Proto-Attic and Black Figure

The Orientalizing influence that brought about such dramatic changes in Corinth also had effects on Athenian pottery. Although less colorful than the Corinthian, and not yet making use of incision as a decorating technique, this Proto-Attic pottery was, at its best, lively and elaborate. The Athenian painters made minimal use of fanciful creatures such as sphinxes and griffins, although they came to adore another mythological beast—the gorgon. These monstrous females (of whom Medusa was the most famous) first appeared on the Eleusis amphora of 650 b. c.e. (see Image 9.33). Here were elements familiar from the Geometric and Corinthian periods, such as linear decoration on the handles and lip of the vessel, and floral decorations between figures on the body and neck of the vessel. New, however, were the depictions of mythological stories. On the body of the amphora, three gorgons chase the hero Perseus, who has just beheaded their sister. On the neck, Odysseus and his men blind the Cyclops Polyphemos, as related in the Odyssey. As would be standard in later styles, females were painted white and males were black, with only the faces of Odysseus, his men, and Polyphemos shown in a lighter shade.

This Proto-Attic style evolved into the Black Figure style during the late seventh and sixth centuries. Specifically an Attic innovation, Black Figure had characters such as men, women, deities, and animals painted in black upon a red background (see Image 5.2). Additional fine-tuning details were then added by incision, a process in which fine lines cut into the paint left white lines after firing. The skin of females (and often of the god Eros) was painted white, although this pigment was extremely delicate and more often than not flaked off. This Black Figure style was quite popular in the ancient Mediterranean, eclipsing the market in Corinthian Ware. Although this did lead to hostilities between Athens and Corinth (see chapter 4), it also led to the distribution of Black Figure pottery throughout Greece, Italy, and the colonies.

9.33 Eleusis Amphora (The Art Archive/Eleusis Museum Greece/ Dagli Orti)