ABSTRACT
From the outset up to the end, from the time when works of art first appeared, after the Dorian invasion, to the day when the creative force had dried up and when art exhausted itself in vain repetitions, the aesthetic ideal was evolving, like everything else, and was never at a standstill. It is closely linked with technical progress which alone rendered its expression possible, and a knowledge of which is essential if we are to understand its various phases; it is likewise closely linked with the social vicissitudes that we studied further back. The various stages are as follow:
From the earliest days to the end of the 6th century. Elaboration of technique and ideal.
5th century. Technical mastery. Idealism.
4th century. Beginnings of Realism.
Hellenistic period. Apogee of Realism.
Decline. Exhaustion of Creative Power.
