Narvisha Sajjad

Greek Civilization

September 12, 2018

Summary/Reaction Paper

In his book, Boardman is attempting to explain the way people today and in recent

history examine Greek art and culture versus how the ancients viewed their work of art. He

explains how the way we see Greek art is subject to change if new discoveries are made. We

may never truly understand how the ancient Greeks viewed their art, in other words, the function

and original appearance of the art (p.9). For instance, ever since ancient Greek art had been

valued and praised, especially during the Renaissance, the way Greek art and culture was

perceived was based solely on the art found. People discovered white marble statues, and

immediately assumed that all Greek statues were unpainted and left white, ignoring the marks

that time may have left on the art. However, recently it has been discovered that the statues, and

potentially some of the buildings, were painted and that with age, the paint faded away leaving

just the material beneath. Additionally, whereas a modern observer of ancient Greek art

perceives it as “art”, to an ancient Greek that same piece of art would have a function, for

instance a statue could have been a funerary item. Furthermore, the way a museum presents

pieces from antiquity doesn’t always match up to how the piece was set up in ancient times, thus

further creating different interpretation of the art. He further explains how, “even the most

precious objects were for use and never displayed in a museum showcase” (p. 15). Boardman

also states how the only pieces we retrieve only paint a miniscule picture as to how the Greeks

lived and perceived their art since some artifacts are lost to time, such as the textiles and wood
creations. Boardman also claims that in order to correct the flaws in how modern observers

perceive art, the original function and context need to be understood. In other words, “empathy

with a people long dead and appreciation of their art require a knowledge of their environment,

their everyday visual experience, how they dressed, what they ate…” (p. 15). If one were to

focus on the Greek original, instead of just excessively scrutinizing old favorites, the way the

Greeks valued their art would truly be understood.

I personally agree with Boardman’s claims. In order to fully appreciate art from antiquity,

one must understand how the art was originally intended to be viewed. When viewing the

replicas of the Athena Parthenos from the Parthenon, people always marvel at the beauty of the

statue and how accurate the mathematical proportions are. However, to the ancient Greeks, the

statue of Athena represented pride and provoked a sense of patriotism, since Athena was the

patron goddess and protector of Athens. I also agree with Boardman’s claim that our view of the

ancient art, especially the view of past interpretations, is flawed. The art that is displayed in

museums, or those that have been found, could have been altered in numerous ways, thus

deviating from the way the original piece was intended to look like.