Greek vase-painting (Griechische Vasenmalerei)Buschor, Ernst
History
Greek vase-painting (Griechische Vasenmalerei)
Buschor, Ernst
Vase-painting, Greek
The composition shows the same intrusion of a strongly decorative
element. The heraldic scheme is more prominent than ever. We owe to it
the invention of a new ornament, a combination of lotus-flower and
palmettes (Fig. 39), which like the old volute-tree (Fig. 34) is
flanked by two animals. In particular the wineskin-shaped and globular
unguent-pots (Figs. 39 and 40) (Alabastron and Aryballos), the
successors of the Protocorinthian unguent-pots, are decorated with it;
but even in the stripes, which have not got the ‘palmette and lotus
cross,’ there are groups of three animals at a time inspired by the
heraldic scheme (Fig. 41). The list of types grows: beside the
quadrupeds appear many birds (_e.g._ geese, swans, eagles, cocks and
owls,) fishes and serpents; a motley series of hybrids, bearded
sphinxes, winged lions, winged panthers, tritons and other fabulous
creatures are side by side with the favourite winged demons, sphinxes,
sirens and griffins. The place of the central ornament is often taken by
purely human beings, especially the runner with bent knee, and the
goddess of beasts (πὁτνια θἡρων) which in the Oriental patterns are
flanked by animals; but also non-ornamental figures, women, riders,
grotesque dancers (Figs. 40 and 43) are found in this place. Thus arises
a co-ordination of man and decorative animal similar to that of
Protocorinthian art; anyone who has followed on the vases this process,
which is characteristic of the 7th century, is not surprised, when in
the archaic Corinthian pediment at Corfu mythological scenes appear side
by side with the Gorgon flanked by panthers, and when in the
representation of the central animal the myth begins to be active.
The non-ornamental human figures in the animal compositions are of
course not invented for this purpose, but borrowed from other contexts,
scenes of human life, which existed beside the decorative
representations and followed the lead of the Protocorinthian precursors.
They are certainly more intimately connected with the animal figures.
The male figure (p. 38) has finally discarded the old outline drawing
with brown filling for the animal-frieze technique, black silhouette
with incised interior details.
[Illustration: PLATE XXI.
Fig. 43. CORINTHIAN SKYPHOS.
Fig. 44. ACHILLES AND TROILOS: FROM THE LATE CORINTHIAN FLASK BY
TIMONIDAS.]
But at the same time the memory of monochromy is not yet quite extinct;
the head silhouette is still by preference painted red. When often
instead of it the breast and thigh are picked out in red, when in sphinx
and siren contour drawing is abandoned, the connection with the
animal-frieze style is complete, and the new intrusion of a strong
decorative element in this pottery is obvious.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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