Black-Figure Vase Painting

1. François vase Lydos Exekias (belly amphora & kylix) Amasis Painter (women weaving & wedding procession) Black-Figure Vase Painting

2. Introduction • By the 7th century BC, the discipline & order of the Corinthian Orientalising technique had overwhelmed the Proto-Attic style • After their initial experiments with black-figure the Athenian potters recognised the promise of the new style & they went on to dominate the art market with their expertise

3. Old features continued • The Attic black-figure of the 6th century BC was a mixture of old & new features • The Orientalising ideas were absorbed into the new style & adapted to fit the larger panels of decoration • Other features included: The depiction of animals – but these were overshadowed by the interest in human form Fascination with ornamentation – both floral & stylised; they were no longer scattered on the vase to fill ‘holes’ – they were used to accent the shape of the vessel as well as to frame the new broader panels of decoration

4. Innovations • White paint for female flesh introduced (male’s skin remained glossy black colour of the original slip) • More naturalistic rendering of the human formUp until 550BC most figures rigid & 2-DAfter mid-6th century BC, attempts made at ¾ pose (combination of frontal & profile)More stately & grand composition • Drapery improved – rigid lines & chequerboard himation (cloak) replaced with long folds of cloth ending in a zigzag; any pattern was painted on & simple - it followed the contours of the cloth rather than being painted over it

5. Miniature & grand styles • Miniature style was inspired from the Corinthian tradition • Grand style created specifically by the Athenian potters to showcase their new style

6. François Vase Volute krater

7. Side A Lip Neck Shoulder Belly Lower Belly Lowest Belly Foot

8. Side B Lip Neck Shoulder Belly Lower Belly Lowest Belly Foot

9. Discovery • Discovered in 1848 outside the Etruscan city of Chiusi by Alessandro François • It was found in fragments around a tomb; grave robbers who had pillaged the site in antiquity had shattered it in their search for precious metal • François worked for several seasons on the site, sifting tonnes of earth & other debris in the search for fragments, before he had enough material to piece together an almost complete vessel • The François vase then went on display in Florence in 1900 but its glory was short-lived as it was shattered soon after by a ‘lunatic’, so that it had to be skilfully restored a second time by Florentine conservators