With the conquests of Alexander the Great,
Greek art entered its last great phase, the Hellenistic period.
The importance of Athens gradually declined, and cultural centers
rose at Pergamum, Rhodes, and Alexandria. Masterpieces of this
period include the Nike (Victory ) of Samothrace and Aphrodite
of Melos (both: Louvre) and the Pergamum Frieze (Berlin Mus.).
Especially charming among the minor arts are terra-cotta figurines
from Tanagra. Marked tendencies toward heightening spatial illusionism
are revealed in sculpture and, judging from Roman copies, prevailed
also in painting (e.g., Odyssey Landscapes, Vatican). From the
2d cent. B.C. onward copies of former masterpieces of sculpture,
which only approximate their prototypes, appear frequently along
with vigorous group compositions closely related to the Pergamene
school (e.g., Laocoön and His Sons, Vatican). Greek and Roman artists
produced these copies of former masterpieces for private patrons
or the Roman state, and most of our knowledge of classical Greek
art is derived from them. Although the inventive originality of
Greek culture declined at this time, its influence remained of
paramount importance during the Roman and Byzantine periods, and
has continued to be an inspiring force throughout the history of
Western culture. |