Next up in Greek Vase Painting is
the Orientalizing Style. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pottery_of_ancient_Greece;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orientalizing_period).
In the 8th and 7th Centuries B.C., the cultural mix in
the Aegean and Mediterranean resulted in the Orientalizing style, which
portrayed both real and mythological animals- such as lions, griffins, and sphinxes. You’re likely familiar with
sphinxes thanks to the well-known Great Sphinx. (Just in case you’ve forgotten,
sphinxes are mythical creatures with the head of a human and body of a lion).
But, if like me, you’ve never heard of a griffin, you’ll be interested to know
that it has the body, trail, and back legs of a lion, the head and wings of an
eagle, and its front feet are eagle talons. Like this:
I really love the mythological
creatures displayed in Greek art. It’s great that art allows the imagination to
be portrayed in a physical form. These Greek vases give life to otherwise
non-existent creatures, and I think that’s exciting to see! Here’s an example
of one of these vases:
Ok, although there is definitely much
more to say about the Orientalizing Style, that’s all for today. Short and
sweet, but we’re moving this weekend and trying to get a move organized while
taking care of a two month old is no joke. And we even have movers doing most
of the work! I don’t know how people who don’t have movers do it… I’m very
lucky! The next few days might all be bite sized blogs! J
Xoxo,
Diana
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