Amphora Vase In Greek Art

From sculptures and paintings, to various architectures, art can come in many forms. An artist has a reason behind what they chose to incorporate in their art. Works of art can illustrate various cultures, politics, economics, religion, and ideologies of specific stylistic periods. Art can be used as propaganda, as well a way to record historical events. The topic I chose was the Amphora, from the Philbrook Museum of Art, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The Amphora belongs to the art of ancient Greece, under the 6th century BCE Archaic stylist period. This amphora vase is from Athens, Greece and dates back to 540-530 BCE. Made out of clay, this vase is roughly 12 inches by 9 inches. With the development of Greek Civilization, Greek artist created many

Variation in pottery can be observed between the Greek city-states of Corinth and Athens. Attica is the region that encloses the city of Athens, Greece. Corinthian and Attic pottery plagued competition in the 6th century BCE. Corinth artist evolved geometric vase painting by using engraved lines that enhanced the detail and clarity of the depiction. Corinth artist also experimented with color. By introducing the use of matt colors, they created the black-figured technique. Corinth dominated the production of painted vases in the early 6th century BCE. At the same time, Attic painters employed and mastered the black-figure technique. In the midst of the 6th century BCE, Attic vases began to lead pottery production, while Corinthian pottery declined. Athens became the center of vase painting. Under Attic dominance, vase painting began to develop features popular to the late Archaic, early Classical stylistic period. For example, the human figure became more naturalistic than rigid. These features are found in the Archaic Attic vase, Amphora. Additionally, during this period, individual artist began to distinguish themselves by signing their work. (3) The Amphora is an Attic vase painted most likely by the Medea Group. (4) The Medea Group were Attic painters who often used the black-figured technique to paint amphorae in the late 6th century.

Located below the shoulder and above the neck, lies the body of the vase. In the body of the vase, painters painted illustrations that followed the style of the current time period. (6) Painted on the body of the vase, the subject of the Amphora is a scene of Herakles wrestling with Triton. (4) On a journey to full fill one his twelve labors, Herakles battled with Nereus and Triton. Triton is the son of Poseidon, the god of the sea. (7) Scenes from Herakles are depicted because the artist of the Amphora was the Medea Group. The Medea Group frequently illustrated scenes of Herakles. The artist depicts this subject because it reflects the Archaic stylistic period. During the Archaic period, vase painters commonly depicted mythological scenes of Greek gods. Herakles is an Athenian tragedy by Euripides. Herakles is in Hades to bring back Cerberus. This is his last labor. Lycus has over throne Creon and is illegally ruling Thebes. Lycus prepares to kill Amphitryon and Megara and her children. Megara is Herakles’ wife. As the family seeks protection at the altar of Zeus, Lycus orders logs to be stacked around the altar and set on fire. Megara deems being burned alive as a cowardly death. She gets permission from Lycus to cover her children in death robes. As the family returns for their execution, Herakles returns. Herakles learns of Creon’s overthrow and the plan to execute his family. When Lycus