Hellenistic Art & Architecture

Salvete!

I'm Magistra Ghosheh! I'm a Latin teacher in Fairfax County, an animal lover, a runner, a hiker, a (very amateur) photographer, and an overall outdoorsy person. I also really love puns and coffee. Brace yourselves. 

I'm also a Latinist, and Ovid's Amores will forever be my first love (pun intended!!). So obviously, it's natural that I'm also a Greek art teacher, right? Okay - the connections may not be clear now, but there is actually a lot to talk about when it comes to considering Hellenistic art and reading Latin poetry. And while Horace might have said that his Odes were a monument more lasting than bronze (monumentum aere perennius), marble is pretty strong too ;) 

In this class, we’ll be examining the art and architecture produced during the life of Alexander the Great and throughout the Kingdoms that succeeded him. Our main time period will be 323 B.C.E. (Alexander’s death) to 31 B.C.E. (Cleopatra’s death), and we will be looking at everything that once was part of Alexander’s INCREDIBLE empire. That means the regions of modern Greece, Egypt, Jordan, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Tajikistan. Ridiculous! 

This class is also a history and politics class cloaked in bronze. Consequently, we will be examining the transition from Classical (507-323 B.C.E.) to Hellenistic period and we will see how the art and architecture reflects the political and social changes of the time. We’ll consider the ways in which Alexander brought his home of Macedonia to regions like modern Egypt and Afghanistan. And of course we’ll see how all of these artistic and political elements culminate in my favorite city of all time - ROME! Believe it or not, even staunch Roman Republicans like Pompey acted a whole lot more like a Hellenistic King than you ever thought! 
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We will be looking at some amazing pieces of art such as the Laocoön statue, the Great Altar of Zeus from Pergamon, and the Dying Gaul. You will see how so much of this period is marked by excessive emotion, passion, agony, wit, and fun. No statue shows calmness, no statue lacks a story. There is motion, there is play, and there is most certainly wild hair. 

You will learn about the various subcategories of Hellenistic art and tell the difference between the Baroque and Rococo styles. However, most importantly (in my opinion), you’ll have a great time learning about this underrated and understudied period of time. There is simply so much out there, and I cannot wait to explore it with you all! 

No pre-reading required, but come fully armed with curiosity, creativity, and an open mind (Macedonian helmet is optional).

- Magistra Ghosheh