Greek Vase PaintingAncient Greek Culture and Art (Click On One of the Blue Boxes to Begin)

Ancient Greek Art Most of the ancient Greek art that is still around today is in the forms of pottery, sculpture and architecture. Most ancient Greek paintings have deteriorated or been destroyed, except for most paintings on pottery.

Where have they gone? Greek painters worked mainly on wooden panels, which deteriorated over time. One of the sad facts of ancient history is that when marble is burned, lime is produced, and that was also the fate of the great bulk of Greek marble statuary during the Middle Ages. Likewise, the shortage of metal during the Middle Ages led to the majority of Greek bronze statues being melted down. Those statues which had survived did so primarily because they had been buried and forgotten, or as in the case of bronzes having been lost at sea. The great majority of Greek buildings have not survived to this day: either they had been pillaged in war, had been looted for building materials or had been destroyed in Greece’s many earthquakes. Only a handful of temples, such as the Parthenon and the Temple of Hephaestus in Athens, have been spared.

Ancient Greek Pottery Greek pots are important because they tell us so much about how life was in ancient Greece. Ancient Greek pots were often beautifully decorated with scenes from daily life. Sometimes these scenes reflected what the pot was used for. Procession of men, kylix by the Triptolemos Painter, circa 480 BC. Paris: LouvrekylixTriptolemos PainterParisLouvrePerforming a libation, interior of a bowl by Makron, circa 480 BC. Paris:LouvrelibationMakronParisLouvre

Psykteres were wine coolers. Oinochoai were wine jugs. Chytra Used as cooking pots. Stamnoi were used for holding wine before mixing it with water Lekythoi were oil bottles. Hydria Used to carry water. Alabastron Small vases used by women for storing perfume or oil. Amphora Used for carrying and storing solids and liquids. Chous Used as jugs. Kantharos Used as drinking cups with two vertical handles Krater comes from a word meaning 'mix'. Kraters were used for mixing wine with water. Kylikes were special wine cups. The name for this large vase means 'carrying to the bath.' Loutrophoroi were used to hold water for bathing or for washing. Lekanides were small, shallow bowls used by women for storing jewellery and trinkets. Pyxides were small pots in which women stored their cosmetics, powder or jewellery. Pots came in all sorts of shapes and sizes depending on their purpose. The Ancient Greeks made pottery for everyday use, not for display. Shapes and Sizes

Greek Vase Painting There are two main stylistic periods in Greek vase painting, black-figure and red-figure. All stylistic periods of Ancient Greek pottery: the Protogeometric from about 1050 BC;1050 BC the Geometric from about 900 BC;900 BC the Late Geometric or Archaic from about 750 BC;750 BC the Black Figure from the early 7th century BC;7th century BC and the Red Figure from about 530 BC.530 BC

Black-figure is called that because the people (the figures) are black, and the background is a reddish brown.  Black-figure technique was likely developed around 700 B.C. in Corinth. As the name implies, figures appeared, after the firing of the pot, as black silhouettes against the background of the light red or yellowish clay of the pot. Within the black figures, incised lines revealed the red clay beneath, allowing the artist to trace the inner details of the figure.  Actually black figure is done all with one type of clay. The clay found near Athens has a lot of iron in it, so it looks black when it is wet. But if you fire it in an kiln where there is plenty of air getting in, the clay rusts, and turns red. This is because the iron mixes with the oxygen in the air. If you fire it in an kiln with no air getting in, the iron can't mix with oxygen, and the pot stays black. So you can have either red or black pots. Scene from a black-figure amphora from Athens, 6th century BC, now in the Louvre, ParisLouvre Black–Figure Technique

In red-figure the people are red and the background is black.  The red-figure technique was invented in Athens c. 530 B.C. The figures remained in the orange-red color of the clay, and the surrounding background was turned to black by the firing of the pot. With this, the method of detailing the figures was changed dramatically. Instead of using a sharp tool to incise lines, the painters used a fine brush, pen or reed to apply lines of color for the inner details of the figures. Red-figure scene on the Belly Amphora by the Andokides Painter (Munich 2301). Munich: Staatliche AntikensammlungenBelly Amphora by the Andokides Painter (Munich 2301)MunichStaatliche Antikensammlungen Red–Figure Technique

Then and Now Then - The Greek World Now - The Mediterranean World Mycenaean Civilization BC “Dark Ages” BC Geometric Period BC Archaic Period BC Classical Period BC Hellenistic Period BC Roman Period 31 BC-323 AD Byzantine Period AD The Map of Ancient Greece looks much different than the modern world. Ancient Greek had City-States instead of the countries we have today.

Everyday Life in Ancient Greece People Society dominated by Men  Wife's duty to bear legitimate children and manage the household. Women were expected to remain inside her home except for rare occasions. Children  Allowed to play until they were seven. When they were seven boys went to school and girl started domestic chores. Marriage  Arranged by families based on dowry Unveiling of the bride at wedding Slavery  Property of their masters rather than citizens of Greece domestic servants, factory workers, shopkeepers, mineworkers, farm workers, ship's crewmembers police force, clerks at the treasury office Food Bread, olives, figs, cheese, vegetables, fruit, dried fish, wine Did not have sugar, sweetened their food with honey Did have utensils, ate with their hands Homes Made of mudbrick and pottery tiles. Floor mosaic or plaster. High windows so thieves couldn’t break in.

Greek Alphabet First to use separate symbols for each vowel and consonant. Used since about the 9th century BC

Pottery The Vase - great artistic legacy Pottery made for everyday use, not for display - drinking & storage Black Figure from tearly 7th century BC  red and white details and incising for outlines and details Red Figure from about 530 BC  pots being painted black & the figures painted in red