GREEK POTTERYFORM AND FUNCTION

Back Ground

• Where few paintings and statues survive, thousands of pieces of pottery survive and help historian reconstruct the Greek world.

• Pottery vessels were used in a variety of ways including: storage, transport, mixing, jugs, cups.

• There are many periods of Greek Pottery, we will study 4 ………….

Geometric Style

• 9th – 8th centuries B.C.• Characterized by geometric shapes, patterns,

and triangles• Considered abstract and relies on dark black

varnishes• Patterns of animals appeared including birds,

horses, goats

Orientalizing

• 8th-7th centuries B.C.• Influenced by trade with Asia Minor and the

resulting cultural fusion• Retained many patterns and motifs of earlier

periods but artists began to depict a variety of scenes from everyday life often incorporating humans.

Black Figure

• 620-480 B.C.• Greek artists began to experiment with

methods to achieve greater detail• This period saw artists depict both animals

and humans in varying scenes of everyday life.

Red Figure

• Pioneered by the Athenians beginning in 480 B.C.

• Artists worked to capture much greater anatomical detail and used the 3/4th profile

• Potters achieved this finer detail by experimenting with different clays, paints, and firing methods.