François Vase

It was found in 1845 in fragments by Alessandro

François

c. 570 BCPotter - Ergotimos

Painter - Kleitias

Both the potter and the painter proudly signed their names in the chief frieze and again

in the upper frieze

Volute Crater • Earliest known example• Used for mixing wine and

water at symposiums • Shape and decoration

revolutionary for its time

66cm

Painting Style and Technique• There are 6 bands of

decoration• Inspired by Corinthian

“Miniaturist style”• It has 270 animal and human

figures 121 of which are named

• Rows of mythological animals. Exotic vegetal motifs, such as the lotus and palmette

• Common in the “Orientalising Period”

• Drapery is ill-fitting with no elaborate gestures.

Black figure technique used for the black incised silhouettes. Extra colour has been added. Purple-red for cloth and white for female flesh. Many of the detail added via colour has now been removed due to the delicate nature of the vase including eyes, the dog on the back of the Caledonian boar and King Priam’s clothes.

Decoration of Side A - The NeckFIRST BANDHunting of the Calydonian BoarKing Oeneus, the king of Calydon,

had insulted Artemis by not sacrificing her. So Artemis sent the Calydonian Boar to destroy Calydon. It rampaged throughout the countryside, destroying vineyards and crops, forcing people to take refuge inside the city walls, where they began to starve. The king sent his son Meleager together together a band of heroes to hunt the boar. Amoung them were Peleus and Atalanta.

Decoration of Side A - The Neck

SECOND BANDThe funeral games of

PatroclusPatroclus was the best friend of

Achilles. During the Trojan War Achilles had an argument with Agamemnon, leader of the Greeks. Achilles refused to help the Greeks fight. Patroclus borrowed the armour of Achilles and went out to fight. During the battle he was killed, and the grief stricken Achilles held magnificent funeral games in his honor.

Chariot races held by Achilles in honor of his dead friend Patroclus

Decoration of Side A - The body

THIRD BANDMarriage of Peleus to ThetisRuns around the centre of the

vase and show the gods visiting the newly wed Peleus and Thetis. Zeus and Poseidon had both wanted to marry Thetis. But they heard a prophecy. The son of Thetis would overthrow his father. So they wed her to a mortal. Their son was Achilles. He was the greatest hero of the Trojan War.

This band continues to side b

The wedding was attended by all the major gods. All the figures are named. An incident that occurred at this wedding led to the “Judgement of Paris” and consequent Trojan War.

Decoration of Side A - The body

FOURTH BANDAchilles and Troilus

In this band, the earliest episode of the Trojan War is depicted. Troilus, was killed by Achilles in a temple.

Here we see, Priam the father of Troilus, is shown sitting outside the walls of troy, while a rescue party led by Troilus’ brothers Hector and Polites, emerges from

the gates.

Decoration of Side A - The body

FIFTH BANDGryphons

This frieze contains animals inspired from orientalising. It depicts a lion felling a bull; a lion felling a stag and a pair of gryphons sitting on either side of a lotus and palmette motif.

Just as the third band, this one too travels round to side b.

Decoration of Side B - The neckFIRST BANDLiberation of the Athenian Youths and MaidensHere we see the dance of Athenians youths and maidens who were liberated

from Crete by Thesseus. The dance takes place in Delos. Thesseus leads this victory dance, playing the lyre. The archaic peplos which the girls adorn should be noted.

We also see the boat which took them to Delos

Decoration of Side B - The neck

SECOND BANDLapiths and CentaursThis band depicts the battle

between the Lapiths and the centaurs, called centauromachy. A centaur hurled a rock at Theseus while Kaineus, the leader of the Lapiths, is beaten with a branch by the centaur Hylaios. Kaineus died but the Lapiths won the battle.

Decoration of Side B - The body

FOURTH BANDHephaistosHere the return of hephaistos to Olympus is depicted. The god dionysus

leads his mule and they are accompanied by nymphs (spirits of nature envisaged as beautiful maidens) and satyrs (half-men, half-goats).

Decoration of the foot

Pygmies and CranesThe foot is decorated with one

of the earliest known depictions of ‘The Geranomachy’ or the battle between pygmies and cranes.

The pygmies are armed with slings and sticks and lived Africa, India or Scythia. The Cranes flee to the southern stream of the ocean to attack the pygmies. According to Homer.

Decoration of the handle

Top of Handle Artemis with Animals

Bottom of Handle Ajax carrying the body

of Achilles

How they’re all connected

Achilles

Peleus

Theseus

TroilusSon of Priam, King of

Troy - Killed by Achilles

MeleagerHunt for Calydonian

Boar

PeirithousBattle of Lapiths and Centaurs

A friend of Theseus

GeranosLiberator of Athenian

Youths

Wedding of -Thetis

Befriender of -Hephaistos

Funeral games ofPatrolcus

Killed by Hector

Fath

er

Reputed to

be present