1. Greek Vase Painting

2. Vase Shapes “bell” krater used for mixing hydra used for water amphora
used for wine

3. used for drinking wine at a symposium
Vase Shapes (cont.)‏
kylix
used for drinking wine at a symposium
lekythos
used for oil
Click here for more on Greek vase shapes.

4. Q 1.1: Characterize the art of the Geometric period.
Geometric Krater by the Dipylon Master from the Dipylon Cemetery, Athens, GR ca. 740 BCE 3’ 4 1/2” high The Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY
Q 1.1: Characterize the art of the Geometric period.
Q 1.2: What is the narrative on this krater?
Q 1.3: How is the human figure portrayed on the krater?
Q 1.4: What is ameander, meander, and how is it used on this krater?

5. This krater is known as the “Francois Vase“. 2
Françoise Vase (Attic black-figure volute krater) Kletias and Ergotimos from Chiusi, Italy ca. 570 BCE approx. 2’ 2” high Museo Archeologica, Florence, IT
This krater is known as the “Francois Vase“.
Q 2.1: What narrative, if any, is represented on the krater

6. 3
Achilles and Ajax playing a dice game (detail from black-figure amphora) from Vulci, Italy Exekias ca BCE whole vessel approx. 2’ high Vatican Museums, Rome, IT
Q 3.1: How does this painting reveal Ajax and Achilles as great warriors? How does it humanize them?
Q 3.2: What kinds of weapons and armor did these great Greek warriors have at their disposal?
Q 3.3: Examine Exekias' Achilles and Queen Penthesilia. How does the portrayal of Achilles differ in this painting?

7. Signature of Exekias black on red Louvre, Paris, FR4
Signature of Exekias black on red Louvre, Paris, FR
4.1: This signature of Exeklias reads thus: “Exekias made me.” (Note: The Greeks did not put spaces between their words, as we do in English.)‏

8. Definition: bilingual pottery 5
Achilles and Ajax playing a dice game (Attic bilingual amphora) from Orvietto, Italy Andokides Painter ca BCE black-figure side (left) red-figure side (right) approx. 1’ 9” high Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Definition: bilingual pottery
Q 5.1: What might account for the emergence of bilingual pottery?
Q 5.2: Why might an artist prefer the bilingual style?
Q 5.3: Eventually, the bilingual style becomes unfashionable. What might account for this?

9. Definitions: red-figure pottery 6
Oedipus and the Sphinx Achilles Painter ca BCE red-figure amphora Staatliche Antikensammlugen, Munich, Germany
Definitions: red-figure pottery
Q 6.1: The Achilles painter is considered to be one of the finest red-figure painters. What formal and content advancements does the red-figure style allow that the black-figure style doesn't?

10. Web Resources Wikipedia's entry on Ancient Greek Pottery
The Beazley Archive: Classical Art Research Centre [Note: Beazley is known as the first significant scholar of Greek pottery after Wincklemann.]
The Metropolitan Museum of Art's web page on Athenian pottery – both black- and red-figure pottery is discussed.