Terracotta amphora depicting a singer (Berlin Painter)

            This work is a masterpiece of Greek vase-painting because it brings together many features of Athenian culture in an artistic expression of the highest quality. The shape itself is central to the effect. Through the symmetry, scale, and luminously glossy glaze on the obverse, it offers a carefully composed three-dimensional surface that endows the subject with volume. The identity of the singer is given by his instrument, the kithara, which was a type of lyre used in public performances, including recitations of epic poetry. The figure on the reverse is identified by his garb and wand. While the situation is probably a competition, the subject is the music itself. It transports the performer, determines his pose, and causes the cloth below the instrument to sway gently.

Obverse: judge.

Red figure terracotta, Greek, Attic, ca. 490 BCE. Attributed to the Berlin Painter.

Met Museum, New York (56.171.38)

Some rights reserved

Taken on: December 27, 2024

Tags:

ancient

archaeology

terracotta

red-figure

vase

Greek

Berlin Painter

kithara

singer

kitharist

Athenian

Attic

poetry

performance

competition

music

performer

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