Greek Pottery Visual Analysis - Essay Example

Greek Pottery Visual Analysis One of the fascinating parts of the Greek histories is its pottery. Whether whole or in pieces, the potteries are one of the most valuable artifacts to archeologists who use them to study their past. The paintings on these pots, whether realistic or abstract, were believed to depict the Greeks daily activities, culture, and beliefs (Vickers). The fragments and whole potteries preserved over time is important in achieving this. It is therefore of paramount importance to study the changes in the motifs and colors used so as to understand the Ancient Greece and their developments (Vickers). Geometric period was the very first stage of the Greek pottery development. It was experienced in the 9th and 8th centuries. It is assumed that the Greeks had just left a dark period in their lives and had now settled down. This is evidenced by them making potteries and taking time to decorate them. The period was characterized by geometric motifs such as lines, triangles, and meanders. The limitation to produce bronze and gold ornaments and vessels led to the use of geometric shapes hence the name geometric period. However, at the end of the period, artists began using mythological motifs. The change can be attributed to Homers depiction of the Trojan cycles tradition in the Illiad. This improved their creativity that they displayed on the artistic potteries. An example of pottery created during the geometric period was the Heron Class Olla in c. 750 BCE. Explicit lines go round the vase horizontally from the bottom to the top. The lines are distributed equally on the pottery. Pothers are displayed horizontally with some other motifs in between them. After the first set of horizontal lines, the artist uses animal motifs and other themes that resemble diamonds followed by a second set of vertical lines. After the second set, only animal motifs are seen. The third set of horizontal lines is supported by ornamental motifs alternating with six continuous vertical lines. A set of vertical lines follows to the base of the pottery. The last three vertical lines are thicker than the others. The pot has light color shades that were a characteristic of the geometric age pottery. The oriental period ceramics, which was experienced in the 8th and 7th centuries, resulted from trade between the Greeks and the Asian minor. The entry of good from other communities into Greece introduced new ideologies of carving, drawing, and coloring in Greece. The artists and even consumers all over Greece embraced the new techniques and began practicing them. The changes were more evident in Athens than the rest of Greece (Vickers). The age was characterized by animal and flower motifs with little geometrical images. Human motifs were rarely used. The whole of Greece were filled with artifacts from Corinth making the Greek artists develop their work further. The motifs changed from being realistic to more oriental figures. Examples of motifs used are the chariot processions. A conclusion that this was a period of war can be drawn. Soldiers used chariots in wars or battles. The period also saw the use of ceramics and plastic in making vases. Ceramics was adopted from the Corinthians and the plastic taken from the Crete people. The Miami Painter Skyphos is a drinking vessel created in the c. 600 BCE by the Greek. It is a perfect example of art from the oriental period. The pottery displays both geometric and human motifs although the geometric patterns are not dominant. The vase has different color shades making it attractive. There are four sets of horizontal lines running around the vessel. Vertical curved lines are seen between the first two sets around the pot. The most dominant motif is the human one. It stands out in the pot, and the human seems to be lying on a bird. The form displays the less realistic character of the Orientalizing period. After the last set of horizontal lines, the artist uses triangular like geometric motifs. One of the most outstanding work in Greece was the Black-figure pottery. The technique was popular in c. 620 BCE and 480 BCE. This design includes Greek myths. It is believed that it was a Corinthian invention that later spread to Greece. This era saw the inclusion of both human and animal motifs. The motifs were painted in dark colors on a red or brighter shade background. A mixing bowl created in the archaic period was the Rycroft Painter Column Krater. The artist used the black figure technique when creating it. The pottery displays dark colors. Shadowy images and carvings were employed by the artist so as to depict the details he desired. He uses both animal and human motifs. The carvings of the four characters were then fired to make the images stand out against the potterys color. Two of the characters depicted by women are painted on their faces, hands and legs with a white color. He then scrapes the art with dots to create finer details. The dark shades and the incisions brought out the images in the art perfectly. The red technique period was a creation of the Athenians experienced in the 6th century. It took over and overshadowed the black figure era. In this technique, the artists used red to color the images whereas the background was black. The archaic painters were more realistic in their work than the classical artists. They painted natural motifs. The Bowdoin Painter Lekythos, which was an oil bottle, was also an archaic period creation using the red figure technique in c. 500 BCE. The images created on this are red on a black background. The vessel is tall and narrow. An image of the Greek deity is depicted on its surface. This proves that they were transitioning to a religious period. The classical period, on the other hand, exaggerated the motifs used in the archaic period. While the artists from the achian preferred natural motifs probably a single one on a whole pot, the classical artists added more unrealistic features on the images. An example of the red-figure technique used in the Classical period named Krater in the c. 350 BCE. The pots color is white while the motifs used are red in color. Human motifs of both gender, male and female, are employed in the pottery. The artists use of motifs that are like angles depicts the connection between god and humans. Animal motifs are also visible in the art. The multiple colors used, red, white, and color, makes the red technique potteries more attractive than the black technique arts. He uses two different shades, red and black, on both sides of the pot. These contrasts brought out the images. The artist pays attention to finer details of the painting. These include the faces and dressings of the human figures. The different color shades used by the artist made the images stand out. In this case, he used both white and black. The angel like motifs clearly characterizes the classical period that was more religious peaceful. We can, therefore, conclude that this period was free from war and people dedicated their time in worshiping a superior being. The development of Greek Pottery is, therefore, based on the type of art used and the colors dominating the arts. It all started with geometric shapes that dominated the geometric period. The introduction of more realistic images such as animal, human and mythical images then characterized the Orientalizing image. The Greek artists exposure to different cultures gave rise to the development. The exposure was as a result of trade between them and their neighbors which led to the entrance of metallic works, ivory and pottery into Greece. The black technique period follows the oriental period. Images had darker shades in this period. The most dominant color was black. A little red, however, was used on the background. The red technique period followed the black technique era. Unlike the black technique, this technique used red colors on their images and a black one on the background. This period also saw the artists improve their work by being more detailed. They included more features on the clothing and bodies of their human motifs. From basic geometric patterns to more evolved motifs copied from other cultures to the use of mythical elements, floral images and contrasting colors to improve the images of pots, we can, therefore, conclude that the Greek pottery has improved over time. Geometric Period - Heron Class Olla (c. 750 BCE) Orientalizing Period - Miami Painter_Skyphos (Drinking Vessel)_c. 600 BCE Archaic Period - Rycroft Painter_Column Krater (Mixing Bowl)_black figure technique_front_c. 550 BCE Archaic Period - Rycroft Painter_Column Krater (Mixing Bowl)_black figure technique_reverse_c. 550 BCE Archaic Period - Bowdoin Painter_Lekythos (Oil Bottle)_red figure technique_c. 500 BCE Classical Period (c. 350 BCE) - red figure technique - krater Work Cited Vickers, Michael. Ancient Greek pottery. Oxford: Ashmolean Museum, 2001. Print. Read More