Black Figure vs Red Figure Ancient Greek Vase Painting Techniques (76)

Side-by-side comparison of ancient Greek black figure and red figure painted vases, Art Institute of Chicago
Athenian Black-figure Belly-Amphora (Storage Jar) Showing Herakles Wrestling the Nemean Lion, c. 550-540 B.C., Art Institute of Chicago (1978.114); Athenian Hydria (Water Jar), c. 470/460 B.C., Art Institute of Chicago (1911.456)

In this excerpt from one of my museum tours, I discuss the techniques of Greek vase painting and the differences between the black-figure and red-figure styles. We also dip a toe into some Greek history, talk about the names of Greek vase painters, artists signing their works, and compare Greek vase painters to the French Impressionists. This recording comes complete with all the juicy, unscripted, live-action museum gallery accents including background chatter, construction noises, and beeping proximity alarms. Note, the black-figure base pictured is different from the one I discuss during the tour. The red-figure vase is the same.

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