A selection of Greek Pottery, ranging in dates from 520-330 B.C.E. I've always liked the style of Greek pottery, though that may be because of watching Hercules as a kid.
Volute Krater with Battle Scene From The Trojan War, The Niobid Painter (Greek, b.Circa 475 BC, d.Circa 450 BC), ca. 450 B.C., From the collection of: Cincinnati Art Museum
This krater, painted in red-figure style depicts a woman interfering with a battle between two men. The woman is generally considered a goddess figure, who would be protecting a soldier that would be considered under her charge. The scene is generally thought to have been from the Trojan war, though a number of possibilities exist for who exactly are the figures; the duel being between Achilles and Hector is fairly likely, due to the duel being a popular subject in Athenian art.
This Loutrophoros vase depicts several moments of the god Zeus seducing mortal woman on one side, with one separate moment showing him presumably enlisting help from the goddess Aphrodite for this task. These are particularly prominent moments, due to a number of conflicts within Greek mythology stemming from Zeus’s incapability of remaining celibate. This flaw stemming from Zeus is likely a result of Greek culture’s views on leadership figures, generally seeing them as self-serving and neglecting to account for consequences.
This particular work of Greek pottery depicts a nude man overpowering a lion. This is overall a clear representation of masculinity, as lions are animals most traditionally represented as powerful and worthy of respect; to force one of these creatures to submission would require a considerably strong individual. The work can also be seen as a representation of western culture’s relationship towards nature: rather than living alongside nature, it is something to be overcome and forced to submission.
The scene depicted on this Lekythos vase marks the fateful moment that sparked the Trojan war; the prince of Troy, Paris, meeting Helen, the wife of Spartan king Menelaus. They are shown already gazing lovingly into each other’s eyes and foreshadowing the moment when Helen would leave Sparta with Paris, igniting the Trojan war. The Iliad being such an important mark of Greek culture, it becomes no surprise that the actions that started the conflict are given particular attention.
Attic Black-Figure Column Krater, Painter of Munich 1736, about 520 B.C., From the collection of: The J. Paul Getty Museum
Dionysus is shown on this krater, calmly standing in the midst of various dancing figures. Due to kraters being used for mixing wine and water, this was likely simply meant to be an illustration symbolizing the intended use of the pot, as well as potentially symbolizing the god Dionysus giving the festivities involved his blessing. This is likely a krater you would see at times of rejoicing and overall positivity; one interpretation being a military victory due to the opposite side depicting lions killing a bull.
Storage Jar with Aeneas and Anchises, about 510 B.C., From the collection of: The J. Paul Getty Museum
This jar depicts Aeneas, a Trojan hero, carrying his father Anchises after the fall of Troy. Aeneas is a relatively minor hero in Greek mythology, but is notably given credit in Roman mythology as being the ancestor to Rome’s founders, Romulus and Remus. This effectively makes him the first Hero of Rome. Aeneas was born of an affair between his father Anchises, and the goddess Aphrodite, who is depicted in the work behind the father-son pair.
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