Sicilian vase painting was a regional style of
South Italian
, altname =
, states = Italy
, region = Abruzzo, Apulia, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Lazio, Marche, Molise
, ethnicity = ''Mezzogiorno'' Ethnic Italians
, speakers = 5.7 million
, date ...
red-figure
Red-figure vase painting is one of the most important styles of figural Greek vase painting.
It developed in Athens around 520 BCE and remained in use until the late 3rd century BCE. It replaced the previously dominant style of black-figure vas ...
vase painting. It was one of five
South Italian
, altname =
, states = Italy
, region = Abruzzo, Apulia, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Lazio, Marche, Molise
, ethnicity = ''Mezzogiorno'' Ethnic Italians
, speakers = 5.7 million
, date ...
regional styles. The vase painting of
Sicily
(man) it, Siciliana (woman)
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title =
, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 = Ethnicity
, demographics1_footnotes =
, demographi ...
was especially closely connected with the
Lucanian and
Paestan styles.
Overview
The beginnings of Sicilian vase painting remain mysterious. Production began before the end of the 5th century BC in the cities of
Himera
Himera (Greek language, Greek: ), was a large and important ancient Greece, ancient Greek city, situated on the north coast of Sicily at the mouth of the river of the same name (the modern Imera Settentrionale), between Panormus (modern Palermo) ...
and
Syracusae
Syracuse ( ; it, Siracusa ; scn, Sarausa ), ; grc-att, Συράκουσαι, Syrákousai, ; grc-dor, Συράκοσαι, Syrā́kosai, ; grc-x-medieval, Συρακοῦσαι, Syrakoûsai, ; el, label=Modern Greek, Συρακούσε ...
. In terms of style, themes, ornamentation and vase shapes, the workshops closely followed
Attic
An attic (sometimes referred to as a '' loft'') is a space found directly below the pitched roof of a house or other building; an attic may also be called a ''sky parlor'' or a garret. Because attics fill the space between the ceiling of the ...
examples. The influence of the Attic Late Classical
Medias Painter is especially striking. It is possible that the first potters and painters were Athenian prisoners of war (see
Sicilian Expedition
The Sicilian Expedition was an Athenian military expedition to Sicily, which took place from 415–413 BC during the Peloponnesian War between Athens on one side and Sparta, Syracuse and Corinth on the other. The expedition ended in a devast ...
). The
Chessboard Painter, one of the first Sicilian vase painters, had apparently been trained by the Attic
Pothos Painter. His pupil, the
Dirke Painter, established the typical Sicilian technique. In the second quarter of the 4th century BC, potters who had emigrated from Sicily to
Capua
Capua ( , ) is a city and ''comune'' in the province of Caserta, in the region of Campania, southern Italy, situated north of Naples, on the northeastern edge of the Campanian plain.
History
Ancient era
The name of Capua comes from the Etrusc ...
and
Cumae
Cumae ( grc, Κύμη, (Kumē) or or ; it, Cuma) was the first ancient Greek colony on the mainland of Italy, founded by settlers from Euboea in the 8th century BC and soon becoming one of the strongest colonies. It later became a rich Ro ...
in
Campania
Campania (, also , , , ) is an administrative Regions of Italy, region of Italy; most of it is in the south-western portion of the Italian peninsula (with the Tyrrhenian Sea to its west), but it also includes the small Phlegraean Islands and the i ...
and to
Paestum
Paestum ( , , ) was a major ancient Greek city on the coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea in Magna Graecia (southern Italy). The ruins of Paestum are famous for their three ancient Greek temples in the Doric order, dating from about 550 to 450 BC, whic ...
founded production centres there. Only Syracusae retained a limited vase production then.
[Hurschmann: ''Sizilische Vasen'', in: DNP 11 (2001), Col. 606]
The typical Sicilian vase painting only came into existence around 340 BC. Three groups of workshops can be distinguished. The first, known as the
Lentini-Manfria Group was active in Syracuase and
Gela
Gela (Sicilian and ; grc, Γέλα) is a city and (municipality) in the Autonomous Region of Sicily, Italy; in terms of area and population, it is the largest municipality on the southern coast of Sicily. Gela is part of the Province of Cal ...
, a second group (
Centuripe Ware) was based near
Mount Aetna, a third on
Lipari
Lipari (; scn, Lìpari) is the largest of the Aeolian Islands in the Tyrrhenian Sea off the northern coast of Sicily, southern Italy; it is also the name of the island's main town and ''comune'', which is administratively part of the Metropolit ...
. The clay of the vases is pale pink, the black paint is off matt tone and has a tendency to flake off easily. Particularly typical of Sicilian vase painting is the use of additional colours, notably of white paint. Especially in the initial phase, large vessels such as
chalice kraters,
volute kraters and ''
hydria
The hydria ( el, ὑδρία; plural hydriai) is a form of Greek pottery from between the late Geometric period (7th century BC) and the Hellenistic period (3rd century BC). The etymology of the word hydria was first noted when it was stamped o ...
i'' were painted, but small vessels such as bottles, ''
lekanes'', ''
lekythoi
A lekythos (plural lekythoi) is a type of ancient Greek vessel used for storing oil (Greek λήκυθος), especially olive oil. It has a narrow body and one handle attached to the neck of the vessel, and is thus a narrow type of jug, with no po ...
'' and
skyphoid ''
pyxides'' are also typical. Popular themes included scenes from female life,
erotes
In Ancient Greek religion and mythology, the Erotes () are a collective of winged gods associated with love and sexual intercourse. They are part of Aphrodite's retinue. ''Erotes'' (Greek ) is the plural of ''Eros'' ("Love, Desire"), who as a sin ...
, women's heads and
phlyax scenes. Mythological motifs are rare. Like in other areas, vase painting in Sicily ceased around 300 BC.
Sicilian vase painting was only recognised relatively late. By now, about 1,000 vases are known.
References
Bibliography
*
Thomas Mannack
Thomas Mannack (born in 1958) is a German classical archaeologist.
Mannack obtained his Doctorate in 1992 with at the University of Kiel. The thema of his dissertation was ''Beazleys spätere und späteste Manieristen''. He is a specialist in t ...
: ''Griechische Vasenmalerei. Eine Einführung''. Theiss, Stuttgart 2002, p. 164f. .
* Matthias Steinhart: ''Sizilische Vasen''. In: ''
Der Neue Pauly
Der or DER may refer to:
Places
* Darkənd, Azerbaijan
* Dearborn (Amtrak station) (station code), in Michigan, US
* Der (Sumer), an ancient city located in modern-day Iraq
* d'Entrecasteaux Ridge, an oceanic ridge in the south-west Pacific Ocean ...
''. vol 11, 2001, cols. 606-607.
* Arthur Dale Trendall: ''Rotfigurige Vasen aus Unteritalien und Sizilien. Ein Handbuch.'' von Zabern, Mainz 1991 (Kulturgeschichte der Antiken Welt Vol. 47), (esp. p. 36-38, 265-289)
External links
{{Greek vase painting
Ancient Greek vase-painting styles