What are the characteristics of black figure pottery?

What are the characteristics of black figure pottery?

Black figure pottery was a pottery painting technique started in the early 7th century BCE. As opposed to the outline technique of pottery where the painter would denote a figure by leaving the flesh unpainted with a black outline, black figure painting resulted in the entirety of the flesh portrayed in black.

Was the most famous exponent of the black-figure style of decoration?

550 bce, when the great Attic painters, among them Exekias and the Amasis Painter, developed narrative scene decoration and perfected the black-figure style.

What were black-figure vases used for?

Between the beginning of the sixth and the end of the fourth century B.C., black- and red-figure techniques were used in Athens to decorate fine pottery, while simpler, undecorated wares fulfilled everyday household purposes. With both techniques, the potter first shaped the vessel on a wheel.

What heroes are on the black-figure vase?

Easily one of the most remarkable examples of the black-figure technique of vase painting is an amphora by Exekias showing the Greek heroes Achilles and Ajax playing a game of dice. This scene was so famous in antiquity that it was copied over 150 times.

How are the black ware vases created which was the first style black on the red clay or red clay with the black ink?

The bright colours and deep blacks of Attic red- and black-figure vases were achieved through a process in which the atmosphere inside the kiln went through a cycle of oxidizing, reducing, and reoxidizing. During the oxidizing phase, the ferric oxide inside the Attic clay achieves a bright red-to-orange colour.

When were black-figure vases most prominent?

Black-figure pottery painting, also known as the black-figure style or black-figure ceramic (Greek, μελανόμορφα, melanomorpha) is one of the styles of painting on antique Greek vases. It was especially common between the 7th and 5th centuries BC, although there are specimens dating as late as the 2nd century BC.

Who is known as the great master of Attic black-figure vase painting?

The great 6th-century BCE Attic potter-painter Exekias is acclaimed as the most accomplished exponent of late ‘black-figure’ art. His vases, vessels, bowls and amphorae are reproduced on postcards and in other media all over the world.

When was the black-figure technique used?

7th century BC
The black-figure technique was first applied in the middle of the 7th century BC, during the period of Proto-Attic vase painting. Influenced by pottery from Corinth, which offered the highest quality at the time, Attic vase painters switched to the new technology between about 635 BC and the end of the century.

What is the last part in the black-figure decoration process?

Next, green wood was added and the vents were closed, smoking the vases completely black. In the final step, oxygen was re-introduced and areas without slip turned back to red while areas with slip remained black. After the vase cooled, artists could paint details onto the figures.

Which artist is a master of Greek black-figure style painting?

Amasis Painter

Amasis Painter
Nationality	Greek or Egyptian
Known for	Vase painting
Notable work	About 90 vase paintings
Movement	Black-figure style

How is detail conveyed in the black-figure style?

Figures and ornaments were painted on the body of the vessel using shapes and colors reminiscent of silhouettes. Delicate contours were incised into the paint before firing, and details could be reinforced and highlighted with opaque colors, usually white and red.

What is the name of the earliest signed Attic black figure vase?

This new style is especially represented by the François vase, signed by both the potter Ergotimos and the painter Kleitias (570–560 BC). This krater is considered to be the most famous Greek painted vase. It is the first known volute krater made of clay.

Where did the black figure vase painting come from?

The black-figure technique of vase painting was invented in the city of Corinth around 700 B.C.E. It was around this time that Corinthian vase painters began adorning their vessels with animal friezes and occasional mythological scenes and they developed this new style of painting to depict these motifs.

Why are red and black figure vases important?

Red- as well as black-figure vases are one of the most important sources of mythology and iconography, and sometimes also for researching day-to-day ancient Greek life. Since the 19th century at the latest, these vases have been the subject of intensive investigation.

What did the Corinthians use to decorate their vases?

It was around this time that Corinthian vase painters began adorning their vessels with animal friezes and occasional mythological scenes and they developed this new style of painting to depict these motifs. In this style of decoration, figures were drawn in silhouette on the surfaces of leather-hard vessels using black slip.

Why are black vases important in Greek mythology?

Red- as well as black-figure vases are one of the most important sources of mythology and iconography, and sometimes also for researching day-to-day ancient Greek life. Since the 19th century at the latest, these vases have been the subject of intensive investigation. Heracles drives Cerberus ahead of him.