Experience in Classical Greece

by J.J. Pollitt

Book Overview

An account of the development of Greek art in the Classical period (about 480-320 BC) which places particular emphasis on the meaning and content of Greek sculpture, architecture and painting. Professor Pollitt reminds us that the visual arts in Greece, as elsewhere, were primarily vehicles of expression. He does not ignore formal development but always relates this to social and cultural history, which it reflected and from which it grew. While his...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0521096626
• ISBN13: 9780521096621
• Release Date: March 1972
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Length: 205 Pages
• Weight: 1.12 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 7.4" x 9.6"

Customer Reviews

Authoritative introduction

J.J. Pollitt is one of the most respected scholars of ancient Greek art, and with good reason. His analyses are clear, well-written, cautious, and highly logical. Art and Experience is a classic (!) work of Pollitt's early career. It is an authoritative and engaging introduction to the history of art in ancient Greece, focusing on the Classical period (fifth and fourth centuries BC). The book assumes a general familiarity with some ancient history, philosophy, and literature, so it might be most useful for students or enthusiasts of classical culture who feel that their understanding of classical art is lacking. Nonetheless, the text is introductory enough that even a reader with no background in classics could find the book interesting and informative.What makes this book a particularly valuable introduction to Greek art is that it aims to explain the motives and ideas behind the art rather than to provide the reader with a list of works and names of styles. Pollitt answers the question of why Classical Greek art looks like it does, and he thus gives his reader a framework for understanding individual works.I can level only two criticisms at the book, and they are both relatively picky. The first is that, because of the brevity of the book and its intended non-specialist audience, some of Pollitt's conclusions seem to me like logical leaps, and some of his arguments seem too summary to be fully convincing. I would have preferred a more comprehensive treatment with fuller explanations--something along the lines of Paul Zanker's Power of Images in the Age of Augustus. As an introduction, however, the extent of the arguments in Art and Experience is sufficient. My second criticism is that Pollitt at times reveals more personal value judgements regarding the art of ancient Greece than I thought were necessary or appropriate. This is no doubt in part the product of the period in which the book was written, when value judgement still played some role in the teaching of art history (it has since largely been abandoned). It also may relate to the intended audience: I am sure that some readers will be interested to hear what traditional considerations have made art historians consider certain works to be "great." At the same time, readers should be wary of Pollitt's negative statements about some of the art (e.g., Hellenistic sculptures of children). The value of such art has recently been reevaluated by many art historians, including Pollitt himself, and the works do not deserve the dismissive tone apparent in Art and Experience.On a final note, readers should keep in mind that this book is intended to cover only a brief (though significant) period in the history of ancient Greek art. Because of its scope, this book does not provide a "grand tour" of all famous Greek art--works like the Nike (or Winged Victory) of Samothrace are not covered. While Art and Experience is a great way to begin an exploration of the art and culture of ancient

Excellent overview of Greek art

Knowing little of Greek art, I happened upon this book in my shelves (an old college textbook belonging to my husband). I was pleased and impressed with this overview of Classical Greek art. Pollitt covers the main strands of development in architecture, sculpture, and painting and places the works firmly in the context of the historical events and cultural atmosphere of their times. As a result, I came away with an increased appreciation and understanding of the quality and value of Classical Greek art and of the interconnection between art and larger society in ancient Greece.

Profound Beauty...Insight...Enrichment...

[let this man speak for himself...]A thoughtful observer of these events, likeAeschylus, could not but have felt uneasiness.Were the Greek cities and the factions withinthem being drawn, through their quest for powereven at the expenses of principle, into thecycle of *hybris*, *ate*, and *nemesis* whichthey themselves had seen in the undoing of thePersians? In a world where Zeus punished *hybris*, where men reaped the fruits of theirown actions, were they sowing the seeds of their own downfall? "...be mindful, men of Greece and Athens, lest one among you, disdaining in his mind the fortune of the present, and lusting after more, waste the great blessings he has..."the ghost of Darius had said in the *Persians.*These fears, and with them the vivid memoryof what destruction actually means (particularlyin Athens,which had been sacked and ruined bythe Persians) must have been strong motivatingforces in the creation of the serious andmeditative character of so much Early Classicalart. The "Aspasia," the Charioteer of Delphi,and even the very early "Blond Boy" from theAthenian acropolis all seem to be attempts toembody the ideals of thoughtful restraint andresponsibility which the Greeks were so frequentlyprone to forget. (pp. 26-27) * * * The fallen warrior [sculpture] from the eastpediment [of the Temple of Aphaia at Aegina] isanother matter. As life ebbs away and he sinks toward the earth, he tries futilely, sword (nowmissing) in hand, to raise himself. His eyesnarrow as his consciousness fades; his mouth isslightly open as his breathing grows difficult; he stares at the earth. His enfeebled movementscontrast poignantly with his massive physicalframe in which, for practically the first time,the individual details of the musculature arefused and unified by a softening of the linesof division between them, and by increasinglysubtle modulation of the surface from which onesenses the presence of a unified physical forceemanating from within the body. The sculptorwho conceived the figure had obviously thoughtcarefully about exactly what it meant. He must have asked himself what it must really be like when a powerful warrior is wounded and falls.What does he feel? How should we feel? Andwhat meaning is there in our feeling? (pp.19-20) * * * * * * * * * There are irritations in this work...amidst theriches. Pollitt seems to find no inspiration inthe *Diskobolos* statue by Myron at all...devoteslittle space to it except to mention its "rhythmos,"but, incredibly, nothing about its beauty and theidealization of the harmonic development of themusculature of the male body by an athlete. And Pollitt has the bias of "reason" and "rationality" as the supposed prime virtues ofGreek thought and art...over the mystical.Yet, if divine inspiration of poets andartists is not a mystical experience, thenwhat is? And the Greeks certainly seem tohave subscribed to that belief early on. * * * * * * * * *

A superb book and a classic in its own right

Pollitt's book is one of those rare pieces of writing that rewards you with fresh insight each and every time you pick it up. It is beautifully and sensitively written, and manages to breathe remarkable life into the civilization of ancient Greece. This is a wonderful way to prepare for a trip to Greece--it will only make your travels even more rewarding. This is history at its best.