The famous city-states of ancient Greece have
been gone for many centuries now.
Their memory however is kept alive through
the art they left behind.
Stone temples, stadiums and theaters, statues
carved in marble or casting bronze, clay vases
and gold jewellery, frescoes and mosaics,
all remain part of our global heritage.
So much, so that the ancient Greeks today
appear familiar to anyone even remotely associated
with current aesthetics from high art to pop
culture.
But what is Greek art?
Which were its founding principles?
What were the stages of its evolution through
time?
Who were the greatest Greek artists, when
did they live and how did their work affect
the generations to come?
Which creations of ancient Greek art are today
thought of as masterpieces of unrivalled merit?
Which archaeological discoveries have helped
us understand classical Greece in its essence?
The arts of ancient Greece - The birth of
Classical taste is a programme designed to
answer these questions and many more.
Following the historical trajectory of Greek
art from around 1200 BCE when the Messinian
world is brought to a final collapse, until
around 30 BCE when the last of the Hellenistic
kingdoms succumbs under the pressure of Rome.
We will study the forms, the types, the works
and the creators that made Greek art an international
brand name today.
This programme is addressed to art enthusiasts
and archaeology fans alike as well as undergraduate
and graduate students in history, art history,
archaeology and anthropology and anyone with
an interest in the history of Greece or the
classical world at large.
