Greek art

The first paintings of ancient Greece appeared around 2000 BC. on Crete as fresco paintings. Greek art differentiated between "big" and "small" painting.

The large painting includes wall and panel paintings of large format. In terms of content, it often referred to mythological historical events, for example by glorifying victories in battles or the merits of the people portrayed. Great importance was attached to the depiction of the people and their equipment and aspects of perspectives were developed. However, the painting did not meet the high demands that were placed on it. The people were usually not embedded in a landscape, which made the pictures look very stage-like. The best-known Athenian artist of great painting was Polygnot, who painted, among other things, the colorful hall on the agora of Ahten and the Athenian hall in Delphi.

The small painting refers to the numerous images on Greek pottery that have come down to us. Quality-conscious Attic ceramic painting often referred to the advances of great painting. The fine, detailed images on the clay tableware of classic Attic manufacture looked to our eyes as a high-quality art form. For a long time, this art was valued so highly in art historical research that its value was equated and even ranked higher than its gold and silver models.