The Berlin Painter Volute Krater

•  Berlin painter.ppt (Lost and Found)

• Berlin Painter.pptx (Caitlin 2010) 

BERLIN PAINTER - BUFFALO.pptx  by Desiree 2012

12   BERLIN  PAINTER  - VOLUTE  KRATER 

Because the illustration takes up so little space on this vase, it will take very little class time to study and become familiar with.  The subject of the illustration on side B is the same as the previous one-The Trojan Wars- but it is dealt with in a very different way.  You should consider the contrasts between the two as we progress.  At the end of this page there is space to list the contrasts that you have noticed.

FACT SCAN

Date:              500-480 BC

Type:             Volute Krater-Red figure

Potter:           Unknown

Painter:         "Berlin Painter".  He is named from an amphora which he painted, and which is now held in West Berlin.

Height:          65 cms

Subject:        Side A: Achilles fighting Memnon of Ethiopia Side B: Achilles fighting Hector the Trojan.

COMPARISONS WITH KLEOPHRADES PAINTER

1

2

3

4

5

6

Subject matter

Side A:           Achilles fighting Memnon from Ethiopia, watched by their respective mothers, Thetis and Eos.  Achilles shield has an armband, hand grips and 4 tassels.  Memnon's has a bull blazon, a sword in his hand and another in his scabbard.  Achilles' cheek guard is down, Memnon's is up.  We can tell that Memnon is in trouble because his mother is grasping her hair.  The fact that they are both nude confirms their heroic status: mortals would have been armoured!

Side B:         Achilles fighting Hector, watched by their respective patron deities, Athena and Apollo.  Hector has already been wounded, hence his stance.

Composition

Body of the vase is almost completely black: there is a small band of rays near the base.  Only the neck and handles are decorated.  The effect of this is to direct the attention of the viewer to the neck where the frieze is.  It is framed above by stylised lotus and palmette chain, and below by a tongue pattern.  The structure is very much linear, with the outside figures on each frieze directing attention to the main action.  Note also the sense of balance achieved by the positions of each of the characters: what are they ?

Contrasts

With the Kleophrades Painter Hydria include:

1)    Only four figures on each side

2)    Greater amount of free space

3)    Two distinct (though related) scenes

4)    Linear structure (cf  pyramidal)