The term "classical art" comes from the Latin word classicus, which means "exemplary." This concept in the narrow sense includes the art of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome, and also involves the Renaissance and Classicism periods, to some extent based on ancient traditions. If we turn to the broader meaning of the definition of classical art, then these are the highest artistic achievements of the epochs of the rise of art and culture of different times and peoples. These achievements can manifest themselves in a variety of forms, which are sometimes very far from the ancient forms. Classical art and culture are inseparable concepts.
What is called a classic?
In the simplest sense, the art of the classical period is called the work of art, which to this day has retained aesthetic value and have the highest value of a perfect art sample. Each work that belongs to the classics has features that are characteristic only for them. First of all, this is artistic truth, humanistic ideological content, clarity and perfection. However, the traditions and characteristics of classical art may differ in different states due to the inherent characteristics of a particular country, both cultural and historical development. In aggregate, all world works of the classical period are the heritage and heritage of all mankind. This is the basis that underlies the development of contemporary art. The main types of classical arts are sculpture, architecture, art, theater, philosophy.
Classicism
Since contemporary classical art is directly related to classicism, it is worthwhile to analyze this direction in more detail. This style is dated in literature and art of the 17th-early 19th centuries, this trend is associated with the ancient heritage as a norm and an ideal example of art. The beginning of classicism was laid in France, and the style was associated with the Enlightenment. Here there were ideas of philosophical rationalism, the reasonable laws of the world, the expression of heroic and moral ideals. All images were built in strict organization and were based on logic, clarity and harmony. This style represents rationalism, monumentality, simplicity, nobility and poise.
As for genres, here they were divided into three categories: high, low, mythological. The first category includes such areas as tragedy, ode, painting. The second - comedy, landscape, fables, portrait. And to the mythological only the themes of history and religion. The names with which we associate classicism in philosophy are R. Descartes, J. B. Moliere, N. Boileau; in literature - Voltaire, Goethe, Schiller, Lomonosov; in the theater - Chanmele, Leken, Neiber, Dmitrievsky; in opera music by J. B. Lully, K. Gluck, in artistic mastery - K. Lorren, B. Pigalle, M. I. Kozlovsky, G. Shadov.
Culture of Ancient Greece
Ancient Greek culture is the basis of classical art. It is defined as a set of achievements both in the material and in the spiritual spheres of the society of Ancient Greece. The peculiarity of the culture of Ancient Greece is that throughout the entire period of its existence, it was purely mythological in nature.
The merit of this time was that everything was absorbed, analyzed and transformed. All tribal myths that were scattered united in a religious and mythological system. This was a difficult stage in the development of art, and already in the VIII-VII centuries. BC e. this system becomes complete, acquiring a finished look. This is especially true in Homer's poems, The Iliad and The Odyssey. Now the culture of Ancient Greece can be safely called the basis of the entire ancient worldview.
The basis
It so happened historically that the plots of myths became the basis for classical art. First of all, it is worth mentioning the myths and legends of Hellas. It was on their basis that the art of Ancient Greece grew and developed. And if in other countries mythology depicted a person in a constant struggle for dominance over nature, then in Greece everything was completely different. Here the basis was the end of the forces and elements of nature that had power over man.
Thanks to ancient Greek myths, nature began to be perceived as it really is, without a constant struggle, with its inherent secrets and dangers. And in these legends man resisted the elements, but not through witchcraft, magic, deification of any idols.
Life was presented not only as a struggle, they tried to convey to people that the main thing in life is joy. Therefore, unlike the mythology of other peoples and cultures, Greek classical art has always been illuminated with a smile of tranquility and joy. The embodiment of the passions that the whole world lives in is the gods in beautiful human images.
Classes of classical art
Ancient Greek culture had two main areas - philosophy and art. The first representative of the philosophy of ancient Greece is Thales of Miletus. His research concerned the fundamental principle of all things, he sought answers to the most burning questions in a logical explanation of facts, and not in the deeds of the divine.
Following Thales of Miletus, the teachings of Anaximnus and Anaximander, Heraclitus, Democritus, and then Plato and Aristotle appeared. Over time, Greek philosophers completely stopped using mythology as an explanation of their ideas. The facts and conclusions were becoming ever more solid. However, despite this, they also laid their thoughts in the images of the language of mythology. Along with philosophy in ancient Greece, primary forms of scientific knowledge began to develop - this is astronomy, mathematics, and medicine.
Greek art is a man
The goal of classical art is to reflect all, without exception, the possibilities of man. Any spheres of art, and poetry, and philosophy, and science were based on this. For the first time in the history of mankind, the realization that man is the highest creation of nature occurred. Ancient Greek culture has become the basis for the development of all mankind, which is why it is called classical, which is why it has great weight to this day.