Orientalizing

=The Orientalizing Period=

//From Mr. Bowers AP Art History Courses at East Chapel Hill High School//

//This article is about the art and culture of// "The Orientalizing Period"


 * The Orientalizing Period:** The Orientalizing period (700-600 BCE) began when many Greek artists gradually started to move away from the aspects that defined the Geometric period. They started to create more open compositions about different motifs. These motifs differed from the geometric designs that were definitive of the Geometric period and can be traced back to arts of Oriental territories, hence the name.

toc = = =Influence of Other Cultures on Greece=

During the Orientalizing period Greece interacted with several different cultures like Near East, Asia Minor, and Egypt through trade. While trading with these different cultures, they were exposed to the different forms and methods of art that these cultures used. After seeing the different art works in these cultures, they tried to incorporate some of the different aspects of that culture's art into their own art. If you look at Greek art during the Orientalizing period, you will see several motifs that are easily traced back to other cultures. These would include sphinxes, griffins, sirens, chimeras, rosettes, lions, and wild dogs among other things.



=**Pottery**=

Due to its geographical location the oriental influence on pottery was first evident in Corinth. The style then gradually spread to Athens. The influence of the Orientalizing style was very apparent in the pottery that was created during this period. The earlier pieces of pottery showed a combination of both the geometric style and oriental style.

The later pieces showed a stark difference in style. Silhouetted creatures were painted on pottery. This replaced the geometrical shapes that were used to depict humans and animals, during the Geometrical period. Stylized flower forms called rosettes filled the spaces around the figures. Fine details were incised into the silhouetted shapes with a a sharp tool and touches of red and white slip were used to enliven the design.

=Cultural Interaction=

The Orientalizing period was a great example of creative cultural interaction. Eastern influences revitalized Greek art with the introduction of more realistic paintings. Gradually the style faded and new trends emerged, however, the merging of oriental influences with local traditions lead to the great explosion of art in the Archaic and Classical periods that Greece is so famous for.

=Sources:= Art History FourthEdition by Marilyn Stokstad and Michael W. Cothren [|http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/antiquity/greek-pottery.htm#oriental] [] []