An Amphora From The Past

A very well preserved Amphora with the Birth of Athena and a four Horse Chariot, Greek, 560-540BC, Group E, Attic, Terracota black figure painting, is available for view at the Yale University Art Gallery. The amphora stands in a glass case that allows the viewer to observe each detail of the amphora at a very close proximity. At simple glance you can see an oval shape Greek pottery vase with handles at each side. The amphora is made of clay with internal details seemed to be accentuated into the bodies to make certain parts stand out. The amphora is done with figures in silhouette all in black with hints of red and white. At first glance in the front of the amphora you see five figures done very delicate and grateful patterns in profile. In the center of the vase there is a figure that stands out from the rest of the figures on the frontal view of the vase.

As you go around the vase four horses seem to be pulling a chariot that gives the impression of coming towards the viewer. The chariot is being commanded by a person dressed in white also in a frontal view. Also there is the presence of some geometric designs at the top and bottom of the amphora. Underneath the throne there is another small figure with a robe elegantly wrapped around the robe. At a closer view we see leaping from the top of the head of the central figure a very small person fully dressed in black and red ready to jump into action. In the center of the vase seating in a throne is Zeus with feet close together but one in front of the other floating in the air. The throne is done in black wit a hint of white and ends with a head in the shape of a duck done on brown colors. The legs of the throne seem to be hanging in the middle with a very thin string. He is clearly in command but you can sense the presence of complete harmony among the other human figures present in the amphora. He is dressed with a black robe, but the artist was able to include hints of long red strips along the sleeves and some white lines to the robe. There is some detail in the face of Zeus and the rest of the standing figures such as the presence of very long noses that seems to take over the face, some figures have a bear that resembles the shape of a goatee pointing outwards.

As the figures moved away from the center, the bodies seem to take the shape of the amphora. As you look toward the right end of the amphora, a fully armed figure is present, his body is partially covered by a shield that arches in the same way as the amphora. The shield is elegantly done with a white dot in the center and eight rays of the same size pointing away from the shield and in the center an even smaller dots. The design on the shield like everything else in the amphora is very elegantly done an with very exact proportions. The calves of the armed figure give a hint of muscle tone an they are plant on very slim, but steady feet. At a closer look one wonders if they are able to support the full wait of the armed figure. His head is cover with an armor done in red. To the left of the amphora the artist also shape the body of the other god in the form of an arch. The presence of a long slim body done in profile neatly covered with a robe in black and the presence of red stripes done that follow the movement of the body. Again the body seems to be standing on very tiny feet. The presence of a goatee and long nose is again very visible in the face of this god.

The two figures that stand closer to zeus the same affect of an arch back is visible. The one to the left hold an harp, the harp is done with very delicate strings, which once again are in proportion to the size of everything else that we can see on the amphora. These figure garment is white with red an long strip that goes from under the waist toward the shoulder. A very delicate pattern appears at the bottom of the vestment. These figure lack the goatee but the same pointy nose is visible. To the other side of Zeus another figure stands, these one is slightly different from the rest because booth hands, face and feet are done in white. His vestment is also different the top is done in done in horizontal red and very thin black lines, the bottom is done with red and black lines. Although, these face is done in profile, there is a more fontal view to the rest of the body.

As you go around the amphora, a very different view is available, here the artist creates a total different view, four horses are driving a chariot, the horses are in a frontal view. They where all done in black with a white outline. The two horse seem to be pulling their heads together forming a v shape that seemed to frame the chariot. The other two horses are pulling to the sides with their faces looking side ways. The horses seemed to be pulling towards different direction, and only the strength of white dressed figure on top of the chariot seems to be holding the horses together. The artist takes grate pain in outline the horses body parts. Here again, you can see very tiny and delicate legs, that seem to be incapable of holding the weight of the horse, but they are done in total balance. The horse give the impression on moving with total ease and harmony.

Although the Amphora with the Birth of Athena and a four Horse Chariot, does not have the same amount of detail in the vestment as other figures done by the master of black figure painting Exekias, we can see many details that were similar. Among those details was the presence of very long narrow feet, the pointed nose and the arch backs that seemed to be following the pattern of the amphora. Like what I saw in other pieces of art such as Achilles and Ajax playing a dice game the artist uses a lot of internal detail on the black figure painting to made certain areas stand out in the pictures. The artists is able to use slender forms that gives the viewer a sense of viewing something very delicate, but at the same time there is strength and resistance in the way the painting are represented in the amphora. As with other pieces of black figure painting human figures are done in profile, the eye together with the nose seemed to be two mane characteristics of the black figure painting.

Seeing the Amphora with the Birth of Athena and a four Horse Chariot provided me with a more clear view of this piece of art. Seeing the same piece of art in a picture, I was not able to make out certain details on the picture that are clearly visible when you are face to face with object. In a pictures sometimes details are blended together and one is not able to observe, the very delicate and precise lines that the artist uses while making his peace of art. Although, the amphora was enclosed in a glass case, I was able to observe the texture and the detail of each single line all over the vase, not only in one side like when I view them in a book. Viewing the amphora at such a close distance, made me wonder how much effort and dedication the artist put into making the amphora with so much detail using tools that are not as modern as we have at the present time.