Key Terms - Greek Vase Painting

Technique

The method or skilled process by which the artist creates the look of black figure or red figure Greek vases.

Style

All the distinctive features that describe black figure or red figure Greek vases. Style questions might involve, for example, how the human body is presented or features that create aesthetic appeal.

Subject matter

The topic of the figured scenes.

Ideas/Themes

The big ideas of society that are linked to the figured scene. eg, importance of home and family/the impacts of war/the ideal Greek man

Form

The shape, size, decoration — all the parts that make it a vase.

Function

Purposes/why made — can be practical, social, artistic/aesthetic, didactic (designed or intended to teach), or narrative (tell or show a story or part of a story)

Pose/body position

can communicate to the viewer that traits of the person or their action, e.g. strength, power, focus on something, violence, intentional movement, direction. The person might look relaxed or tense because of their pose, in control or out of control because of their pose. Can build emotion into a scene. Pose might emphasise particular parts of their body e.g. bulging abdominal muscles, or strong arms.

Incision

Common black figure technique where a needle-like tool scratches lines for details into the surface. The lines show through the black glaze after firing.

Gesture

Creates links between characters as our eye often follows the gesture but also shows emotion or feeling of the person in that moment or what they want or need. Gesture can be violent, aggressive, or gentle and releaxed.

Facial expressions

IF it is relevant, link to the idea of the calm face being a reflection of ideas of controlled emotions or calmness or rational thinking that the Greeks liked and admired.

Presentation of the body through musculature and anatomy (including hair/beards)

Age and individualsim of men e.g Priam's bald head, neat beard vs shaggy beard of Herakles and Antaios, unbearded face of youthful warriors, beautiful curls or braided hair of Herakles, Achilles and Ajax and the twins.

Musculature and anatomy

Often this is linked with pose as the pose emphasises musculature or anatomy. Name examples of the muscles or the details that are emphasised or are important in the presentation of a figure. In red figure the use links to their goal of achieving naturalism and realism and their interest in observing the body and presenting it with real detail. In black figure they can only incise the details so the musculature and anatomy is representational rather than realistic. Musculature relates to ideas about the ideal and also ideals of physical male beauty and ideas like kalos kai agathos, men trained and exercised each day etc. Also, musculature adds shape and detail to bodies.

Props

Objects which add to the scene eg shields, spears, wine horn, grape vine, lionskins etc. Their effect is to help to create the understanding for the viewer of the scene by adding identifying details as well as to add interest. Props might allude to a past event of the figure or be symbolic.

Inscriptions

To help identify, or words. Inscriptions are not used on all vases.

Added colour

Can be symbolic or add realistic detail to a scene. White for female flesh (used on vases where there are women even though we can't see it now)

Composition

Within the scene e.g. closeness or distance between character or grouping shown by their positioning in relationship to one another, importance of a figure e.g. central figures draw the eye, or raised. up or lowered in the scene or in foreground or background (through overlapping to show depth.) It is the choices made by the artist around placement of elements on the vase i.e where the frieze is placed which is often the focus, where the non-figural decoration is placed is often about creating balance as a whole, or creating a frame for the frieze etc.

Drapery

Clothing. Shows gender but also movement e.g. the curved hem swishing away creates directional movement. Peplos style dresses are the style worn by women in black figure. Chiton are worn by women in red figure. Chiton have more folds and are often diaphanous (thin material to show body underneath)

Non-figural decoration

The patterns link back to the early vase painters who used geometric and floral patterns. The patterns often work well with the shape of the part of the vase that they are on. Non-figural decoration is pretty as well as the repeating shapes being an element of symmetry, ordered balance, and harmony of shape that is appealing to the eye etc.

Narrative

the story (e.g. a myth or legend) that is being presented in a figured scene. The artist communicates the narrative to the viewer through a number of different ways or stylistic techniques including pose, gesture, props/symbols, musculature and anatomy, composition etc.