Why do Figure Scenes Appear on Geometric Vase - Essay Example

Why do figure scenes appear on geometric vase? Historical events, issues, and way of living can be tracked and details about it can be found out through certain historical artistic mediums. It includes ancient buildings, paintings, sculptures, and even vases. So, when historians, experts, and even common people look and analyze these historical artistic objects particularly vases, it can provide detailed information about not only the process involved in the making of those vases, but also about the social, cultural, and varied aspects of people of those times. This is applicable to Greek arts form of pottery or vase making. This is because the absence of any original and crucial sculpture or painting from ancient Greece has made these vases to be the primary surviving source of details regarding the Greek art and its evolution. Among the different periods, the Geometric period is a crucial one as it was during this period innovation and transformation was bustling in Greek society as well as in the Greek arts. Many key Greek artistic works from buildings, sculptures, literary works, to pottery vases evolved optimally, leading to the creation of many unique and longstanding works. Vases made during the Geometric period exhibited specific and at the same innovative patterns particularly that of figurative scenes. These figurative scenes were primarily incorporated during the Geometric period by the makers or sculptors using certain distinctive techniques, even as they reflected the Greece’s social aspects of that time. So, focusing on the Geometric period of Greece and few works of that period like the Neck Amphora with Two Horsemen, an evaluation will be done regarding why figurative scenes were featured on geometric vases, that to using certain techniques and the ways these vases reflected iconography as well as wider social context of the development of Geometric Greece acropolis. As mentioned above, Geometric period of Greece (ca. 900 to 700 B.C.) is a crucial period of Greece’s history and is even known as the period during which the ‘seeds’ of Classical Greece were laid. This period witnessed dramatic transformation in various facets of Greek life, particularly in arts. It was during this period many of well-known Greek institutions and Greek arts evolved. Speaking of Greek institutions, the Greek city-state (polis) was formed, the Greek alphabet was developed, large temples and sanctuaries dedicated to patron deities were construction which in a way signaled the rise of state religion.1 When the art forms are focused, Homer’s epic poems were written during this period. As far as the Greek art of pottery is concerned, it evolved strongly and innovatively during this period thereby becoming the most prominent art form during that period. That is, although other art forms like sculpture and paintings were created during the Geometric period, it was minimal when compared to the vases and also most of them has decimated over the years. “Geometric pots are almost the only non-perishable Greek objects of their time which were exported to non-Greek lands”.2 So, as these vases have maximally survived all these years to reflect those times and importantly as vases were primarily made in that period over other art forms, the Geometric art period is mainly characterized by vases particularly vases with geometric motifs. On the basis of how the Greek pottery evolved, the Geometric period is further divided into four phases namely the Protogeometric Period, Early Geometric Period, Middle Geometric Period, and Late Geometric Period3. In each of these periods, potters produced wider and newer range of pottery particularly vases in all shapes and sizes, and in addition featured or decorated those vases with abstract and importantly figurative designs from history, mythology, and other cultural as well as social aspects. The key point is that vases that were made in Greece during the Geometric period were commonly called as Amphora. “In the Protogeometric period (1050-900 BC) vase shapes that had survived down to the Submycenaean period (stirrup jar, squat afabastron, etc.) disappeared and new shapes made their appearance, such as the amphora”.4 Although, amphora constitutes any ancient Greek vase or vessel form that is utilized mainly as a storage jar, it particularly denotes vases that have neck which is narrower than the body. So, an amphora is the term given to a type of Greek container, used in ancient times dating back to the Neolithic Period. There are two forms of amphora, with one being the neck amphora, which is a regular thing from the Geometric period, and the other being one-piece amphora, which made its appearance only in the 7th century BC. In the case of neck amphora including in the Neck Amphora with Two Horsemen, the neck joins the body at a clear sharp angle, while in the case of the one-piece amphora, the neck and the body sort of forms a continuous curve.5 Amphora or vases during the Geometric period is most often made with ceramic, and on other occasions was made with metals as well as amalgamation of metals and other materials, which were found in those times. These neck amphorae were primarily used as storage plus transport vessels for both dry as well as liquid products like cereals, olives, oil as well as wine, with the wine amphora being considered as “a standard Attic measure of about 41 quarts [39 litres].”6 Apart from this purpose, amphorae in outsize forms were also used for carrying ashes in funerals and also for placing it as grave markers. Although, its use in funerals was minimal, people with strong religious affiliations used it. Thus, beautiful and purposeful amphorae were widely used in ancient Greece, with few particular amphora designs being valued in the contemporary times, with one among them being the Neck Amphora with Two Horsemen Although, the amphora or vases with figurative scenes starting making appearance during the Geometric period, it was during the Early Geometric period, it made a prominent appearance. That is, during the Protogeometric period, changes were visible mainly in the shape of the vessels. That is, the shapes of the vessels during the Protogeometric period “have eliminated the fluid nature of the Mycenaean, the form has become strict and simple and they are divided into horizontal decorative bands with a few written geometric shapes within, usually concentric cycles or semicircles engraved with a caliper”.7 However, it was during the Protogeometric period that two important pottery-related techniques were introduced namely the quick potters wheel as well as the compass with the multiple brush. Both these innovations improved the productivity of the potters and thereby resulted in a raise in the output of pottery. Then, when the Early Geometric period dawned, not only the geometric shapes and lines became more prominent, but also the use of figurative scenes became dominant. That is, deviating from the circular designs being followed in the earlier Protogeometric period, geometric pottery following a strict system of proportions regarding geometric lines was introduced in the Late Geometry period. Although, almost the entire surface of the amphorae or vases was covered by black glaze, on the belly, neck, and shoulder of the vases figurative or decorative motifs of abstract elements along with humans and animals were incorporated. Among the animals that were featured, horses and birds were the prominent. Even these figurative animals were represented or rendered based on Geometric perceptions and mostly in silhouette. Then, importantly human figures were used in the vases as part of the depiction of historical events and themes from mythology. This happened mainly during the Middle and Late Geometric period, with the vases being made during this period featuring “scenes of shipwrecks, hunting scenes, themes from Greek mythology or the Homeric epics” thereby leading geometric pottery into more naturalistic expressions.8 In the Geometric period the human representation was further reflected through the depiction of the gallant world of aristocratic warriors along with their equipment and horses in the amphorae or vases. “The armed warrior, the chariot, and the horse are the most familiar symbols of the Geometric period”.9 This is particularly visible in the work called Neck Amphora with Two Horsemen. This amphora was painted primarily in beige and black color, featuring number of characters, animals and other objects like a rider on a horse, a bird in flight, and graffiti at various parts of the amphora. All these above characters, animals, and others were painted using the black figure technique, and the detailing done on it particularly the horse’s anatomy, horsemen’s hair, beard as well as his fillet were effective. Thus, it can be stated that “drawing is precise and the contours clear, even if as a whole the images lack extensive technical and thematic elaboration: the side with the male bust painted on the neck is certainly the finer of the two”.10 The images of the two young nude horsemen which are painted in either side in the two metopes may appear similar. However, the fact is that they are not identical as certain differences are there, when one focuses on the finer details of the horsemen’s body and position in the horse. The bodies of both the horsemen appear similar as “zigzags frame a male bust in profile sporting a long hairstyle tied back with a ribbon and a pointed beard”, but at the same time, on the neck, the decoration is differentiated.11 The body structure of the horsemen is mainly lean and athletic, as they ride grand and also muscular black with the aid of the reins, which they hold in their hands. It can be seen that the portrayal of the young men with thin and elongated bodies in a way makes the horse look muscular, gigantic and even disproportionate, when compared to the horsemen’s body structures. Although both the horses are portrayed having a clam mindset, the raised front hooves in both the horses, in a way indicate the galloping potential or speed of the horses. Featuring of the horses and then importantly portraying it in a galloping position in this Neck Amphora with Two Horsemen strongly prove the significant role of the horses as the ultimate status symbol during the ancient Greek period. As horses were primarily used in the battles and as they were the main forms of transportation, Greeks valued them than any other animals, and so featured them in various art forms. Horses were not only considered as status symbols due to their cost and their use by the aristocrats, but also as hardy and beneficial animals for their role in battles and also in day-to-day lives.12 So, the design and the paintings particularly that of horses in the Neck Amphora with Two Horsemen was not only done with aesthetics in mind but as discussed above with deeper perspectives to reflect the iconography and social contexts. When one focuses on iconography, it can be stated that these vases made during the Geometric period are difficult to interpret and explain because of its lack of clarity and connecting references. “Iconographically, Geometric images are difficult to interpret due to the lack of inscriptions and the scarcity of identifying attributes”.13 However, at the same time, certain social contexts can be gleaned from these vases. As above-discussed, horses were featured with an intention to depict a status symbol. In addition, these figural motifs were incorporated in the amphorae or vases of the Geometric period to reflect the social status and also the wealth of pot-owners. Based on the above analysis, it is possible to state that Geometric Period witnessed strong evolution and proliferation of vases. These vases exhibited geometric lines and importantly incorporated animals and human figures. This featuring of animals and human figures particularly based on mythological themes and historical events are visible in the amphora named Neck Amphora with Two Horsemen. So, this use of figurative scenes of animals and humans became famous and so vases featuring this design spread to almost all parts of ancient Greece (except Crete where vases with abstract motifs were prominent) thereby making these amphorae or vases one of the key historical mediums or objects of Greece. Bibliography ‘amphora’, http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/21654/amphora(accessed 16.11.14) Clark, A. J. (1988), Corpus Vasorum Antiquorum: The J. Paul Getty Museum: Fascicule 1. New York. Coldstream, J.N. (1977, repr. 2003), Geometric Greece: 900-700, New York Boardman, J. (1983), ‘Symbol and story in Geometric art’, in W.G. Moon (ed). Ancient Greek Art and Iconography, Madison ‘Geometric Periods of Pottery’, http://www.greek-thesaurus.gr/geometric-periods- pottery.html(accessed 16.11.14) ‘Geometric Art in Ancient Greece’, http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/grge/hd_grge.htm (accessed 16.11.14) ‘Geometric Periods of Pottery’, http://www.greek-thesaurus.gr/geometric-periods- pottery.html(accessed 16.11.14) ‘Greek Amphora with two horsemen, in the manner of Lydos painter’, http://www.phoenixancientart.com/work-of-art/greek-amphora-with-two-horsemen-in- the-manner-of-lydos-painter (accessed 16.11.14) Read More