A formal analysis of Darius Painters storage jar with Perseus and Andromeda - Essay Example

Your Your A Formal Analysis of Darius Painter's Storage Jar with Perseus and Andromeda This jar is an example of the red-figure Greek terracotta vase technique, and it portrays the last episode of the Greek myth about Perseus' journey to rescue Andromeda. The monster has been slain, Andromeda and her parents restore their relationship, and Perseus, Aphrodite, and other people look on with admiration. The Darius Painter was unique in the sizable height of his pottery, which included works that stood over three feet tall.

The throat of the jar is decorated with the typical red trim that one associates with this genre, and the row of squares that goes around the lower half of the jar, beneath the pictures, is also typical. The jar literally teems with people: the bottom shows Andromeda in a position of humility, kneeling to gain reconciliation with the other members of her family. Perseus and Aphrodite stand above, flanking Hermes as they watch this scene occur. The eyes show a powerful energy not often found in this genre of vase-painting.

The figures all show vibrant curvature and show a realistic potential for energetic motion. This makes sense, given the Darius Painter's influences, which primarily involved viewing theatrical productions. The fluid movement of his figures reflects the choreography that went into early Greek theater, as do the crowded nature of his figures, and their dramatic composition. When you first view this vase, your eye is drawn to a triangular dynamic that surrounds Andromeda, her father, and Aphrodite up above.

Trapped in the middle appears to be a winged messenger, perhaps Hermes. The closeness of the three other figures around him, combined with his uneasy facial expression, adds a definite sense of tension to this grouping. While this group is crowded on all sides by other figures, including the watching Perseus, the eye is drawn to them, as though they are engaged in the primary action of a theatrical scene, and the rest of the characters are milling about on stage, talking amongst themselves but not the focus of the audience's attention.

It is the drama of the reconciliation, and the divine attention paid to it, that underscores the importance of Perseus' bravery in rescuing Andromeda, and of Andromeda's return to her home.