The Francois vase was created in 570 BCE in Athens Greece. It is from the archaic period and is made out of ceramic. This Krater or vase is now held at the Florence National Museum of archaeology. I will be performing a visual analysis on this vase, pictured below. I argue that Kleitias the painter, provided a visual narrative in the Francois Vase with his use of black figure pottery to create a representation of Greek mythology and the social context of Ancient Greece.
The Francois vase stands 66 centimeters or 26 inches tall with an unconventional shape for its time. The vase has a spectacular design with its shape, composition, proportion, symmetry, and rhythm. There are six friezes that wrap around the entire vase creating a sense of balance and depicting mythological stories and scenes of ancient Greek life. The friezes are separated by a repeating pattern or visual tempo of rhythm allowing continuity between scenes. These patterns also include the use of negative space to properly proportion and arrange the friezes to keep the composition balanced and symmetrical. There are two handles on either side also adding to the balanced symmetry of this piece.
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This vase is a great example of the black figure pottery technique. The black color on top of the reddish brown clay beneath creates a vast distinction between the background and the foreground making the figures stand out. The texture of the layered lines create a 3 dimensional effect allowing the figures depicted to appear more naturalistic and life like. The color and texture combined allow the visual narrative to flow fluidly to tell many stories. The Caledonian boar-hunt, chariot race and funeral games, the wedding of Peleus and Thetis, and the return of Gods to Olympus. The use of color and texture provide more depth to bring the stories to life and make it visually easier to