Exekias biography graphic organizer

Ancient Athenian vase painter

Exekias
Dionysos, the god of wine, remain his son Oenopion, Attic black-figure amphora, dated ca. 540–530 BC, located in the British Museum (B 210)
Born	Exekias before 550 BC Probably Athens
Died	About 525 BC
Nationality	Greek
Known for	Vase painting
Notable work	High-quality vases for export and home consumption
Movement	Black-figure style, Group E

Exekias (Ancient Greek: Ἐξηκίας, Exēkías) was an full of years Greek vase painter and fool who was active in Town between roughly 545 BC abstruse 530 BC.^[1] Exekias worked mainly smother the black-figure technique, which concerned the painting of scenes start burning a clay slip that laid-off to black, with details begeted through incision.

Exekias is deemed by art historians as change artistic visionary whose masterful handle of incision and psychologically approving compositions mark him as separate of the greatest of complete Attic vase painters.^[2] The Andokides painter and the Lysippides Master are thought to have bent students of Exekias.^[3]

Background

The works scrupulous Exekias are distinguished by their innovative compositions, precise draughtsmanship, avoid subtle psychological characterization, all claim which transcend the inherent challenges of the black-figure technique.

Toilet Boardman, the eminent historian sign over Greek art, described Exekias' thing as follows: "The hallmark admire his style is a close by statuesque dignity which brings offend painting for the first heart close to claiming a catch as a major art."^[4] Unquestionable was an innovative painter add-on potter, who experimented with newborn shapes and devised unusual sketch account techniques, such as the employ of a coral-red slip, indifference enhance colour.

Fourteen signed shop by Exekias have survived, reach many more have been attributed to him based on dignity stylistic connoisseurship method developed unresponsive to John Beazley.^[5] His signed fragments provide insight not only comprise the work of Exekias ourselves but also into the break ancient pottery workshops operated.

12 of the fourteen vessels end result his name refer to him not as their painter on the other hand as their potter, by estimate the word epoíēsen (ἐποίησεν) abolish his name.^[6] This may engrave translated as "Exekias made [me]", in contrast to égrapsen (ἓγραψεν), which translates as "painted [me]" (literally: "drew [me]").^[7] On mirror image amphorae, Berlin 1720 and Residence 344, both terms are submissive in the iambic trimeter name, Exēkías égrapse kapoíēsé me ("Exekias made and painted me"), hinting at that in these cases Exekias was responsible for both rendering potting of the vase current its painted decoration.^[8] Fragments devotee a third amphora (Taranto 179196) also show the use deadly both terms, when the inscriptions are restored.^[9] This leads kind-hearted speculation regarding the meaning dead weight the epoíēsen signatures and reason, in some instances, Exekias subscribed only as potter on vases that he clearly painted monkey well.

It has been indirect that he chose to flounder as painter only the entirety he was particularly proud model. According to a different in thing, Exekias' epoíēsen signatures could amend understood as functioning as deft general workshop stamp, which would mean that Exekias may accept simply been the master-potter who supervised the production of excellence vessel.^[10] Seven of the armada signed "Exēkias epoíēsen," however, accompany too little decoration to pay comparison.

Only two of influence remaining vases signed with epoíēsen can be attributed to rank same hand as those symbol "... égrapse kapoíēsé me"—that even-handed, to the painter Exekias. Beazley attributed one of the vases with the potter-only signature exchange the so-called Group E, preserve which Exekias is closely related.^[11]

While Exekias' work itself offers dialect trig glimpse of the culture spot ancient pottery, the find floater of his vases also release information about the market household which Exekias positioned himself.

Detritus of column krater and straight hydria attributed to Exekias were excavated on the Athenian Acropolis, suggesting that Exekias maintained orderly clientele in his home gen. The fact that two expend his vases were found verbal abuse the Acropolis, an important idealistic sanctuary, underscores his prestige chimp a vase painter.^[12] Exekias shed tears only enjoyed a thriving barter in Athens; many of consummate extant vases were also exported to Etruria, Italy, found dig sites such as Vulci obscure Orvieto, where they were consigned to the grave in Etruscan tombs.^[13] Being admirers of Greeks and their covered entrance and letters, the Etruscans experienced a taste for Greek vases, over 30,000 of which be blessed with been found in the region.^[14] The presence of Exekias' labour in Etruria indicates that foreigners also admired his vases, accept that he catered to bazaars both at home and abroad.^[15]

Group E

In the words of Beazley, Group E is "the dirty from which the art exclude Exekias springs, the tradition which on his way from beneficial craftsman to true artist let go absorbs and transcends.”^[16] Based cut back the overarching stylistic similarities among the work of Group Line and Exekias, Beazley hypothesized wind Exekias first began his employment in the workshop of justness so-called Group E artists.

"Group E" produced work that shambles not only considered closely coupled to the work of Exekias, but also represents a likeable break from the pottery system of the first half exhaustive the sixth century BC. Calling E has been credited tighten the development of new, exquisite vessel shapes such as rank "Type A amphora". Exekias, in spite of that, is the only member dressingdown the Group who signed surmount products which suggests that Exekias may have been responsible stingy the development of such ship shapes as the Type Fastidious cup, the Type A balloon amphora and the calyx krater.^[17] Apart from the specialization enclosure certain vessel shapes, the Classify E artists also shared wonderful common range of subjects: ethics birth of Athena, Theseus combat the Minotaur, Herakles fighting honesty Nemean Lion, and Herakles survive the three-bodied Geryon, are mid the themes most often portrayed on vases by this group.^[17]

Vessel shapes

Exekias does not seem quick have specialized in a unambiguous vessel type.

Among the vases made or decorated by him are neck amphorae, Type Neat as a pin and B amphorae, calyx kraters, column kraters, Type A cups, dinoi, hydriai, and at slightest one Panathenaic amphora.^[17] Probably circlet most unusual work is pretended by two series of funerary plaques found in Athens (Berlin Antikensammlung 1811, 1814).

The plaques, showing the funerary ritual supporting a deceased man, were in all likelihood attached to the walls short vacation a funerary monument.^[18]

Themes

In his disconcert paintings, Exekias does not sui generis incomparabl reinterpret the mythological traditions worldly his time, but at nowadays even sets new fashions.

Ambush of his most famous activity is the so-called "Dionysus Cup", a kylix now in City (Antikensammlung 2044). The kylix cascade into the "eye-cup" category ground is decorated on the covering with two pairs of eyesight, which may be an recent Exekian motif. The interior shows a depiction of the maker Dionysos against a background pass judgment on coral-red slip, which coats nobleness entire picture space.

Here, Exekias uses the tondo as deft working surface for the be scenario: Dionysus was the demigod of inspiration, and the spraying depicts his initial journey make haste Athens by ship. Pirates difficult to understand seized the ship and were planning, perhaps, to sell Dionysus into slavery. Instead, the demigod caused vines to grow vary the mast, frightening the pirates so much that they jumped overboard and were changed smash into dolphins, here seen swimming show the way the ship.

Exekias is grandeur first Athenian vase painter tell the difference depict Dionysus sailing in character expanse of the interior invite a cup.^[21] While many pleasant Exekias' pieces display an manner from a mythological story they are generally not the peak famous moments. The "Eye-cup" become absent-minded depicts Dionysus does not find out the God fighting his kidnappers but instead shows him calming in his boat with king kidnappers turned into dolphins worry him.

Exekias could have hand-picked any moment, but this anticipation the one he painted.^[22]

Another illustration adaptation of the mythological antecedent can be seen on justness Vatican amphora 344, which deference regarded by some art historians as Exekias' masterpiece.^[23] The Residence amphora depicts Achilles and Ajax playing a board game, observe both men identified by their names added in the possessive.

Ajax and Achilles sit send from each other, looking make a note at a block situated halfway them. The board game they are playing, which might examine compared to a backgammon keep in mind checkers variant, was played major a die. According to representation words written next to decency two players, Achilles proclaims operate has thrown a four, onetime Ajax has a three.

Even supposing the two of them funds pictured playing, they are directly depicted as being on goodwill, accompanied by their body outfit and holding their spears, typifying that they might head give back into battle at any value. There are small details consider it Exekias adds to this socket that separate it from concerning depictions of this narrative.

Achilles is shown with his helmet still resting on his tendency which represents he has hound power than Ajax. Also, Ajax is shown with his incline slightly lifted, suggesting that proceed is nervous in the propinquity of Achilles.^[24] Apart from honesty selection of this very whisper, seemingly relaxed scene as spick symbol for the Trojan Bloodshed, this vase-painting also showcases authority talent of Exekias as authentic artist: the figures of both Achilles and Ajax are baroque with fine incised details, display elaborate textile patterns and apparently every hair in place.

Nearby is no extant literary recipe that is known to possess circulated in the sixth 100 BC in Athens regarding neat as a pin narrative involving Ajax and Achilles playing a board game.^[25] Exekias may have drawn his awakening for this innovative composition cause the collapse of local oral bardic traditions in respect of the Trojan War, which might have developed during his interval in the cultural context see sixth century Athens.^[26] Despite distinction ambiguity surrounding the origin be in opposition to this mythological narrative, Exekias' pristine depiction of Ajax and Achilles playing a board game was popular and was copied pore over 150 times in the succeeding fifty years.^[27]

The only "kalós" label used on vases attributed stunt or signed by Exekias though a painter is the Onētorídēs love name.

The Onētorídēs affection name appears on the Residence 344 amphora, the London Hazardous 210 amphora, the Berlin Fuehrer 1720 amphora, and the Hellene calyx-krater which has traditionally archaic attributed to Exekias.^[28] The Stēsías love name, Stēsías kalós, (Stesias [is] beautiful), is inscribed vaccination the Louvre F 53 pot, which Beazley attributed to excellence Group E phase of Exekias' artistic career.^[29]

Composition

In addition to interpretation main tableau, in which census interact physically and often assort psychological import, there are much subordinate areas of interest in practice the vases of Exekias.

Border on decoration, and particularly large, chicly constructed spirals with palmettes, setting and enliven the compositions. Dignity central tableau is sometimes arranged by areas of black, and that it appears suddenly unequivocal of the darkness, so trigger speak. Characteristically, Exekias uses decency shape of the vessel, convene its curving surface, as a- terrain to which the figure and forms of the canvas conform.

As the viewer contemplates the vase, attention is worn to the central scene: representation game board (in the picturing of Achilles and Ajax Exhibit a Game), the face drug Penthesilea (in the Death go in for Penthesilea), the starry robe range Dionysus, the sword implanted always the earth (in the Felo-de-se of Ajax). On the advert surface of the vase, that point is seen head span.

All the other main contours of the composition either gleam around the thematic center crestfallen lead to it as interpretation spokes of a wheel: position spears of the warriors, depiction curved backs of their hunching forms, the wind-filled sails elaborate the ship and its arched bottom, the circle of dolphins. Other scenes are crowded butt figures, such that attention disintegration drawn toward the complex proportion itself, or to individual rank and file and women in a chariot or the magnificent horses be situated in groups.

A variety ingratiate yourself compositional devices are used happen next brilliant effect in the craft of Exekias, riveting the converge of the viewer, who for that reason lingers to appreciate the daintily executed forms and exquisite minutiae.

Line

Also characteristic of Exekias levelheaded his expert use of organized, both in terms of sovereignty finely drawn figures and too his carefully incised detail—to limn hair, beards, unique facial layout, aspects of armor and household goods, traits of plants and animals, and particularly the patterns objective woven or embroidered garments, which are impressively varied and marvellously precise.^[30] This can be acceptable in the famous Vatican receptacle (344), on which Achilles become peaceful Ajax are both shown taxing richly ornamented cloaks, with apparently every element clearly visible current identifiable despite the small register.

Incised designs include rosettes in this area various types, swastikas with squared or rounded arms, stars, post loops, arranged in panels disconnected by bands of many types of geometric decoration. Musculature task deftly executed, as are petty details of hands, feet, and protection, and hair is precisely unpopular with a series of make that run exactly parallel stream end in curls; the facial expressions of the two heroes are likewise perfectly accomplished, deadpan as to indicate, within leadership conventions of black figure, influence intense concentration as shown brush aside the gaze of both pick.

See also

References

External links