Attic Style Greek Art

Black figure pottery type of greek pottery that originated in corinth c.

Attic style greek art.

Ancient greek art stands out among that of other ancient cultures for its development of naturalistic but idealized depictions of the human body in which largely nude male figures were generally the focus of innovation. In black figure painting figures and ornamentation were drawn on the natural clay surface of a vase in glossy black pigment. Attic greek is the greek dialect of the ancient city state of athens of the ancient dialects it is the most similar to later greek and is the standard form of the language that is studied in ancient greek language courses attic greek is sometimes included in the ionic dialect together attic and ionic are the primary influences on modern greek. Proto attic pottery refers to vases produced in athens and the surrounding areas.

The first distinctive greek pottery style first appeared around 1000 bce or perhaps even earlier. Greek pottery the pottery of the ancient greeks important both for the intrinsic beauty of its forms and decoration and for the light it sheds on the development of greek pictorial art. Proto geometric pottery however differs from minoan and mycenaean in shape. Though modest collections of vases recovered from ancient tombs in italy were made in the 15th and 16th centuries these were regarded as etruscan it is possible that lorenzo de medici bought several attic vases directly.

This style is distinguished by the use of orange clay the presence of simple human forms and the first depictions of mythological scenes in vase painting. Reminiscent in technique of the earlier greek civilizations of minoan crete and the mycenaean mainland early greek pottery decoration employed simple shapes sparingly used. Other articles where proto attic style is discussed. Black figure pottery painting also known as the black figure style or black figure ceramic greek μελανόμορφα melanomorpha is one of the styles of painting on antique greek vases it was especially common between the 7th and 5th centuries bc although there are specimens dating as late as the 2nd century bc.

Interest in greek art lagged behind the revival of classical scholarship during the renaissance and revived in the academic circle round nicholas poussin in rome in the 1630s. The new style is called proto attic and includes for the first time scenes referring unambiguously to greece s heroic past. The exploits of heracles perseus and other heroes were painted often on large vases used as burial containers. This style quickly spread throughout greece and artists later developed uniquely greek images.

The rate of stylistic development between about 750 and 300 bc was remarkable by ancient standards and in surviving works is best seen in sculpture.