GREEK ART

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 124, 30 May 1927, Page 4

GREEK ART

VASE PAINTING

INTERESTING SERIES ENDED

The concluding lecture of the series on "Greek Art" was given by Professor J. Rankine Brown, of Victoria University College, unde; the auspices of the Workers' Educational Association on Saturday night. The subject was "Greek Vase Fainting." The lecturer explained that the art of moulding vessels out of clay ant hardening them in the sun or the Are was one of the most ancient of human inventions. Man possesses an instinctive desire for ornament and likes to add some element of beauty to even simple articles of everyday use. The crudest pottery hss ornament of some kind. The artistic sense of the Greeks displayed itself in their pottery as well as in the nobler arts of architecture, •sculpture and painting, and Greek vases are amongst the most perfect creations of that wonderful people. The history of Greek pottery apart from the primitive period falls into four main stages which develop into each other, and necessarily overlap, bnt e»eh is distinguished by definite differences in the shape and manner of ornamentation of the vases. The first itrngs, known as the GeoS5, If J^ e ''"^ <ronl ■'wit 900 to 700 B.d, or later. The vases of thi ß penod are covered with geometrical de-

signs painted as a rule in black on a light ground. -It is probable that this style was brought by the invaders from their northern hone, and the most important of these designs it the Meander or key.pattern, which appears to be a Greek invention, as it U not found .putside Greece. The patterns are numerous and varied, however, and a special point of interest if that in one form or another—as borders, for example—they always survived in Greek pottery and form the basis of almost all our own designs on pottery, linen, crochet work, and lace. The second stage, the Orientalised style, is confined, roughly speaking, to the seventh century, and its special feature is the introduction into the geometrical style of bands of decoration, chiefly of animals of the oriental type—lions, panthers, wild boars, bulls, etc., along with the fanciful creations of the East—winged animals, sphinxes, sirens, griffins, and other hybrids. Together with these, there is an invasion of ornamental devices of Eastern origin, especially the rosette, which is characteristic of Assyria. Scenes from human life are by no means wanting, and by the end of the period humanity gradually asserts its importance by ceasing to be a mere ornament and j claiming an interest for itself. Here we have the Greek spirit proper beginning to work, for the most obvious feature of Grt«k art is its human character. t ' ■ . .■; • The third period is that known as the black-figured style, dating from about 600 to before 500 8.C., and with this period Greek vase painting proper begins. The figures are painted in black on the red day, the black being softened down by purple and white accessories, and in the later stage-by lines incised ~ through the black to indicate the inner markings of anatomy or of costume The flesh of women is usually given in white, and the eyes of a figure in profile are full face—those of men are round, those of women narrow and almond shaped.' The same features are visible in contemporary sculpture^ The general appearance of the figures on these black-figured vases is that of a silhouette. They are flat and there is not much attempt to indicate solidity. In this period' Athens had become the great centre for the production of artistic pottery, and it. held this position during the next period. Vase painting of. the best period, is essentially Attic ArtNext comes the red-figured style, from about 525 to 400. 8.C., coincident with the greatest period of Greek sculpture, though vase painting developed earlier than sculpture. The figures are drawn in outline in black on the red surface of the vase, while the body of the vase is covered by a black glaze. The figures are not painted, they are carefully thought but and drawn— something like pen and ink work—and are of an extraordinarily beautiful and harmonious, character. Nothing can surpass the delicacy of the work or its pureness and fineness of outline. The transition from black figure to red figure was extraordinarily rapid, for the earliest red figure fragments we have go back to about 525 8.C., and within ten years the black-figure style was practically abandoned. How the sudden changes of technique took place, how the idea suggested itself that, instead of painting silhouettes on the ground of, the clay, figures drawn in''outline should be left free to contrast with the black background, has not yet been explained. - .

"This period may be regarded as the culminating point of vase painting,'' said the lecturer, "for in it artistic craft had its greatest triumphs, and created the' greatest synthesis between ornamental types and delightful naturalism. The red-igure period, which lasted from: abont 525 to the end of the Peloponnesian War, i.e.,.400 8.C., falls into several divisions, known as: 1. The archaic or severe style. 2. The ripe-archaic period. 3. The strong,style, which is the finest period, when there appeared many distinguished potters and painters. 4. The free style, in which the older stjffness and restraint have entirely disappeared and vase painting began to copy the manner of painting proper and sculpture. This period is the beginning of the decline. 5. The fine style, which is dainty and manifests a softness verging on effeminacy and a lack of vigour. Athenian vase ptiating came to an

eod.vrHh the disaster of the Sicilian" expedition in 413, and the end of the Peloponnesian War. By her defeat' in that prolonged war, Athens fell from her proud position of the leading city in Greece and her spirit was humbled She lost command of the sea, and with the collapse of her trade she also lost, the monopoly of vase production. The result was that after 400 B.C. new centres for the production of vases appear, the most prominent being in Southern Italy, and vase painting finally came to an end in the Greek World about 200 8.C., it being superseded by Samian pottery, which was not glazed at all, but m which the red clay was decorated by designs in relief." The lecture was illustrated by a laree number of fine lantern elides. At its conclusion Professor Bankine Brown was accorded a very hearty vote of thanks for the interesting'series. ; >■