The Francois

VaseKleitias painter

The Basics

Location: Museo Archeologico, Florence

Date: c.570 B.C.E. (archaic period)

Painter: Kleitias

Potter: Ergotimos

Shape: volute krater

Size: 66cm

Technique: black figure

Function: mixing bowl for wine and water.

DimensionDimensionss

Height: 66cm

Diameter of mouth: 57cm

Widest circumference:

181cm

Decoration Technique

Shape and decoration revolutionary for time

Painted decoration inspired by Corinthian miniaturist style in vogue during orientalising period

Division into seven friezes or bands 270 human and animal

figurines and 121 of them inscribed with names

Boustrophe: the writing goes in either direction,

Other features of orientalising period evident mythological animals such

as griffins and sphinxes as well as exotic vegetable motifs like the lotus and palmette

Subject Troy – Iliad Majority of scenes celebrate

deeds of Achilles and his father Peleus

Wedding of Peleus and Thetis Hunting of Calydonian boar Pursuit of Troilus Funeral games of Patroclus

and on the back of the handle Ajax is depicted carrying body of deceased Achilles

Theseus dancing victory dance – the Geranos. Involved in battle of Lapiths and Centaurs

Goddes Artemis depicted on the back of the handle as the ‘Pontia Theron’ or the Mistress of Animals

Ajax carries Achilles

Conventions of Black Figure

silhouettes filled in with slip added colour, including

white for female flesh, some drapery, a couple of horses and the

dog (now almost entirely worn away) on the back of the Kalydonian boar;

purple on some drapery; red on some men's faces.

incision for hair, internal details of anatomy and ornate patterns on some clothing.

Artemis

Figures

small-scale, silhouette figures. pose often has profile head (but

with frontal eye); frontal torso and profile legs and feet

incision of anatomical detail is delicate and precise, showing an accurate knowledge of major muscle groups.

attempts to suggest texture with smooth human hair and the spiky bristles of the boar.

attempts to show movement: one foot in front of the other; raised and outstretched legs suggest running; joined hands for dancers.

emotion suggested by gestures such as raised hands.

movement and gesture lively and active in most scenes; restrained and dignified in the wedding procession.

Analysing the bands

Side A: The Neck

1. The hunt for the Kalydonian Boar

2. Achilles’ chariot race

First Band – The hunt for the Kalydonian Boar The Myth

The leader of the hunt was Meleager

Artemis sent the boar after Meleager’s father offended her by not including her in his yearly sacrifices to the Gods

Many heroes joined Meleager; Castor, Polydeuces, Jason, Peleus, Theseus and his friend Peirithous the Lapith, and the woman Atalanta

The Vase

In the picture the hunters advance on the boar. Atalanta, her skin painted white holds a dart. Beside her is her future husband, Melanion. Beyond him is a dog preparing to leap

Atalanta Meleager and Peleus

The hunt for the Kalydonian Boar The Myth

Atalanta’s father had not wanted a female child and left her on a mountainside. Under the protection of Artemis she grew to be deadly hunter. The other hunters had objected to a female on the hunt but Meleager had fallen in love with her and insisted

The Vase

In the top picture the boar is wounded by three arrows and has killed Ankaios and a dog

Hunters and another dog attack from behind, driving the boar on to the spears of Peleus and Meleager, who is shown without a beard to indicate his youth

A white dog, now mostly worn off, has leapt on to the boar's back - only the faint outline and the gaps in the boar's bristles show where it was

Four more pairs of hunters pursue the boar, assisted by two Scythian archers, one sporting an ornately decorated tunic.

Second Band – Achilles’ chariot race

The chariot race is held by Achilles for his dead friend Patroclus who had died at the hands of the Trojan hero, Hector. Achilles had taken his revenge and cornering Hector slew him. All the charioteers race in the same direction. The prizes for the winner, a tripod (a bowl sitting on three legs) and a dinos (handleless bowl used for mixing water and wine), are used to fill in the void under the horses’ feet.

Under the handles of the vase, on both sides, is this scene of the dead

Achilles being carried by Ajax.

The myth tells of how, when Achilles was killed by Paris’ arrow,

Ajax rescued his armour and carried his body back to camp,

while Odysseus warded off attackers.

Compositional stability: the horizontal and vertical straight lines of Ajax contrasts with the diagonal lines formed by Achilles’ body. Also the eyes contrast.

Side A – The body of the Vase

3. The wedding of Thetis and Peleus

4. Achilles pusues Troilus

5. Oriental animal frieze

Third Band – The wedding of Thetis and Peleus The Myth

Marriage of mortal Peleus and immortal sea-goddess Thetis. The most significant myth depicted. Thetis wooed by both Zeus and Poseidon until found out her son would be greater than his father. Married her to the hero Peleus. Son was Achilles. Incidents that occurred at the wedding led the Trojan War

The Vase

Peleus is standing in front of his home while Thetis sits in the open doorway, waiting to welcome their guests.

Attended by all of the major gods with Zeus and Hera in the first chariot

A comic Dionysus runs ahead of them, carrying a jar of wine.

Fourth Band – Achilles pursues Troilus

The Myth

This event called the Cypria, was the earliest in Trojan War. Prophesied that Troy would never be taken if Troilus, the son of Priam, reached his twentieth year. Achilles waited beside the fountain house. Troilus saw and fled on horseback to the safety of Apollo. Achilles killed him on the altar of Apollo, something that god never forgave him for

The Vase

Apollo, stands to the left of the fountain-house, his stance and gesture suggesting danger and urgency

A youth places his hydria beneath one of

the water spouts.

On the other side a girl waits for her hydria to fill, but she has caught sight of the impending tragedy behind her and throws up her arms in horror

ApolloYouth

Achilles pursuit of Troilus

Between the girl and the action stand three gods: Thetis, mother of Achilles, Hermes, and Athene,

The central image shows Achilles in pursuit of Achilles

To the right, Antenor brings the bad news to King Priam, shown sitting outside the walls of Troy with only a staff to support him in his old age and sorrow.

Two warriors, Troilos's brothers Hektor and Polites, emerge from the gates on their way to rescue their brother or avenge his death.

AchillesTroilus

Antenor Priam Hektor and Polites

Polyxena

Fifth Band

Orientalising – inspired animal frieze

A lion fells a bull A lion fells a stag A pair of griffins

sitting either side of a Lotus and palmette motif

Side B – The Neck

1. Dance of the Athenian Youths

2. The Centauromarchy

The First Frieze: The GeranosThe Myth:Whilst travelling, Aegeus, King of

Athens, spent a night at Troezen, in the house of the king. That night he slept with Princess Aithra, and in the morning, as he left, he hid his sandals and sword under a heavy rock.

Aegeus told Aithra that if she bore a son he would only acknowledge him when he could lift the rock and claim the sword and sandals.

When Theseus was sixteen, he did just that, before setting off for Athens to meet his father.

He was desperate to make a good impression, so along the way he completed some dangerous and impressive tasks.

Theseus arrived in Athens wearing the sword and sandals. Medea, Aegeus's wife, attempted to poison Theseus, but as soon as Aegeus recognized the heirlooms, he proclaimed Theseus his son and heir and banished Medea.

Theseus killed a few relatives who wearing making life hard for his father, and killed a wild bull on the plain of Marathon.

He then began his most famous deed.

Athens had to pay a tribute each year of seven young women and seven young men to King Minos of Crete, as payment for the death of Minos’ son Androgeos.

These sacrifices were fed to a monster called the Minotaur. Theseus volunteered to be one of the fourteen, and, having arranged a signal to show his success with his father, set off for Crete.

He was helped by Ariadne, daughter of King Minos, who gave him a dagger and a ball of wool.

Theseus killed the Minotaur and found his way out of the maze, whereupon he met Ariadne and the other 13 Athenians, and together they fled back to Athens.

Theseus forgot the signal he had arranged with his father, however, and sailed back to Athens under black sails.

Aegeus was watching for the ship by the coast, and when he saw the ship approaching, in his grief he threw himself into the sea. The sea has been called Aegean Sea ever since, and Theseus became King of Athens.

First Band – The Geranos

The Myth

The Geranos, or victory dance occurred after Theseus had rescued the fourteen Athenian youths and maidens from the minotaur.

The Vase

In the victory dance on and the vase, the youths and maidens can be seen holding hands and miming their hurried exit from the labyrinth, to the sound of Theseus’ lyre

The women wear the peplos, the men the himation (cloak)

The Second Frieze – The Centauromachy

The MythThe Centaurs were half-human, half-horse creatures, who

ate raw meat and lived a wild, unbridled life in the caves of Mount Pelion.

A dispute arose between them and King Peirithous who ruled the Kingdom of the Lapiths. The Centaurs were invited to the wedding of King Peirithous, but the Centaurs disgraced themselves by getting drunk and trying to make off the with bride and the women at the wedding.

The King Peirithous, Theseus and the Lapiths pursued them, and in the ensuing battle, many Centaurs were killed. The Centaurs were then banished to live in the forests of Thessaly.

Kaineus a leader of the Lapiths, has fallen to the ground under a hail of blows from the centaur Hylaios, who belabours him with a branch while two other centaurs bring large rocks to deal the fatal blow.

Hylaios

Next to them another centaur and a Lapith duel, branch

against javelin

A centaur rears above a fallen comrade to hurl a

rock at (possibly) Theseus. Kaineus died but the Lapiths won the battle

Fourth Band – The Return of Hephaistos

The Myth

Hephaistos had been hurled out of heaven by his mother Hera for intefering in an argument between her and Zeus. He then designed a throne that kept Hera bound and then went into hiding. Zeus offered the hand of Aphrodite in order to get Hephaistos to release her. Dionysus then led the lame God back to Olympus

The Vase

Depicts the return of Hephaistos to Olympus. Dionysus leads his mule and they are accompanied by nymphs and satyrs. The latter most commonly depicted in a state of sexual arousal

Dionysus leads

Hephaistos drunk

Accompanied by satyrs or nymphs

The Foot Frieze – The Battle between Pygmies and Cranes

See p. 23 in White text

Or

p. 8 in Black text

Connections:

Achilles Peleus on Lip Side A Patroclus on Neck Side A Marriage of Thetis and Peleus on Shoulder Troilus on Belly Side A Ajax on handles

Artemis Kalydonian Boar on Lip Side A Thetis and Peleus’ Marriage on Shoulder Surrounded by animals on handles

Theseus Kalydonian Boar on Lip Side A Leader of the dance on Lip Side B Friend of Peirithous on Neck Side B

Overall Themes:

Greek victory over Trojans (in particular), barbarians and animals

Gods’ preference for the Greeks