What is Polygnotus famous for?

Polygnotus, (born c. 500 bce, Thasos, Thrace—died c. 440 bce, Athens), painter famed for his large monumental wall paintings in a severely Classical style, none of which is extant. He lived in Athens and eventually acquired citizenship.

What is the earliest style of vase painting?

pseudo-red-figure vase
Because of the technique used, the earliest examples are known as pseudo-red-figure vase paintings. The true red-figure technique was introduced much later, near the end of the 5th century BC.

When did vase painting start?

The red-figure technique of vase painting was invented in Athens around 530 B.C.E. and its invention is often attributed to an artisan referred to as the Andokides Painter (1).

What are the characteristics of vase painting?

depiction in the free style of vase painting became more volumetric and more complex. A precise and laconic quality in drawing, along with a mournful lyricism, are the essential characteristics of the polychrome paintings on the white, funerary lecythi, dating from the third quarter of the fifth century B.C.

What is the function vase painting?

It allows an individual to pour liquids into its wide opening, stir the contents in its deep bowl, and easily access the mixture with a separate ladle or small jug. Or, the vase known as a hydria was used for collecting, carrying, and pouring water.

What technique was used to decorate this vase?

The two most popular techniques of vase decoration were the black-figure technique, so-named because the figures were painted black, and the red-figure technique, in which the figures were left the red color of the clay.

What is an amphora vase?

An amphora, such as the one at left, is a two-handled storage jar that held oil, wine, milk, or grain. Amphora was also the term for a unit of measure. Amphoras were sometimes used as grave markers or as containers for funeral offerings or human remains.

What was a Greek vase used for?

For the ancient Greeks, vases were mostly functional objects made to be used, not just admired. They used ceramic vessels in every aspect of their daily lives: for storage, carrying, mixing, serving, and drinking, and as cosmetic and perfume containers.

What kind of vases did Polygnotos paint?

He was the leading vase painter of the Group of Polygnotos which carries his name. He painted particularly large containers such as stamnoi, kraters, hydria and shoulder amphorae, as well as Nolan amphorae and pelike. Beside this famous vase painter two further vase painters have the name Polygnotos.

Who was the most famous vase painter in Athens?

Polygnotos (active approx. 450 – 420 BCE), a Greek vase-painter in Athens, is considered one of the most important vase painters of the red figure style of the high- classical period. He received his training in the workshop of the Niobid Painter and specialized in monumental vases, as in the manner of Polygnotos of Thasos,…

What did Polygnotos of Thasos do for a living?

He received his training in the workshop of the Niobid Painter and specialized in monumental vases, as in the manner of Polygnotos of Thasos, after whom he probably designated himself. He was the leading vase painter of the Group of Polygnotos which carries his name.

What was the ethos of Polygnotus’s art?

Polygnotus’s art could not trick the eye like Zeuxis’ and was nowhere near Apelles’ level of technical perfection. However, it had a unique attribute that allowed his naïve style to retain its appeal. His art expressed the ethos (the character, the spirit) of the depicted person. The figures of Polygnotus were not realistic but alive, nonetheless.