Greek Attic Vases

Diagram of the parts of a typical athenian vase in this case a volute krater.

Greek attic vases.

400 bce provides not only some of the most distinctive vase shapes from antiquity but also some of the oldest and most diverse representations of the cultural beliefs and practices of the ancient greeks. Attic komast cup a variety of kylix louvre. About forty vases have been selected to give undergraduates a view of greek painted pottery 800 300 bc. Attic black figure vases can be dated as far back as the 7th century bc while the red figure style evolved later and was also adopted by the greek colonies in southern italy which developed a unique style of their own.

Black figure pottery painting also known as the black figure style or black figure ceramic greek μελανόμορφα melanomorpha is one of the styles of painting on antique greek vases it was especially common between the 7th and 5th centuries bc although there are specimens dating as late as the 2nd century bc. Further pottery with its durability even when broken and lack of appeal to treasure hunters is one of the great archaeological survivors. Attic pottery was exported to magna graecia and even etruria the preference for attic vases led to the development of local south italian and etrurian workshops or schools strongly influenced by attic style but producing exclusively for local markets. A fine example of early vase decoration is the attic black figured hydria below.

Ancient greek vase production and the black figure technique our mission is to provide a free world class education to anyone anywhere. The pottery of ancient greece from c. Vase painters articulated individual forms by incising the slip or by adding white and purple enhancements mixtures of pigment and clay. Though modest collections of vases recovered from ancient tombs in italy were made in the 15th and 16th centuries these were regarded as etruscan it is possible that lorenzo de medici bought several attic vases directly.

Every piece is a replica of an actual historic vessel from a museum or other collection. By looking closely at them you will be able to observe how shapes techniques and styles of decoration change. Greek vases 800 300 bc. In black figure vase painting figural and ornamental motifs were applied with a slip that turned black during firing while the background was left the color of the clay.

Interest in greek art lagged behind the revival of classical scholarship during the renaissance and revived in the academic circle round nicholas poussin in rome in the 1630s. In the 5th century attic fine pottery now predominantly red figure maintained its dominance in the markets.