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What type of pot is this?
Calyx Krater
Who made this pot?
Euphronios
When was this pot made?
Late sixth century, 515-510 BC
What is the mystical context behind this pot?
The pot depicts the struggle between Herakles and the giant Antaios, son of Poseidon and Gaia. The battle was unequal, for the giant could regain his strength by touching earth and he killed any newcomer to his territory. And yet it is Herakles who triumphs here.
What is aesthetically pleasing about this pots composition? Is there compositional symmetry?
A ‘W’ shape is created through the poses and positioning of the figures with the two women, one dancing on either side of the men and the two men fighting centrally. It creates a series of diagonals which form a ‘w’ shape and balance each other out
The women are facing inwards doing the same pose as each other
The heads of Herakles and Antaios are the central focus which emphasises the importance of the battle
How is detail created in the figure of Herakles?
Calm and alert facial expression → thin eyebrows, wide eyes
Black glaze used on his tight neat curls
Intricate paint detail in the dragging toes and tendons shown in the leg and feet
Knees bent, feet planted → secure strong pose
Defined powerful musculature
How is detail created in the figure of Antaios?
Long, unruly straw like hair and beard with a lighter colour than Herakles created through diluted slip
Bush like thick eyebrows and moustache
Fully exposed full frontal body makes him appear monstrous and vulnerable to Herakles
Grimacing with the effort of fighting→ furrowed eyebrows, strained eyes, pouted lips
What didactic message is this pot sending to the contemporary Greek audience? How is it conveyed?
The superiority of civilisation over barbarianism is conveyed through the stark differences between Herakles (the civilised) and Antaios (the barabaric).
Unkept hair VS neat hair
Calm pose VS flailing pose
Scholarly Quotes
What does Woodford say about this pot?
‘Euphronios was…a powerful artist’
Scholarly quotes
What does Boardman say about this pot?
‘…its precision and command of line can compare with the very best in contemporary statutary’
Scholarly Quotes
What does JG Pedley say about this pot?
‘Vase painters led the way in showing the body in motion’
