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Greek Art

Code: 100427
Credits: 6
2026/2027
Degree programme Type Course
Art History OB 2
Ancient Studies OP 3
Ancient Studies OP 4

Contact lecturer

Name :
Simona Perna
Email :
simona.perna@uab.cat

Teaching staff

Montserrat Claveria Nadal

Group languages

You can consult this information at the end of the document.

Prerequisites

Foreign language skills at a level of reading comprehension are required in order to carry out supervised and autonomous activities.

Objectives

To provide fundamental knowledge of stylistic, technical, iconographic and historical nature of the artistic productions of the pre-Hellenic and ancient Greek civilizations.

The student will be qualified to analyse the works, to locate them in the period in which they were produced and to relate them with the cultural background of their time.

Learning outcomes

  1. Applying the iconographic knowledge to the reading of artistic imagery.
  2. Analysing ideas about an artistic phenomenon in a given cultural context.
  3. Analysing the creators of an artistic phenomenon in a specific cultural context.
  4. Analysing the recipients of an artistic phenomenon in a specific cultural context.
  5. Connecting an artistic imagery with other cultural phenomena within its period.
  6. Reconstructing the artistic outlook of a particular cultural context.
  7. Identifying the artistic imagery, placing it into its cultural context.
  8. Accurately defining and explaining an artistic object with the specific language of art criticism.
  9. Examining an artistic imagery and distinguishing its formal, iconographic and symbolic values.
  10. Distinguishing the elaboration techniques and processes of an artistic object.
  11. Explaining the reception mechanisms of a work of art.
  12. Efficiently presenting knowledge in oral and written form.
  13. Point out the formal, iconographic and symbolic values of an artistic image from classical antiquity.
  14. Explain the mechanisms of reception of an ancient work of art.
  15. Identify and explain scenes, motifs, gods and other mythical characters on the basis of their artistic representations throughout antiquity.
  16. Encouraging creativity and fomenting innovative ideas.
  17. Working in teams, respecting the other's points of view and designing collaboration strategies.
  18. Autonomously searching, selecting and processing information both from structured sources (databases, bibliographies, specialized magazines) and from across the network.
  19. Analyse an artistic image and place it in its cultural context.
  20. Preparing an oral and written discourse in the corresponding language in a proper and organized way.
  21. Accurately describing the artistic object with the specific language of art criticism.
  22. Relate an artistic image to other cultural phenomena of the same period.
  23. Reconstruct the artistic landscape of a particular cultural context.
  24. Distinguish the techniques and the process for creating an art object.

Contents

1. Pre-Hellenic and  Early Iron Age Art.


2. Archaic Greek Art


3. Art of the Classical Period.


4. Hellenistic Art.

Learning activities and methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
Lectures 43.5 1.74
Essays, projects, documentary and bibliographical search, personal study 70 2.8
Programmed tutorships to support learning and project preparation. Feedback/feedforward. 5 0.2

- Theoretical and practical lessons.

- Learning by tasks: Projects and classroom activities  using bibliographic documentation and diverse resources of specialized information.

- Tutorials by using the Moodle.

- Tutorship of the supervised activities and the work of the student.

Annotation: within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.

Assessment

Continuous assessment activities

Title Weight Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
Individual in-class written exercise 20% 10 0.4 1, 2, 5, 7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24
Group research project 30% 11.5 0.46 2, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 13, 16, 17, 18, 20, 24
Final concepts examination 40% 2 0.08 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Completion and participation of/in classroom activities 10% 8 0.32 3, 4, 7, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 19, 22, 24

CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT

Evidence 1:

Participation and completion of practical classroom activities (1 mark, 10% of the final grade).

This activity is not reassessable.


Evidence 2:

Group research project (3 marks, 30% of the final grade).

The activity will consist of the preparation, in groups, of a research project on a topic related to the course contents, assigned or agreed with the lecturer, which will be presented in the form of an academic poster and orally presented in class.

Minimum mark required to calculate the final grade: 1.5 marks out of 3. If the mark is lower, the lecturer will indicate how the project should be improved and the deadline for submitting the revised work.


Evidence 3:

Individual in-class written exercise (2 marks, 20% of the final grade).

The activity will consist of the completion of an individual written exercise in class related to the course contents.

This activity is not reassessable.


Evidence 4:

Final concepts examination (4 marks, 40% of the final grade).

Minimum mark required to calculate the final grade: 2 marks out of 4. Reassessable activity.


The final grade will be the result of the sum of the marks obtained in all assessment activities, provided that the minimum marks established for Evidence 2 and Evidence 4 have been achieved.


Students will receive a "Not assessed" grade if they have not submitted any assessment activity.


At the time of each assessment activity, the lecturer will inform students (via Moodle) of the procedure and the date for reviewing grades.


Only students who have failed the course and have completed the assessment activities will be entitled to reassessment on the date established by the Faculty Academic Office.


In the event of any irregularity that may lead to a significant alteration of the grade awarded for an assessment activity, that activity will be graded 0 and will not be reassessable, irrespective of any disciplinary procedure that may be initiated. Where several irregularities occur in the assessment activities of the same course, the final grade for the course will be 0.


SINGLE ASSESSMENT

  • Research poster (40% - 4 marks. Improvement following the lecturer's instructions if required.)
  • Individual written exercise (20% - 2 marks. Not reassessable.)
  • Final concepts examination (40% - 4 marks. A minimum of 2 marks is required to calculate the final grade. Reassessable activity.)


USE OF AI:

This subject allows the use of AI technologies exclusively for support tasks such as bibliographic searches, text correction or translations, where applicable.

Other specific situations may be contemplated, as deemed appropriate by the teacher.

The student must clearly (i) identify which parts have been generated using AI technology; (ii) specify the tools used; and (iii) include a critical reflection on how these have influenced the process and final outcome of the activity.

Lack of transparency regarding the use of AI in the assessed activity will be considered academic dishonesty; the corresponding grade may be lowered, or the work may even be awarded a zero.

In cases of greater infringement, more serious action may be taken.

Bibliography

BIBLIOGRAPHY

GENERAL AND INTRODUCTORY WORKS

ALCOCK, Susan E. & OSBORNE, Robin (eds.), Classical Archaeology, Oxford, 2007.

BEJOR, Giorgio, CASTOLDI, Marina & LAMBRUGO, Claudia, Arte Greca. Dal decimo al primo secolo a.C., Milano, 2013.

BIANCHI BANDINELLI, Ranuccio, Introducción a la arqueología clásica como historia del arte antiguo, Madrid, 1982.

BOARDMAN, John, El arte griego, Barcelona, 1991.

MARCONI, Clemente (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Greek and Roman Art and Architecture, Oxford, 2015.

OSBORNE, Robin, Archaic and Classical Greek Art, Oxford-New York, 1998.

RICHTER, Gisela M. A., El arte griego, Barcelona, 1980.

STANSBURY-O'DONNELL, Mark D., A History of Greek Art, Malden-Oxford, 2015.

WHITLEY, James, The Archaeology of Ancient Greece, Cambridge, 2001.

PREHELLENIC AEGEAN

CLINE, Eric H. (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of the Bronze Age Aegean, Oxford, 2012.

GRAHAM, James Walter, The Palaces of Crete, Princeton, 2017.

HAMILAKIS, Yannis (ed.), Labyrinth Revisited: Rethinking "Minoan" Archaeology, Oxford, 2002.

GREEK ARCHITECTURE

BARLETTA, Barbara A., The Origins of the Greek Architectural Orders, Cambridge, 2001.

CHING, Francis D. K., Architecture: Form, Space and Order, Washington, 2012.

HELLMANN, Marie-Christine, L'architecture grecque: Les principes de la construction, Paris, 2002.

HELLMANN, Marie-Christine, L'architecture grecque: Architecture religieuse et funéraire, Paris, 2006.

SCOTT, Michael, Space and Society in the Greek and Roman Worlds, Cambridge, 2013.

SCULPTURE

BRINKMANN, Vinzenz, El color de los Dioses, Madrid, 2009.

MORENO, Paolo, Scultura ellenistica, Roma, 1994.

NEER, Richard, The Emergence of the Classical Style in Greek Sculpture, Chicago-London, 2010.

PALAGIA, Olga (ed.), Handbook of Greek Sculpture, Berlin, 2019.

POLLITT, Jerome J., Arte y experiencia en la Grecia clásica, Madrid, 1984.

RIDGWAY, Brunilde Sismondo, Fifth Century Styles in Greek Sculpture, Princeton, 1981.

ROLLEY, Claude, La sculpture grecque. Des origines au milieu du Ve siècle, Paris, 1994.

ROLLEY, Claude, La sculpture grecque. La période classique, Paris, 1999.

VV.AA., Die Geschichte der antiken Bildhauerkunst: Klassische Plastik, vols. I–III, Mainz am Rhein, 2004.

PAINTING AND GREEK POTTERY

BOARDMAN, John, Athenian Black Figure Vases, London, 1974.

BOARDMAN, John, Athenian Red Figure Vases. The Archaic Period, London, 1975.

MORENO, Paolo, Pittura greca. Da Polignoto ad Apelle, Milano, 1987.

OAKLEY, John H., The Greek Vase: Art of the Storytellers, London, 2023.

ICONOGRAPHY AND MYTHOLOGY

DOWDEN, Ken & LIVINGSTONE, Niall, A Companion to Greek Mythology, Cambridge, 2011.

GRIMAL, Pierre, Diccionario de mitología griega y romana, Barcelona, 2008.

Lexicon Iconographicum Mythologiae Classicae (LIMC), vols. I–VIII, Zurich-Munich, 1981–1998.

VISUAL CULTURE, RECEPTION AND MATERIALITY

ANGUISSOLA, Anna, Pliny the Elder and the Matter of Memory, London, 2021.

BELL, Sinclair W. & RIPAT, Pauline (eds.), Sport and Social Identity in Classical Antiquity, London, 2018.

BUCOLO, Raffaella, Museo dell'Arte Classica. Gipsoteca, vol. II, Città di Castello, 2024.

HÖLSCHER, Tonio, Visual Power in Ancient Greece and Rome, Berkeley, 2018.

LAPATIN, Kenneth, Luxus. The Sumptuous Arts of Greece and Rome, Malibu, 2015.

ONIANS, John, Arte y pensamiento en la época helenística, Madrid, 1996.

PLATT, Verity & SQUIRE, Michael (eds.), The Frame in Classical Art, Cambridge, 2017.

SETTIS, Salvatore & ANGUISSOLA, Anna, Recycling Beauty, Milano, 2023.

SQUIRE, Michael (ed.), Sight and the Ancient Senses, London, 2016.

WITCOMBE, Christopher, Eye and Art in Ancient Greece, London, 2018.

ANCIENT SOURCES

PAUSANIAS, Descripción de Grecia, Madrid, 1994.

PITARCH, Antonio José (ed.), Fuentes y documentos para la Historia del Arte. Arte Antiguo. Próximo Oriente, Grecia y Roma, Barcelona, 1982.

DIGITAL RESOURCES

Classical Art Research Centre (University of Oxford), Beazley Archive Pottery Database (BAPD):

https://www.carc.ox.ac.uk/carc/pottery

Software

-  No specific programming is required.

Course groups and languages

The information provided is provisional until November 30. After this date, you will be able to consult the language of each group through this link. To access the information, you will need to enter the course CODE

Type of teaching Group Language Semester Shift
(TE) Theory 1 Catalan/Spanish first semester morning-mixed
(PAUL) Classroom practices 1 Catalan/Spanish first semester morning-mixed