XII. CLASSICAL PERIOD--PAINTING

1. Historical sketch (Pls. IV, IX)
   1. Early Classical Period (480-450)
      1. begins with the final defeat and expulsion of the Persians in 480 (Salamis) and 479 (Platea)
      2. Athens became dominant political power in Early Classical period--great sea and trading power
   2. High Classical Period (450--420/400)
      1. begins with 3 important events
         1. 454/3 treasury of the Delian League transferred from Delos to Athens
         2. 449 "Peace of Kallias"--Athens makes peace with Persia
         3. 446/5--peace with the Peloponnesians headed by Sparta
      2. Athens undertakes great building program under leadership of Perikles (Pheidias directs artistic projects)
      3. 431--outbreak of the Peloponnesian War
      4. 421--"Peace of Nikias"--lasts only until 419 when war resumes
      5. 404--Athens finally defeated by Sparta
      6. some of the greatest works of art and architecture produced in this period
   3. Late Classical Period (420/400-323)
      1. first half of 4th century--continued power struggle of leading city-states which formed confederations or leagues
      2. Philip of Macedon (359-336) and Alexander the Great (336-323) subjugate various city-states
      3. works of art in this period reflect scepticism and cynicism of the times; old traditional views of man and his gods challenged; shift from "man" as a reflection and instrument of the gods and the state to "man" as an individual

2. Paestum sarcophagus paintings (c. 480) [Paestum Museum, Italy]--diving scene and banqueting scene (some participants play kottabos, the object of which was to fling a small quantity of wine at a target with a flip of the wrist)

3. Developments in painting at end of Early Classical Period
   1. the disposition of figures at different levels to suggest spatial depth
   2. the further development of perspective
   3. emphasis on the nobility of individual figures

4. Early Classical vase painters
   1. Pan Painter--bell krater (c. 470) [Museum of Fine Arts, Boston]
      1. goat-headed Pan chasing a shepherd boy
      2. death of mythical hunter Aktaion
      3. cf. composition (Theseus and Sinis) in tondo of a kylix by the Elpinikos Painter, c. 500 B.C.
   2. Penthesilea Painter--kylix (c. 460) with tondo scene inside bowl representing the encounter of Achilles and the Amazon queen Penthesilea [Antikensammlungen, Munich]
   3. Niobid Painter--calyx krater (c. 460-450) [Louvre, Paris]
      1. Apollo and Artemis slaying the Niobids, the children of Niobe
      2. uncertain scene in which Athena and Herakles appear

5. High Classical vase painting
   1. Achilles Painter the most important vase painter of the High Classical Period
   2. amphora by the Achilles Painter (c. 450) [Vatican Museum]
      1. single figure of Achilles on one side
      2. ethos (=an individual's character)
   3. white groundlekythos (=oil flask) by Achilles Painter (c. 440) [Antikensammlungen, Munich, formerly in private collection, Lugano, Switzerland] (see Pl. II)
      1. painting on white ground vessels from Archaic Period through the 5th century B.C., for the most part
      2. Muse on Mt. Helikon

6. Late Classical vase painting
   1. Pronomos Painter--volute krater (c. 410-400) [Naples Museum]
      1. Theban flute player Pronomos
      2. chorus of a satyr play, several actors, and the god Dionysos with his bride Ariadne
      3. actors as Herakles and Papposilenos (=father of satyrs and teacher of Dionysos)
   2. Italiote ware
      1. produced in new ceramic centers of S. Italy and Sicily from late 5th century
      2. most important centers of Italiote ware--Campania, Apulia, Lucania, Sicily (see Pl. XI)
      3. "ornate" or "florid" style©©elaborate decorative details and many figures at different levels
      4. Apulian krater representing Herakles and lion (c. 380) [Jatta Collection, Ruvo, Italy]
      5. "mannerism"=artistic style characterized by elongated bodies, affected poses and gestures, and excessively delicate flow of drapery
      6. volute krater by Lykurgos Painter (c. 360©350) [Naples Museum]©©mixed perspectives
      7. volute kraterfrom Apulia (c. 330) [Antikensammlungen, Munich]
         1. c. 5 feet high
         2. scenes in the underworld, with Hades and Persephone

7. Lost easel and wall paintings
   1. Greco-Roman "copy" of lost 4th century original of the Greek myth of Andromeda rescued from a sea-monster by the hero Perseus
   2. Nikias of Athens--famous 4th century artist credited by Pliny the Elder with having painted the myth of Andromeda