Visual Analysis of Pottery VISUAL ANALYSIS OF FOUR WORKS OF ART

The objective of this study is to visually analyze four works of art specifically those as follows:

(1) Geometric Period -- Heron Class Ola (c. 750 BCE),

(2) The Orientalizing Period -- Miami Painter -- Skyphos (Drinking Vessel c. 600 BCE)

(3) The Archaic Period -- Rycroft Painter Column Krater (Mixing Bowl) Black Figure Technique Reverse (c. 550 BCE), and (4) The Classical Period (c. 350 BCE) Red Figure Technique Krater.

The pottery will be analyzed according to their color, techniques and motifs in addition to other analyses.

Geometric Period -- Heron Class Olla (c. 750 BCE)

The geometric form of art such as in the "Heron class Olla" is reported to have first appeared "between the middle and late geometric period." (The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2012) This pot has lines across it that are of a distinct nature and run from the pot's tip to the base of the pot. There are also distinct vertical lines and horizontally running potters. The artist placed motifs between the series of horizontally running lines. In the top row there are animal motifs separated by a diamond shaped motif that resembles a checkerboard with what appears to be some type of horns or triangles at each of the four sides. The second row contains on animal motifs depicting some type of animal that appears to be a cross between a bird and a reptile and the third row appears to be some type of marking that could be the markings of the feet of the bird-reptile with this row's markings separated by vertical lines. The pot is colored beige and orange and has two handles for carrying.

II. Orientalizing Period - Miami Painter_Skyphos (Drinking Vessel)_c. 600 BCE

The drinking vessel's depiction of art illustrates the changes from geometric art with a shift in focus from the use of motifs to the use of the human form. The drinking vase has various hues and the human form depicted on the drinking vessel is "larger than in other categories...

1) However, the human appears to be either being carried by a bird or to be part human and part bird and the human is pictured with some type of crown or headpiece. Around the top of the drinking vessel is a horizontal line with vertical lines closely placed together in a row around the drinking vessel and underneath the vertical lines are two more horizontal lines with the depiction of the human-bird form dominant on the drinking vessel in terms of coverage of the vessel. Beneath the human form is another row of horizontal lines with the bottom section of the drinking vessel having triangular shaped vertical motifs spaced around the drinking vessel. The colors of the bowl include yellowish-beige, green and brownish-red.
III. T he Archaic Period -- Rycroft Painter Column Krater (Mixing Bowl) Black Figure Technique Reverse (c. 550 BCE)

Use of the black figure technique began with a vase constructed from red clay and then painting the figures with a slip or a mixture of water and clay. When the vase was fired at a very high temperature the slip then turned black and details "such as thin lines were scratched away from the painted area with a sharp tool" and "only the figure was painted, the background was left the natural color of the clay." (Slideshare, nd, p. 55) This piece of pottery is visually stimulating with an intricate top rim on the pot comprised of small horned shaped motifs placed closed together around the top edge of the pot in three rows, with one atop the lip of the pot one underneath the lip of the pot and another placed on the underside of the lip of the pot. The pot features two handles placed at a slight angle where the top of the pot and the rounded part of the pot beneath the neck of the pot meet.

The motifs on this pot are placed within the boundaries of an area that is left red and featured are four individuals with one riding in a chariot pulled by four horses although there are only two horses visible there are four sets of legs indicating the chariot…