Gorgons pursuing Perseus after he beheaded Medusa - from a dinos by the Gorgon Painter. Image: Wikimedia Commons
The Gorgon Painter is named after this vase - we don't know his real name. He was one of the earliest Athenian black-figure artists whose work survives in quantity.
Subject
Perseus flees (shown running but facing backwards - conventional for pursuit). The two surviving Gorgons chase him. Medusa's body lies decapitated. Athena stands by to help Perseus.
Gorgon Iconography
Gorgons shown with snakes, wings, boar tusks, and the terrifying frontal face (unusual in profile-dominated Greek art). The frontal face is apotropaic - meant to frighten.
Early Black-Figure
Flat, decorative style. Figures arranged in friezes around the vase. Animal friezes (lions, panthers) on the stand - typical Corinthian-influenced decoration.
Narrative Band
The continuous curved surface of the dinos allows an extended narrative. Perseus runs clockwise; we follow the chase around the vase.
c. 580-570 BCE | Dinos and stand | British Museum, London
The gods process to the wedding of Peleus and Thetis - the earliest surviving signed Athenian vase. Image: British Museum / Wikimedia Commons
Sophilos is the first Athenian vase painter known by name - he signed several vases "Sophilos painted me." This dinos (mixing bowl) shows the wedding of the hero Peleus to the sea-nymph Thetis.
The Myth
Peleus and Thetis' wedding was attended by all the gods. It was here that Eris (Strife) threw the golden apple "for the fairest" - starting the chain of events leading to the Trojan War.
Procession
The gods arrive in chariots and on foot - a divine procession around the vase. Many figures are labelled with inscriptions (helpful for identification and showing literacy).
Architectural Detail
Peleus' house is shown - rare architectural representation in early vase painting. He stands at the door greeting the divine guests. Thetis is inside.
Multiple Friezes
The dinos and stand have multiple decorative bands: the main wedding scene, plus animal friezes, floral patterns. Elaborate decoration shows the vase's value.
Kleitias: The Francois Vase
c. 570-565 BCE | Volute Krater | Archaeological Museum, Florence
Detail from the Francois Vase showing multiple mythological friezes - the most elaborately decorated surviving Greek vase. Image: Wikimedia Commons
Named after Alessandro Francois who discovered it in 1844-45 (in fragments), this is the most famous and most densely decorated of all Greek vases. It's signed by both potter (Ergotimos) and painter (Kleitias).
Six Narrative Bands
Over 200 figures in six friezes plus handle decoration. Stories include: Calydonian Boar Hunt, funeral games for Patroclus, wedding of Peleus and Thetis, Achilles pursuing Troilus, battle of Pygmies and Cranes.
Inscriptions
Over 130 inscriptions label figures, objects, even animals. This "encyclopedia in paint" assumes viewers who want to identify every character.
Miniature Detail
Incredibly fine incision work - tiny details of armour, drapery, animal fur. Kleitias was a master of the miniature; his precision is unmatched.
Thematic Unity
Many scenes connect to the Trojan War cycle (Peleus' wedding leads to Paris' judgment leads to the war). The vase is a meditation on heroic mythology.
Key Detail: Wedding Procession
Compare with Sophilos' version of the same scene. Kleitias shows finer detail, more varied figure poses, more complex chariot groups. The development of black-figure in just a decade is remarkable.
Exekias: Master of Black-Figure
Exekias (active c. 550-525 BCE) is considered the greatest black-figure painter - and he was also a potter, giving him complete control over his work. He brought psychological depth and dramatic intensity to a technique that would soon be superseded by red-figure.
Achilles and Ajax Playing Dice
c. 540-530 BCE | Belly Amphora | Vatican Museums
Achilles and Ajax playing dice - Exekias' most famous work. Image: Vatican Museums / Wikimedia Commons
The Scene
The two greatest Greek warriors at Troy play a board game during a lull in fighting. Achilles (left) calls "four," Ajax "three." A moment of tension within calm.
Composition
Perfect symmetry - the heroes lean towards each other, their spears creating a frame. The board between them is the focal point. Balance and harmony despite the competitive tension.
Technical Mastery
Extraordinary incision detail - patterns on cloaks, beard curls, even the gaming board's squares. Exekias pushed black-figure to its limits.
Psychological Depth
Not an action scene but a moment of concentration. The heroes' absorption in the game is palpable. Exekias brings interiority to vase painting.
Dionysus Sailing on the Ocean
c. 530 BCE | Kylix | Staatliche Antikensammlungen, Munich
Dionysus sailing - the interior (tondo) of a kylix by Exekias. Image: Wikimedia Commons
The Myth
Pirates kidnapped Dionysus, not recognizing the god. He transformed the mast into a vine and the pirates into dolphins. Here he reclines peacefully as the ship sails.
Innovative Use of Space
The circular tondo becomes the wine-dark sea. The ship floats in the centre; dolphins swim around the rim. The vine fills the sky. Brilliantly adapted to the format.
Dionysiac Resonance
A drinking cup (kylix) showing the wine god - appropriate! As the drinker empties the cup, Dionysus gradually appears. Form and content perfectly matched.
Serenity
Unlike the violent metamorphosis myth, Exekias shows peaceful aftermath. The god reclines; the vine grows; dolphins play. Divine power expressed through calm, not action.
