Exekias Belly Amphora

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Exekias Belly Amphora
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Exekias

• Ancient Greek vase painter and potter.
• Worked approx. between 550BC 525BC.
• Mainly worked with technique known as black
  figure.
• Considered to be one of the best black figure
  vase painters.
• Master of psychological tension.

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Belly Amphora
Side B
Side A
Achilles Ajax
Return of Diskouri
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• Attribution Detail
• Name Exekias Belly Amphora
• Date 550 - 540 B.C.
• Height 61cm
• Potter Painter by Exekias
• How is the painter identified?
• He signed his name onto the vase, on the rim of
  the vase.

61cm
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The Shape
1. Amphora 2. Used for storage of wine,
honey/ oil 3. Larger neck, broader shoulder,
flanged decorated handle. 4. Made and painted
the vase. 5. Base of neck Vases mid-point
6. Flanged and decorated (not plain and flat.
7. Chain of ivy leaves
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The Shape

• Continuous line from foot to mouth

• Foot is stepped. (Foot is moulded in two parts,
  so it looks like steps.)

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Inscriptions

• Exekias painted and made me
• 2. Achilles and Ajax
• 3. Three (Ajax)
• 4. Four (Achilles)

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Where its found

• 1. Found on the rim of the vase and also on the
  left behind Achilles.
• 2. On top-behind their heads
• 3.4. Coming out of their mouths
• (Other inscription)
• There is a kalos inscription, it reads
  Onetorides is beautiful)

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Story behind Side A

• A scene from a lost poem about the Trojan War.
  Achilles and Ajax are involved playing a board
  game. They are unaware that the enemy is
  approaching, and they are still playing when the
  Trojans attack their camp. Any Greek who saw this
  would have known what it was about and what was
  about to happen.

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The Scene

• 5- Achilles Ajax (best friend)
• 6- Achilles name is inscribed next to him and so
  is Ajaxs name.
• .

7- Achilles and Ajax are involved playing a
board game. Unaware that the enemies are
approaching they are still playing when the
Trojans attack their camp.
8- He doesnt show whats happening in the
moment. Here, hes shown whats happening before
the battle, and in the Kylix he showed what
happened after the pirates attacked Dionysus.
8-
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Identify the Characters

• Queen Leda Her peplos is flat and fold less.
• Slave Boy Carries a stool on his head on the
  stool is a change of clothing for the twins
• King Tyndareus Hand outstretched to pat horse
  mirrors Ledas hand stretched towards Castor.
• Castor and his horse- He holds his horse with one
  hand and turns his head to acknowledge his
  mothers welcoming gesture.
• Polydeuces- he is welcomed by the family dog he
  bends down to pat the dog

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What is the myth shown on side B of this vase ?

• Return of the Dioskouroi or the heavenly twins
  Castor and Polydeuces to the home of their
  parents King Tyndareus and Queen Leda of Sparta.

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Narrative Technique ( What helps to tell the
story ?)
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Narrative Technique Explanation

• Rhythm - Ledas outstretched arms are mirrored
  by her husband Tyndareus ,who reaches up with a
  long graceful hand to pat the horse muzzle.
• There are inscriptions labeling the characters
• Movement dog is jumping up at Polydeuces
• Leda offering Castor flower

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Borders

• Located across the top of the scene.
• There is elaborate double lotus and palmette
  motif.
• ALSO
• Lotus and Palmette chain with separated leaves,
  which is then bordered by a red band.
• Base area of the body is encircled by ray bans.

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Painting Technique

• 1. Black figure
• 2. Red
• 3. Added red ochre wash to panel before firing
• 4. Purple and white were used to enliven the
  decoration but fragility of the colours meant
  that much disappeared.

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• Figure
• Eyes, hair and beard, cloak, muscles
• (not in realistic style)
• Use of colour White shields, corselet, greaves
  and
• Cloak.
• Purple painted on satyrs mask on
• Achilles shield.
• These all create realism.

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Extrrrrrrras

• Cloaks
• Incised with incredible detail
• Panels filled with stars, spirals and flowers
• Influenced by Corinthian Orientalising
• Drapery
• Flat and two dimensional
• Natural look we see the corselet under
  Achilles cloak. Heavily decorated.
• Detail If you look on Achilles arm, youll see
  a panther head.

COOOOOOOOOOOL! ?
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Extrrrrrrras2

• Achilles more dominant figure, because of the
  Corinthian helmet with horsehair crest. He is
  also dressed in full body amour, incised leather
  corselet, greaves, thigh guards and arm guard.
• Achilles Shield the satyrs head in high
  relief compared to Ajax's. Boeotian shield is
  archaic.
• Ajax's Shield intricately detailed. Bearded
  Gorgons head between two writhing snakes. It
  leans on the edge if the panel and mirrors
  Achilles shield.

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Silhouette bodiesIncised Detail - There is a
lot of incised detail on the horse mane , and
outline of the horses muscles , to make it look
more realistic.Added colour Dog and Queen
Leda white. Her peplos.
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Composition 1

• The composition is balanced
• and symmetrical. In the centre
• is the game table and this is
• framed by the two figures.
• Gently curved backs of
• characters follow the shape
• of the vase.
• Shields follow line of the
• handles and the Spears
• continue up to the top of the
• handles.
• There is a single ground line.

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Composition 2

• Central figures form a triangle.
• Spears form an inverse triangle.
• Figures composed in W Shape.

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Composition

• Side B clearly uses overlapping to create three
  separate planes. Which figures are on each plane
  and how are the figures within each plane
  connected ?
• Polydeuces playing with his dog
• Tyndareus patting the muzzle of the horse
• Leda offering a flower to Castor

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Style

• What is the woman wearing ?
• Peplos
• How does the painter depiction of this garment
  compare with Lydos ?
• There is an emphasis on detail , not depth.
  Lydos garments are plain and flowy

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Style

• Horses hair tails down Achilles helmet
• Bulge at the back of his cloak. Shows that
  corselet is beneath.
• Extra glaze to give Achilles curls body.

• Warriors heads are frontal but their eyes are
  profile.
• Muscles swirls

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Ekekias depiction of human form compare to those
painted by Lydos

• Exekias has made no attempt to draw/curvy muscles
  in a realistic fashion.
• Exekias draws people to scale, Lydos has
  wicked/randomly proportioned chest/ ankles/
  thighs.