The art of Ancient Greece is categorized into four specific time periods; Ancient, Byzantine, Modern and Contemporary periods. Ancient Greek art is further categorized into the Archaic, Classical and Hellenistic periods.
During the reign of the Ottoman Empire of the Modern time period, very little art was reproduced. Toward the end of this period, the romanticism of Italy inspired the artists that would take the culture into the Contemporary period beginning in the 1800s until today.
While the Greeks regarded paintings as the highest form of art, historical pieces in the form of sculpture and architecture have survived best over time. Other minor artifacts like coins, pottery and engravings also have survived successfully.
The sculpture of the day was most often commissioned by wealthy aristocrats and was not specifically for artistic display, but for memorials or grave markers. Friezes were also a popular form of sculpture.
Some of the most popularly known pieces of Greek art are sculptures of the gods and goddesses. Aphrodite, Dionysus, Hermes, Apollo, Nike and Zeus, to name just a few, were cleverly executed in marble. Portions of these fabulous statues survive today.