In the VIII century b.C., the Greek city of Corinth develops an orientalizing style, as a result of contact with the East. This city becomes the main producer and exporter of ceramics to the entire Greek world. Eastern influence translates into a new range of motifs: sphinxes, taps, lions; in the friezes lotuses or palms. Human representations are relatively rare. The geometric motifs remain in the filling of the background, using rosettes and other decorative motifs.
At this time, the technique of the black figures is developed, using a brown varnish that, with the cooking, turned a bright black and almost metallic color. Hollow incisions were also made to highlight the pale clay.
The Corinthian technique arrives in Athens, where a style of its own, called protoatics, is developed. Between 570 and 525 a. C., the style of black figures in Athens reaches its highest degree of perfection.
The Corinthian influence on the first ceramic of Athenian black figures, is noticeable in its decoration, lacking in filling motifs. The figures are mainly animals, arranged in superimposed registers, highlighting the main scene. Gradually Athenian pottery is separated from that influence, leaning towards the representation of mythological motifs and composition in a single large register.
Parallel to this, there is also an evolution in terms of the type of vessels: the large funerary glass gives way to glasses of everyday life, especially amphoras, craters, hydrias, cups, etc. .
When this style falls into disuse, it will remain until the end of IV a.C., always conserving the decorative technique of the black figures, as a trophy in the panatenaics games.
The Panateneas were religious festivals that were held every year in Athens dedicated to Athena, patron goddess of the city, and that took place between the 23rd and the 30th of the first month in the attic calendar equivalent to the second half of our current month of July. They were the oldest and most important religious celebrations in Athens.
On the other hand, and every four years, the Great Panateneas were celebrated, lasting four days longer than the annual ones. These were the most prestigious and appreciated by the citizens of Athens.
We present a reproduction, on a smaller scale, of a Panathenaic amphora from 490 b.C. They were large vessels, from sixty to seventy centimeters in height, typical for the relatively short shape of their 'neck' and their ovoid 'belly'. the winners of the Panathenaic competitions were handed out as prizes. The prize consisted of a wreath of olive leaves and 140 panatenaic amphoras filled with olive oil from the sacred olive trees of Athens. In the front part of the piece is represented the goddess Athena, who as we have said is the protector of the city, in whose honor the games are celebrated, and the later showed the competition in which the victory was obtained, a race as in our piece, a combat, etc.
The artist who executes this work reproduces exactly the technique of the style of black figures, it is observed in the meticulous work of the incisions in hollow of all the figures, the folds of Athena's tunic are highlighted, the muscles in tension of the athletes in full career and thousands of small details, with which it is possible to maintain a continuous movement, endowing this piece with a realism full of life.
You can buy this at TheBotijo.com
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