Terracotta neck-amphora (jar) with lid and knob (27.16)

Exekias

ca. 540 BCE · Terracotta · Greek and Roman Art

On the body, obverse and reverse, man and woman in chariot accompanied by woman and kithara player On the shoulder, combat of foot soldiers and horsemen Black-figure was a cumbersome, restricted, and quite artificial technique. The vases in this room testify to the variety of effect and the forcefulness of expression that is nonetheless permitted. Probably the greatest single black-figure artist was Exekias, who was both potter and painter. Although the essential ingredients of this work are traditional, its particular character is evident in the robust shape, the extraordinary precision and vitality in the figures and ornament, and the perfect relation of the decorative elements to the body beneath.

Artist

Exekias

Date

ca. 540 BCE

Medium

Terracotta

Culture

Greek, Attic

Department

Greek and Roman Art

Credit line

Rogers Fund, 1917