Greek Vases
Greek vase is an important part of Greek art. This article features some interesting information about ancient and modern Greek vases as well as two different styles of vase painting - black figure and red figure styles. I have a beautiful Greek vase that I bought as a souvenir when I travelled to the island of Crete. I love this vase as it stands as a reminder of my trip to Greece as well as the beauty of Greek art. If you happen to travel to Greece, be sure to get one of the Greek vases as a souvenir - they are beautiful and so authentic to the Greek culture.
Ancient Greek Vases
Ancient greek vases take their place among the treasures of the great museums of the world. Strange because these greek vases were only intended to be used.The Greeks pursued beauty relentlessly. For their temples they created a design which they used over and over but which they were always refining. So with their sculpting and so with their greek vases.
These greek vases come in wedding vases, water vases, floral vases, serving dishes, bowls, lamps, and urns.
In the course of several centuries greek vases assumed certain well defined shapes which evolved from practical usage. Practical as these greek vases were, their glazes were surpassed by the Chinese, their red brown material was similar to that of other cultures, their firing sometimes left slight imperfections on the surfaces or on the paintings. Why then are greek vases such treasures?
The answer is principally found in the painting which adorns the greek vases. The paintings give insight into the legends, the religious beliefs, the ordinary living of people who provided the foundations for our western civilization; our government, or literature, our architecture, the greatest refinements of our live.
Greek vases are wonderful decorative vases for mantles, columns, or display cases. You might consider a greek vase as the perfect unique gift for that special person.
Black Figure Vases
Black figured vases are a ancient greek vase with black figures painted on a reddish orange clay.The anthenian potters learned how to obtain the reddish orange hue by mixing red ochre with their clay.
Details within the silhouetted figures were incised before firing.
The black figured vases of the sixth and fifth centuries BC are much more pictorial than the earlier vases.
The lips, handles and footings were usually painted black and the figures served both for design and story telling. The stories were drawn from myths, the Trojan wars, the adventures of Odysseus, the other great heroes of mythology, the capering satyrs and maenads in the retinue of Dionysos. Since many of the vases were used for wine it seemed appropriate to depict Dionysos, the god of wine.
Two individuals are identified with the best painting of this period. One was called Amasis the painter. His paintings were amusing rather than heroic, sometimes even comical in their depiction of revelry. The other painter, Exekias signed his name to eleven vases which have come down to us. He was one of the greatest artists of history and we are fortunate in being able to offer a reproduction of his black figured vases.
Red Figure Vases
A greek red figured vase depicts the illusion of three-dimensional figures, whereas the black figured vase depicts only a two-dimensional figure.When the greeks reached for more depth in their art work and their skills improved toward three-dimensional drawing the red figured vases came into existence.
As in the black figure vase, the greek red figure vase displayed both beautiful art work and told us a story about their myths and lives.
In this new style, red figured vases, the painting could be likened to the photographic print as compared to black figured style which was likened to a negative. The decoration was first outlined in black.
The surface of the vase outside the design was then painted black, leaving the design in the lighter reddish color of the undecorated vase. Details were then added with a fine brush applying black or diluted black which appeared as brown after the refiring.
This technique, through its greater freedom, allowed the painter to apply more detail in his figure drawing. Much of the red figured vase painting became more pictorially complicated because of the greater flexibility of this technique.
Modern Ceramic Vases
Modern greek vases are decorated with 24k gold. Made from greek ceramic clay it is fired into a highly glazed porcelain.These modern greek vases are fashioned with shapes established centuries ago. They are hand made and the details reveal that care, especially in the hand painted classic figures, bands and meanders.
If you are looking for a vase made from greek ceramics that is also elegant and classy, these are the vases for you.
During those centuries immediately preceding the birth of Christ the Greeks contributed so much to our civilization that it is difficult to properly appraise the contribution. Their development of the arts, such as, ceramic vases was undeniably one of the greatest of their gifts to the world.
In all aspects of art it was apparent that they not only had an appreciation of beautiful form but the ability to create it. No phase of greek ceramic art better illustrates this than the great number of their vases which have been put back together from remaining fragments or have miraculously been found intact. Their preservation is in part attributable to the greek ceramic clay from which they were made; it was lasting but it had no great intrinsic value.
Today, we can now have the same basic designs of these ancient greek ceramic vases, but in a modern flawless casting and refined in the kiln to the level of porcelain.
Source: The Eleganza Collection