Euthymides Belly Amphora ‘hos oudepote Euphronios ‘

overview 510 – 500 BC Painter: Euthymides Potter: Unknown Red Figure Belly Amphora Height – 60 cm Pioneer group Inscription telling us it’s his!

Side A SIDE B

The shape This vase is an belly amphora It was supposedly invented by the potter Exekias or maybe the Myceneans (debated) In proto-geometric period Liquids: oil, wine, and honey Large neck, belly almost as wide as it is tall, continious line from mouth to foot & flat handles

Side A This side is often referred to as the three revelers. Shows three men returning from a symposium after a night of drinking Komachos, Euedemos & Teles Mood of frienze: Happy

Characters & Drinking Komachos is holding a Kanthraros or a drinking cup which shows that he has been drinking There are vine leaves around all of the mens heads – which represent alcohol (only really wine at that time) With the use of poses – Euthymides has captured the characters in a drunken dance

Eroticism – penis’ are visible and the eyes of Teles and Euedemos are on the others mens junk. Also the scene depicts Teles reaching for Euedemos’ junk (with his hand), Euedemos reaching down for Komachos’ while Komachos seems to be trying to protect himself from the wandering hands of Teles and Euedemos.

Painting technique Red figure: was able to give more of an illusion of volume and depth compared to the flat black silhouette Detail: painted not incised. Continuous fluid lines, better able to give impression of volume

Purple slip Dark & Dilute glaze are used to highlight major & minor muscles

Composition Boarders: all around Handles: flanged handles are decorated with ivy leaves Top: enclosed red figure palmettes Walking stick: there is a slight interruption to the boarder Sides: black figure linked to pomegranates Shoulders: shoulder contours of figures follow shoulder contours of vase Bottom: stylized black figure buds Black band: there are large bands above and below the scene, as an additional frame Depth: there is no overlapping of the figures to suggest depth Ground line: simple ground line suggest no depth Ray bands

Painting style Mood: clearly drunken revelry. Shown by high stepping. The drapery flows away from bodies to accentuate movement Komachos: stands in profile. His torso is at a ¾ angle Euedemos: Unusual pose. Legs are profile, ¾ buttocks, full back view, face in profile. Not a stationary positiion Lack of Background: just glossy glaze Drapery: purely decorative. Hangs in the same zigzag folds Anatomy: interest apparent in this scene. Studied live models and real world. New trend, poses are realistic Teles: Top is in profile while bottom is frontal Poses: complex Naturalism: continuing interest in naturalism. Realistically moulded muscles. Foreshortening: the feet and back of Euedemos Lack of Depth: No overlapping. It’s no exploited in order to give depth to the scene

Side B Story of King Priam, Prince Hector, and Queen Hecuba Scene taken from Trojan war Depicts the arming of Hector before his fight with Achilles, it is the final goodbye of parents and child, as Hector will die in this fight : (

Myth Hector, son of King Priam of Troy, was the greatest of the Trojan warriors. He led the Trojans in the Trojan War, since Priam was too old to fight. Hector killed Patroclus, and Achilles met Hector in a crucial scene in “The Iliad”. Achilles killed Hector before dragging his body from the back of his chariot around Patroclus’ tomb, every day for 12 days. With Hector’s death, the fall of Troy was close at hand.

Context Cloaks: there are stiff folds in the cloak around King Priam’s back Loose chiton: zigzag bottom to the material Hector strains as he puts on his armour showing the somber moment Pose: Hector looks quite awkward – painted with frontal body but head and right leg are in profile Mood: Somber. King Priam watches and gives his son some advice (as shown through the movement of this fingers) Poses: Hector’s pose still looks unrealistic and awkward, but Euthymides is experimenting with foreshortening, and mixing frontal with profile figures. Inscription: between Priam & Hector: ‘Euthymides the son of Polias painted (me)’ Foreshortening: Hectors foot

Palmette This palmette decorative band runs around the top of the frieze, but is interrupted by Hector’s raised helmet. This shows Euthymides’ skill in composition.

characters King Priam Queen Hecuba Aged father, bald head, stubbly beard. Dressed in a long chiton, and himation Priam’s cloak is stiff and unrealistic vs. Queen Hecuba’s lose, flowing folds in her chiton She holds Hector’s spear and is offering her son his helmet Wrapped up tightly in his cloak. He holds a knobbed stick in his left hand His helmet his leaning against his mother Helmet: interesting move – the raised helmet disrupts the upper band of decoration Right hand gesticulates to his son as if offering advice

Hector & Gear Hector the protector, Hero of Troy Greatest of all Trojan warriors in Homer’s Iliad. He killed many Greeks until finally being killed by Achilles In process of putting on his leather corselet. Assisted by parents Straining to put on corselet – shows somber moment Hero Shield: head of a satyr

Comparative composition Both sides of the vase show 3 figures, a composition typical for Euthymides. This provides a balance on both friezes, but also allows him to contrast different poses on either side.

Realism This is a Red-Figure vase, so details are painted on, not incised. This allows the artist to show more complex poses and a more realistic scene is possible. Euthymides uses dilute slip to show the muscle groups. He even uses dark slip for major muscles, and lighter slip for small ones. The accuracy shown here suggests he actually observed live models. This was new!

Limitations No overlapping There is no attempt at background, just black glaze. The figures stand on a single groundline, giving no depth. Red figure is far more capable of giving an illusion of volume and depth than the flat silhouette of black figure, yet Euthymides does not exploit this.