Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egyptian culture was rich in art forms. For instance, the Old Kingdom had very dynamic art forms. The works of architects, masons and sculptors were highly technical and resulted in several monumental structures. Egyptian sculptors created some of the earliest forms of human portraits by using copper, wood and stone to create life-sized statues. The sculptors were highly skilled in carving intricate reliefs and used their keen eye to develop detailed images of different elements of nature.

Similarly, the Middle Kingdom featured monumental works of architecture such as the Mentuhotep mortuary complex. The complex featured a terraced temple with pillared porticoes. Its location on the cliffs of western Thebes was a perfect union of landscape and architecture that was revolutionary at the time. Finally, the New Kingdom featured the exotic temples at Karnak venerating the god Amun-Re and had some of the best statues of the ancient world.

Ancient Greece
Ancient Greeks experimented with diverse art forms ranging from ivory cutting, metal work, gem cutting, and jewelry. They also borrowed methods of creating pictorial motifs from the Near East such as lotus compositions, beasts, sphinxes, depictions of animal hunts and sirens. Greeks also produced great works of literature in the form of lyric poetry featuring artists such as Sappho of Lesbos. They also produced great sculptures that were mostly large-scale statues carved on marble. Goldsmiths produced fine jewelry while bronze workers in Crete made plaques and armor embellished with great reliefs.

Ancient Rome
The Roman Empire had a great legacy of art. During the period of Caligula’s reign, most of the artwork involved games and spectacles. However, his successor, Claudius, preferred to focus on public works in the form of sculptures and works of architecture. Similarly, Emperor Nero was a lover of art and commissioned several works of art. Finally, the age of “Five Good Emperors” saw art in the form of literature flourish, and influential writers such as Pliny the Younger and Tacitus came to prominence.

Ancient Greece and Western art tradition
While both ancient Egypt and Rome invented some of the art forms, it is ancient Greece that had the most influence on the development of western art tradition. For instance, silhouetted forms that emphasized tapestry-like patterns of plant and animal reliefs were invented by artists in Corinth. Similarly, western representation of naturalistic forms of the human figure borrowed from the kouros and kores that were the prevalent form of sculpting in the sixth century B.C. Further, Alexander invested heavily in arts with his initiatives culminating in the Hellenistic sculptures such as the iconic portraits of him. These sculptures were a source of inspiration for traditional art movements in France and elsewhere. Greeks borrowed temple architecture from the East and continued with its refinement. Typically, most temples were embellished with sculptures of terracotta and stone, paintings, and moldings. Narrative sculptures later evolved depicting human figures in motion. This form of temple architecture later influenced western churches and cathedrals.

It was during the Athenian colonization of 400 B.C. that Perikles build magnificent temples embellished with sculptures. The works at the Doric temple inspired artists at the time and continues to inspire the awe of western art to this day. The fifth century B.C. saw the emergence of the attic vase painting technique used to portray human figures. Again, this form of art found its place in the western art tradition. It was the Greeks who pioneered artistic schools to promote art deviating from the previous use of art for worship and to manifest power. This legacy of art schools was the breeding grounds for later day artists such as Leonardo. Their works influenced and continue to influence western artists to this day. Greeks also invested heavily in drama with great works by such luminaries as Euripides and Sophocles. Their pioneering work in drama was a major influence on western luminaries such as William Shakespeare. Thus, ancient Greece had the most influence on the development of western art tradition.