Recapturing Greek Art Through the Analysis of the West Pediment and the Temple of Artemis

Remembering our historical roots in terms of art and culture is undeniably of the utmost importance. In the field of architecture, elements of buildings from other time periods and cultures are often incorporated into modern day structures. This is often done in order to convey a certain feeling or meaning. An example of this incorporation of culture can be found in the use of pediments and columns. The pediment, a triangular shaped structure placed atop buildings, often features carved figures. Columns are tall and traditionally cylindrical structures that are used to support the roof of a building. Both originated in ancient Greek architecture and were typically found in the architecture of temples, such as the West Pediment of the Temple of Artemis. Now, we generally see pediments and columns on government buildings and structures of some great importance. An example of a modern pediment would be the Pediment of the Greene County Court House located on Main Street in Catskill, New York.

The Temple of Artemis once stood in Ephesus, an ancient city that would now be located in modern day Turkey. The temple itself was a rectangular structure with steps leading up to it on all sides. Surrounding the entire perimeter of the temple were columns of the Ionic order. Ionic columns are thinner than their Doric counter parts. They are considered to be more decorative, as they feature swirling capitals and volutes carved into the shaft (a feature also used in the Doric and Corinthian orders). Atop the columns sat the massive pediment, which measured approximately nine feet tall at its tallest point. Within the pediment is the tympanum, an interior triangular structure often decorated with relief sculptures of various figures of importance. Within the tympanum of the West Pediment of the Temple of Artemis, the largest relief sculpture figure is of Medusa.

In Greek Mythology, Medusa is known as a female gorgon with snakes for hair. She wields the ability to turn mortals to stone if they look into her eyes. The viewer sees Medusa depicted in a unique position. Her head and chest are front facing to the viewer while her legs and feet are pointed toward the corners of the pediment. This twisting of her body indicates some sort of motion or action. Medusa appears to wear some sort of skirt or toga, and a belt made of two snakes twisting their bodies around one another. She is also wearing sandals with feather like embellishments protruding from her ankle region. Being that this temple was constructed during the Archaic period, Medusa is seen bearing her teeth in the typical Archaic smile. The term Archaic smile is used to define the smirk often seen on the faces of figures painted or carved during the Archaic Period. It was incorporated into Archaic art in order to convey the fact that the subject the artist was depicting was alive.

The figure of Medusa is flanked by her two children, Khrysaor and Pegasus. In Greek mythology, Medusa’s two children were released into the world after she was decapitated by Perseus. Flanking Medusa’s children, two large cats (thought to be panthers) can be seen. It is generally considered that these panthers act as guardians to the temple they sit atop. This is the function Medusa is also thought to serve, as her frightening appearance and large size paired with her intimidating feline companions is widely regarded as an artistic attempt to ward off evil spirits from the temple. She is therefore considered to be a apotropaic figure. Beside the panther to the left is a seated figure. While the pediment has suffered a considerable amount of damage over the years, it is presumed that this seated figure was being attacked by another figure wielding a spear. Behind the seated figure is a deceased bearded warrior, who had possibly passed away due to the injuries he’s sustained in battle with the spear wielding figure. To the far right of the pediment, we see a figure thought to be a young Zeus wielding a lightning bolt and attacking another male figure. It is uncertain what the significance of any of these figures is, as it is unusual for the pediment of a temple to not feature the god or goddess it was built for. While it is known that these scenes depict both the Trojan War and the gigantomachy, it still does not explain why Artemis is not part of it.

Located on Main Street in Catskill, New York, the Greene County Court House stands tall among various homes and businesses. The court handles things such as small claims, divorces, custody battles, and the like. When approaching the large rectangular court house, one is first confronted with two small flights of steps. The facing of the building is flat and lined with two rows of several windows. Anyone who approaches the building is greeted by four Ionic columns holding up the pediment of the building. The columns are smooth and devoid of volutes Just above the entablature is a frieze with the words “Greene County Court House” carved into it in all capital letters. The pediment of this court house is massive and striking. Just above the pediment, one will find a massive white railing encompassing the roof. Within this railing atop the roof sits a large dome shaped structure upon which the American Flag flies. Several high relief figures are seated within the tympanum, with the center figure sitting upon a throne. The center figure, which appears to be female, holds a large book in its lap; reminiscent of Jesus Christ holding the bible while enthroned in the Theotokos as depicted in early Christian art. Unlike the depictions of Jesus holding the bible, it is more likely that this figure is holding a penal law book considering its position over the court. The center figure is flanked on either side by five figures for a total of eleven figures depicted in the tympanum. The first figure on each side nearest the center figure is standing, the next nearest standing behind the first nearest, the third and fourth nearest figures are all kneeling, and the fifth nearest figures are both lying down on their sides in a position similar to that of the sculpture of the dying warrior from the West pediment of the Temple of Aphaia II. All eleven figures are depicted in draping robes, like those introduced in most works of art from early Grecian history. Several comparisons can be drawn between both these architectural structures.

The way both artists designed the figures to be positioned in these tympanums is both similar and vitally important to their construction. One difficulty when creating pediment figures is deciding how to position them, how tall to make them, and how large each figure should be in comparison to one another. The West Pediment of the Temple of Artemis deals with this slightly differently than the Greene County Court House Pediment. In the pediment of the Temple of Artemis, animals have been incorporated to make up for the lack of height toward the two corners of the triangle. The artist made Medusa, the center figure tallest (likely to demonstrate her strength and power, adding to her perceived ability to keep evil spirits from entering the Temple) and placed the lying panthers on either side of her. The upright angle of the beasts’ heads decreases towards their tails, effectively utilizing space in the tympanum. By making the scenes smaller beside the panthers, and especially by including the deceased warrior, all the space in the tympanum has been used. While the courthouse pediment does not include animals, it does effectively use all the space in the tympanum by changing the position of each figure as the outer corners are approached. By laying down the outermost figures, the artists make sure that each relief figure is proportionate to one another while still utilizing all the space available.

The figures in the tympanums are also similar due to their center figures’ purpose of conveying power though symbolism. Medusa, a gorgon in Greek mythology with deadly abilities, becomes only more menacing when she is made as large as she is in the West Pediment of the Temple of Artemis. The center figure in the Greene County Court House pediment, while not frightening like Medusa, conveys power through the book it wields. This book is a symbol of the law and as such serves as a reminder to all those entering the court house of what they’re there for. Both figures are similar in their ability to convey strength and power, but are different in the ways in which they do it. One is meant to be frightening and intimidating, while the other is meant to appear stern and unbiased in their judgements.

Comparisons can also be drawn between the columns of both buildings. Both buildings feature columns of the ionic order. The columns on the Temple of Artemis feature volutes running vertically along the shaft. The columns on the Greene County Court House are smooth and do not have any volutes carved into them. The Temple of Artemis has columns surrounding the entirety of its perimeter, while the Greene County Court House only has four in the very front. The capitals of both structures are incredibly similar, as are the bases. It is obvious that the Greene County Court House was designed with strong influence from Grecian architecture.

Much of modern architecture has ties to historical structures. It would be an exceptionally simple task to look at just about any government building and draw comparisons between them and ancient temples, tombs, or palaces. The Greene County Court House in Catskill, New York shows many clear similarities between its architecture and ancient Grecian temples. Specifically, many features of the Temple of Artemis bear a striking resemblance to those found in the architecture of the Greene County Court House. Structures like the pediments and columns of both buildings share many similarities both aesthetically and symbolically. This comparison serves as a reminder of exactly how important ancient architecture is to the way we shape the future of the art world.