WHITE GROUND WARE

The Penthesileia and Achilles Painters

White Ground The last of the three major styles of Greek vase painting Not a late development thought – it was being

experimented with from the 6th century BC This style was discarded by leading artist because of it’s

the fragile nature of the white slip meant it was not very practical for everyday use

It was however, too innovative and too visually striking to be abandoned altogether

Thus, it became the chief form of decoration for funerary lekythoi from the middle of the 5th century BC onwards

Being a funerary vessel meant that the vase was rarely handled (only in the death rituals and then placed beside the tomb) and therefore its decoration would last longer

Production Involved painting a chalky white slip over the

surface of the vessel This slip was a mixture of very fine white clay

with some iron particles added to ensure that it fired a pure white

The surface decoration was then applied with a paintbrush in the manner of red-figure, but since the characters were not surrounded by a black background they became outline designs

The painted decoration varied depending on what period what period the vessel was decorated in

Colours Before the mid 5th century BC, artists tended to rely heavily

on the red-figure relief line and honey-coloured dilute glaze But after 450BC the popularity of the black relief line died

and it basically disappeared From this time, the honey-coloured dilute glaze was popular

because it tended to make the decoration appear a lot more delicate

Around the second quarter of the 5th century BC, artists began experimenting with a much more varied colour palette and it was not uncommon to see purple, red and green

These brighter colours were applied after the pot had been fired as they could not withstand the heat of the kiln

The increased use of polychrome may have been influenced by the wall painters of the time – there does seem to be some link between the stark white background and brilliant colours of the vases and the contemporary frescoes painted by the major artists of the period

Penthesileia Painter

Basic Facts Vase shape: pyxis Function: jewellery or

cosmetics box Found in the tomb of

a young Greek woman in Cumae, Italy

Potter: unknown Painter: Penthesileia Painter Date:460-450BC Height: 17cm

Painter did not sign his name named after a large cup showing Achilles

killing the Amazon Queen, Penthesileia at Troy this pyxis is attributed to the same artist

based on stylistic similarities he is one of the few artists to work in both

white ground and red-figure techniques

The Myth Judgement of Paris

Paris Paris is still a shepherd so it is before the

Trojan war sits on a rock talking with Hermes naked except for a chlamys (cloak)

and petassos (travelling hat) holds a club curly hair sits calmly on a rock is in the centre of the composition the mood is conveyed through Paris'

relaxed pose depicted as a simple shepherd his left leg is foreshortened and turns

inwards

Hermes messenger of the gods wears the same as Paris has a caduceus (a

magic staff) entwined with snakes

wears winged boots (instead of his usual sandals)

Bearded man points a thin stick/staff

in the direction of the three goddesses

possibly a spectator to fill the space or king Priam (father of Paris) or Zeus

Aphrodite & ErosAphrodite eventual winner of the competition head slightly bent gazes down at her son, Eros her married status to Hephaistos is

shown by the veil she wears over her hair – also a gesture of modesty

wears an Ionic chiton holds a bowl in her handsEros accompanies Aphrodite, his mother

Athena warrior goddess holds a spear in her

hand wears an aegis over

an elaborately embroidered peplos

identified by her helmet, spear and aegis

Hera wears an Ionic chiton

and embroidered himation

the diadem on her head and sceptre of kingship shows she is queen of the gods, wife of Zeus

carries a staff a fold of her cloak is

over her head – a gesture of modesty and shows that she's married

CompositionThe vase shape the base of this vase is divided

into three sections and are flared out to give more stability

Overall single groundline no overlapping attempt at three-dimensional

through the shading of the rock treatment of drapery gives

figures a convincing three-dimensional look

Paris is in the centre

Figurative detailsOverall nose turned up head inclined calm static

poses

Non-figurative Details stylised leaves above the main frieze

Inscriptions two kalos inscriptions – one above the head of

Paris, the other next to Eros on the other side of the vase – 'the boy is fair'

Painting Technique mostly white-ground – at the leather hard stage, the vase is

covered in white clay slip; figures are then drawn in a dark red slip outline; earthy browns and oranges are added before firing to preserve the colours which is unusual for white-ground; the vase was then fired but unlike later white-ground ware, there were no extra colours added after firing

there is little regard for highlighting – basically just a coloured drawing

the black outline almost gives a cartoon appearance bright colours used (probably the same as wall paintings of the

time) although predominantly white-ground, there are parts that are

painted in red-figure the lid of the pyxis is in red-figure the areas framing the scene are also in red-figure (i.e. the stylised

leaves above and the base) the white provides a more realistic background (this would be

similar to the background used on wall paintings at the time) the rock (underneath Paris) – the only part of the vase where

shading & highlighting has been used – shows its rugged shape

Drapery does not really reveal the form of the body

underneath different weights of fabrics shown by the closeness

of vertical lines

Achilles Painter

Basic Facts Vase shape: lekythos Function: carrying oil in

Athenian funeral rituals

Potter: unknown Painter: Achilles Painter Date:450-440BC Height: 38.4cm

Painter didn't sign his name this vase is attributed to him through stylistic

similarities gets his name from the vase he painted with

Achilles on it student of the Berlin Painter one of the greatest white-ground artists one of the last painters to draw the outline in

slip over half the 200 vases attributed to him are

funerary lekythoi

Subject A woman and her

maidservant This is a non-funerary

scene but it is likely she is preparing to visit a tomb

Figurative Details - overall slender figures elegant faces with long

noses faces appear sculptured

rather than painted long necks figures are refined figures appear severe,

godlike and removed from the human world

these details would have been inspired by the sculpture of the period

Figurative Details - Woman her face is elegantly executed there is a straight line from her brow to

the tip of her nose her hair is curled on top, with a few curls

on her forehead wears a yellow chiton (one-piece

garment which is belted around the waist) and a red-brown himation (large cloak)

she directs the maid with her right hand her feet and body are frontal her head turns to look at the

maidservant

Figurative Details - maidservant also has curled hair on top carries a grey painted

casket – she is offering it to her mistress

the paint that decorated her clothing is gone leaving her dress transparent

Other figurative details a lekythos and mantle hang on the wall

behind the maidservant indicates the scene is indoors

Non-figurative details schematic palmette on the shoulder key pattern borders the scene at the top

Inscriptions kalos inscription between the two figures:

"Axiophathes, the son of Alkimachos, is handsome" this inscription has nothing to do with the decoration rectangular layout of the writing

Painting technique white-ground ware the paint that decorating

the maidservants's clothing has gone leaving her dress transparent (all that's left is the glazed outline)

Eyes

True profile