Mythology & the Greek Vase

Greek Art• Very few Greek

painted pictures have survived the 2500 years since they were painted.

• Most of what we know about Greek art comes from the pictures they painted on pottery.

Greek Vases

• The Greeks used ceramic vessels in every aspect of their daily lives: – storage, carrying, mixing,

serving, and drinking, and as cosmetic and perfume containers.

• Elaborately formed and decorated, vases were considered worthy gifts for dedication to the gods.

Greek Vases• Pots were covered with mythological

scenes• No paint was actually used, but rather

something called slip – 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 oven where there is

plenty of air getting in, the clay rusts, and turns red.

– If you fire it in an oven with no air getting in, the iron can't mix with oxygen, and the pot stays black.

Technique: Archaic Period1. Make a pot, and let it dry a little ("leather-dry"). 2. Then mix a little of the wet clay with a lot of

water, to make a kind of paint (called slip), which you use to make the black part of the picture.

3. Let the whole thing dry and fire it in a kiln:– First give it a lot of air, so the whole pot turns red,

slip and all.– Then shut off the air supply, but just for a little while

right at the end of the firing.– When the air runs out, the fire sucks oxygen right out

of the clay of the pot. But the places where there is slip, the slip is thinner and easier to suck air out of. So the slip turns black!

Black Figure

Painting

Black Figure Paintin

g

Black Figure Painting

Technique: Classical Period• Instead of painting

the people black, why not paint the background black and leave the people red? –Harder because

artist has to paint the background rather than the actual images.

Red Figure Painting

Red Figure Painting

Archaic vs. Classical

Black Figure Vase Painting Red Figure Vase Painting

Archaic vs. Classical

Black Figure Vase Painting Red Figure Vase Painting

The Hydria• This object is known

as a hydria.• Decorated vases such

as this would have been used when fetching water.

• Made of bronze or pottery, a hydria has three handles: two for carrying and one for pouring.

Amphora• Today we give cash

bonuses to athletes. We film them endorsing their favorite products. But in early Greece, victors in the Pan-Athenic games were awarded oil...and the oil was stored in large ceramic vessels called amphoras.

The Dinosa• Dinos were also

given as a prize during Greek competitions.

• It is a deep bowl without handles.

• Often a dinos was rounded on the bottom, and therefore needed a stand for support.

Kantharos• Dionysus, the Greek

god of wine, is often depicted as he drinks from a kantharos.

• Deep cup with two vertical handles which often extend high above the lip of the cup.

Lekythos

• A lekythos is a tall flask that held precious oil and was used in funerary rituals.

• The vessels were then left on graves or buried with the deceased.

Loutrophoros• The loutrophoros

was used to hold water during marriage and funeral rituals, and was placed in the tombs of the unmarried.

KYLIX• A fine gift for the Greek who has

everything would be a kylix, or an elegant, highly decorated drinking cup. This vessel might have been decorated on the outside walls, and also in the circular inside area, or tondo.

Pyxis• Where to keep your

lipstick and small change!!!? A small box-like container with a lid, might be the Greek solution. This container is usually round, but might have a number of many different vertical profiles.

• It's common to see illustrations of weddings or funerals on a pyxis

Krater• It was considered

uncivilized to drink wine straight... so mixing it with water was a social ritual. The early Greeks used a krater for this process. It's a large bowl with a wide mouth.

Meandros

…Or (meander)• Decorative border constructed from

a continuous line, shaped into a repeated motif– Frequently seen on Grecian urns

The Water Jar• There are two figures

on this water jar fighting a many-headed snake-like creature known as the Hydra.

• The figures on this water jar are Hercules, to the right, attacking the Hydra with his club, and his companion Iolaos, who is cutting one of the heads off of the monster.

Side View• Looking at the side of

the jar, one can see a crab pinching Hercules’s foot. Next to the handle is a sphinx, a winged creature with the body of a lion and a human head.

• There are also decorations inspired by nature. An ivy vine circles the shoulder of the jar, while palmetto and lotus patterns decorate the lower portion.

Comparing the Myth to the Vase

• What has the artist added to the story?• What has he left out?• Which moment in the story would you

have chosen to focus on if you were going to illustrate it on a vase?

• The Greeks liked to decorate their vases with repeated patterns. Examine the use of pattern on the vase:–What shapes are repeated and where

are they located on the vase?

Greek Architecture

• Temples & Government Buildings in the ancient Greece were architectural wonders•Modern examples that copy this

style?•Washington, D.C.

The Parthenon

The Supreme Court

Lincoln Memorial

National Portrait Gallery

Three Architectural Orders

• Architecture was a city-state’s chance to show off its wealth and artistry!–Doric Architecture- mainland Greece– Ionic Architecture- - western coast of

Asia Minor–Corinthian Architecture- - attributed

to a sculptor and architect known as Callimachus from the city of Corinth

Doric• Rather sturdy• Columns feature a

very simple stone capital (its top) in two pieces

• Plain• Mainly used in

mainland Greece and the colonies in southern Italy and Sicily.

Capital

Ionic

• Thinner and more elegant

• Its capital is Decorated with scroll-like design

• Underneath block is a decorative pattern

Horns of Ram

Egg

and

Dart

Corinthian• Its capital is

very elaborate and decorated with leaves.

• Thinner column

• Rarely used

Temple of Apollo at Didyma

Which Type of Order?

Which Type of Order?Templ

e of

Zeus

PARTHENON

Which Type of Order?

Doric, Ionic & Corinthian Columns

Background• The Greek drama began as a

religious observance in honor of Dionysus and grew to include stories of other gods and of the ancient heroes– Audience knew how it was going

to end– Portrayal of characters was the

focus– Explored ethical and moral

issues

Theatrical Genres• The Athenians were the

first to write dramasoTragedy- serious story

that usually ends in a disaster for main character

oComedy- stories that made fun of well known citizens and politicians; also made fun of customs

Theatrical Setting• Took place in large hillside

amphitheaters called theatrons • Few characters, never more than three

speaking actors allowed on the stage at once• Chorus of men and boys served as the

storytellers– Anywhere between 3 and 50– Sang and chanted a Dithyramb (= Drama)– Provided emphasis on importance of events and

also comic relief

The Stage• Skene – Portion of

stage where actors performed (included 1-3 doors in and out)

• Orchestra – “Dancing Place” where chorus sang to the audience

• Theatron – Seating for audience

Actors & Attire• Actors wore masks to

indicate the nature of the characters played.

• Men played women’s roles• Wore a strange-looking

wooden sole called a cothurnus or buskin, about six inches high

• Same actor appeared in several parts.

• Of the hundreds of Greek tragedies written, fewer than 35 survive.

Greek Playwrights 1.Aeschylus: wrote the

oldest surviving plays - began competing in 449 at Dionysus Theatre.–Most of his plays were

part of trilogies.–Wrote: Agamemnon,

Eumenides, The Persians, Prometheus Bound, The Seven Against Thebes

Greek Playwrights 2. Sophocles: second of the

great Greek playwrights – Increased the number of actors

to 3 (thereby reducing the importance of the chorus)

– Believed to have introduced the 3rd actor

– Fixed the chorus at 15 (had been 50).

– Invented skenographia (scene painting), to define the background.

– Wrote: Oedipus, Antigone, Electra

Greek Playwrights 3. Euripides: third of the of

the great Greek playwrights – Wrote about women and

mythological themes like Medea and Helen of Troy.

– Where Aeschylus and Sophocles emphasized plot, by adding an actor each, Euripides added intrigue.

– Also added love-drama