Statue of a rider

myminifactory

This fragment of a horse statue originates from Vari, Attica. A striking transformation occurs in Greek art during the seventh century B.C., marking the beginning of the Archaic period. The abstract geometric patterning that dominated between 1050 and 700 B.C. is replaced in the seventh century by a more naturalistic style influenced significantly by the Near East and Egypt. Trading posts in the Levant and the Nile Delta, as well as Greek colonization in the east and west, continued to expand, with contact with eastern craftsmen on Crete and Cyprus inspiring Greek artists to master techniques such as gem cutting, ivory carving, jewelry making, and metalworking. Eastern pictorial motifs were introduced—palmette and lotus compositions, animal hunts, and composite beasts like griffins (part bird, part lion), sphinxes (part woman, part winged lion), and sirens (part woman, part bird). Greek artists quickly absorbed foreign styles and motifs to create new portrayals of their own myths and customs, laying the groundwork for Archaic and Classical Greek art.