Alvaro del Campo

The concept of monumentality in Classical Greek art and architecture is a multifaceted

and complex interloping of human intentions and divine aspirations. Humanitys millennia long
struggle with the impermanence of our existence has been the catalyst for much of the greatest
artistic achievements in history, from sculpture, painting and pottery to architecture. Indeed,
humanitys desire for answers to the biggest questions in life has driven it to commit both acts of
great beauty and great atrocity. Through the art and architecture of Ancient Greece, mankind
attempts to make sense of its worst actions through the creation of great temples, sculptures,
pottery, and frescoes. These works, which range from temples with elaborate pediments and
architectural layouts to oversized pots used as grave markers, are attempts at reconciling
humanitys utter uncertainty of life after death with things that seem to have a semblance of
permanence, of a timelessness humans are incapable of reaching alone. As a result, the concept
of monumentality becomes intertwined with a state of mind that is necessarily different from that
of everyday life, as monumental works are attempts at not only understanding divinity, but at
achieving it in some way that is accessible every time one looks at a sculpture or enters a temple.
In this paper, I will be discussing how monumentality and the perception of monumentality, in
Classical Greek art and architecture specifically, is a result of the efforts of humanity through
both narrative and emblematic styles to not only convey divinity in a way that is accessible to
anyone in any time period, but also to bridge the barrier between the transience of human life and
the incomprehensible permanence of death.
Religion and ritual have been an important part of humanitys identity since time
immemorial, and although less prevalent today, the art dedicated to the worship of deities has a
rich and detailed history. Some of humanitys greatest artistic achievements have been in service

of creating a shift in conscious state to those observing it, from an everyday mindset to a
humbled mindset ready to come closer to divinity in ritual. A good example of this intention is
the Temple of the Oracle of Apollo at Delphi.
As one approaches the temple from the east end, they see an array of Doric columns
(indicated by their thickness, lack of taper, and relatively simple capital) leading up to a
pediment sculpture in relief showing a scene flanked on each side by a lion eating a gazelle, three
people on each side, and the four horses of Apollo centered in the pediment. Immediately a sense
of awe comes over the person, due to the sheer scale of the building and sculpture. Size is an
important aspect of monumentality, and taking everyday designs such as columns and scaling
them up to gargantuan proportions often are in service of creating an experience which removes
someone from the everyday mindset. As one continues through the temple, the sense of grandeur
initiated by the enormous columns on every side is heightened by the large spaces between
columns. This hierarchy of space is not one that an ancient Greek citizen would experience
anywhere other than a ritual space, since cities such as Athens had much more narrow streets and
generally less spacious organization.
Looking at the pedimental sculptures on the east and west ends of the temple, one large
difference between the two comes to mind immediately. While the east pediment is a more
emblematic design with less motion evident in the characters involved, the west pediment is a
narrative representation of the Gigantomachy, the mythical war between gods and giants. This
difference is significant in that it results in different reactions depending on what side a person
approaches the temple from. From the east, the emblematic design signifies that a person is
entering a place of spiritual significance. Through the vertical line of symmetry in the center, the
sculpture conveys balance and harmony. To humans, many ideas exist above physical reality, so

by manifesting ideas like harmony and balance physically through art, we project our ideas,
which will die with us, into a more permanent state of existence. So, by looking at an emblematic
piece like the east pediment, a person becomes mentally prepared to interact with divinity within
the temple thanks to the recognition that the space they are entering is a place where human
ideals and aspirations are elevated beyond mere ideas into a physical representation of their
spirituality. The west pediments sculpture, however, looks to tell a story of high and divine
stakes. A representation of a famous Greek myth, the sculpture gives a visual representation of
the tale, which previously may have only been relegated to imagination. In doing this, the
sculpture also further personalizes the gods which Greek society worshipped, by representing
them anthropomorphically and bringing them down to earth to a more comprehensible image
paralleling wars between humans and perhaps, to a degree, rationalizing the horrors of war by
comparing them to the struggles of the gods and the divine. This consequently brings humanity
closer to divinity, in that it puts the human form on the same level as that of the gods.
While pediment sculptures provide a good general idea of some concepts of Greek
monumentality, it is also helpful to study standalone sculptures, such as the Kritios boy of Early
Classical Greece and the Discobolus of the late Severe Period. While both of these sculptures are
thought to have been made rather close together chronologically, the differences between them
are as obvious as they are plentiful. However, while they have many differences, certain artistic
principles underpin them that pervade much of Greek art, and though these principles certainly
evolved in complexity and use, they remain a constant element of the Greek artistic canon.
Looking at the Kritios Boy, nothing may immediately strike ones eye. Sculpted in a
contrapposto stance, the Boy is looking off to his right, seemingly distracted by something in his
world. The minor detail and variation in his pose, from the right leg being slightly forward to his

gaze staring blindly into the distance, this sculpture creates a narrative, and a very personal one
at that. By making the variations so slight, and the posture so relaxed and natural, the artist
normalizes the sculpture, making it seem like a more realistic portrayal of a human being than
the rigid Kouros sculptures that preceded it. This contributes to the monumentality by connecting
human experience to a timeless object of stone and marble, much like the pediment sculptures
did.
The Discobolus represents a different approach to the connection of human experience to
timeless art, this time exploring a more extreme facet of a humans physical existence, sport.
Myron, the sculptor of the Discus Thrower, depicts an athlete in the pivotal moment of a throw, a
pose that is hardly visible for more than a second in real life. By solidifying in bronze such a
transient position, Myron furthered the Greek tradition of creating timeless art through the
translation of impermanent scenes. The Discus Thrower is emblematic of athleticism and vigor,
and through the use of slanted symmetry, Myron gives an order and balance to the sculpture that
one would not expect for such a seemingly unstable position. All of these elements ultimately
contribute to the sculptures monumental character, as it elevates human activity to a realm above
normal physical reality through the very emphasis of the hidden beauty of everyday existence.
The tradition of taking everyday objects and using them in extraordinary contexts is
evident in the existence of oversized amphorae used as grave markers in Archaic and Classical
Greece. These pots served no utilitarian purpose, and their only clear function was to
commemorate the life of a person who lived in that time. Amphorae and vases such as these
grave markers were staples of ancient Greek households, albeit in smaller sizes. By taking such a
common object and enlarging it to the size of a person, a sense of monumentality is created.
Through the elevation of a distinctly human object used for distinctly human purpose to a marker

for death, the ultimate transition of life, these amphorae help human consciousness attempt to
bridge the boundary that has always defied reason, that of life to death. It creates a sense of
connection to something greater, through the connection of an everyday object to an experience
that is by all definitions extraordinary.
To further examine the monumental aspects of these large amphorae, one can look at the
Dipylon Amphora, a funerary amphora from around 755 B.C. that exemplifies many aspects of
Greek monumentality. The design is of a neck amphora, which in Ancient Greece was typically
used or storing liquids thanks to its thin neck and wide handles. However, the size of this
amphora makes quite unpractical to use for storing anything, as it stands around five feet tall and
is probably much too heavy to be lifted, let alone carried. On the vase, geometric arrangements
of humans and animals in lines form bands around the belly and neck, with the most prominent
band being a line of human figures between the parts of the belly where the handles are situated.
These figures, while still very much organized and characteristic of the Late Geometric
Period are less sharply ordered than the patterns surrounding them, and as a result, immediately
catch the eye of a person observing the vases features. Though this could be interpreted in many
ways, it seems this drawing attention was intentional on the artists part, as it shows a funerary
procession, with the deceased in the middle and mourners with raised arms flanking on each
side. This center stage appearance of a human ritual further emphasizes ritual as an aspect of
attaining divinity, since the most prominent feature of the pot reflects its purpose as a catalyst for
transition into the afterlife. At the same time, the amphoras presence as a grave marker anchors
the life of the deceased person to physical reality in a way that their body could not do, and it
further advances the goals of humanity to approach divinity through permanence that would
impossible without art and human imagination.

Ancient Greek art and architecture provides a seemingly endless supply of insight into
the cultural psyche of an almost mythical ancient time, and its complexity is impossible to
completely explain in a few pages. However, I hope I have shown that there are certain
principles, such as the elevation of everyday experience to extraordinary experience, symmetry,
and the bridging of the gap between human and divine that underpin much of Greek art. Through
these artistic traditions that were passed down through centuries of wars and changes in
leadership, a consistent Greek character was created that gives Greek art immediate distinction
from any other cultural art in history. When one looks at a Greek sculpture or temple, it is not
ambiguous whether or not it is a Greek piece they are looking at. The clear and recognizable
concepts of Greek art represent a struggle on the part of the Greeks to understand and internalize
humanitys place in existence, and though we may never fully understand what their intellectual
struggles might have been, the art and architecture they left behind paints a picture of a people
eternally troubled by the impermanence of our short human existence.