THE FRANCOIS VASE - educo



THE FRANCOIS VASE

Potter = painter /Ergotimos / Kleitias, Volute Krater, Florence, Height 66cms, Diameter of Mouth 57 cms

SIDE A

1) CALYDONIAN BOAR HUNT

In the centre of the frieze we see an enormous boar with white tusks who has already killed one of the hunters, Antaios (his name is inscribed as are all the other names on this and other friezes.), who is stretched out dead and disembowelled on the ground; similarly the hound Ormenos lies in the dust, his entrails showing through his slit belly. Another hound has jumped on the boars back and is belabouring him with his fangs. Facing the boar are four pairs of hunters as well as one archer wearing the cap. The huntsmen are led by Peleus and Meleager who jointly grasp a pike and meet the boar. They are followed by Melanion and Atalanta; her flesh is painted white and she wears a tucked up peplos or very short dress.

2) FUNERAL GAMES IN HONOUR OF PATROCLUS

On the extreme right we see Achilles who is giving the games, holding a sceptre and standing in front of a prize for victory, a tripod. Of the leading chariot team there are only parts of the heads of the horses and into the name of the competitor Odysseus. Diomede is visible holding the reins and a goad and wearing a long white sleeveless chiton. He is followed by two more teams under each of which a prize is shown, a tripod and a cauldron.

3) MAIN BODY FRIEZE - MARRIAGE OF PELEUS AND THETIS

This goes right round the vase including the space between the handles. This great wedding between mortal and immortal was one of the fateful events in Greek mythology. Out of that union sprang Achilles whilst as a result of a quarrel during the wedding feast arose the events leading to the Judgement of Paris, the abduction of Helen and the Trojan War.

From the left side of side A we see the tree muses moving forward over-lapping with hands open and held out in front of them. There is a team of four horses two of them with their fore mane knotted into a plume. The chariot drawn by horses carries Ares and Aphrodite -invisible & covered by the handle root. Then follows on the right the chariot with Zeus and Hera.

On the further side of their horses we see two more Muses one turned to the right and the other is frontal to the spectator. Then come the three Horai (Spring, Summer, Winter). Then comes Dionysus staggering under load of a golden amphora, his gift to Thetis on his shoulder. The next group to the right are three women- Demeter, Chariklo, the wife of the Centaur Chiron and nearest is Hestia. In front of the building in which Thetis awaits the procession we see Peleus receiving the first group of guests consisting of Iris and Chiron, the most civilised of centaurs who had taught amongst others Peleus himself and who was to bring up his son Achilles. He carries on his right shoulder a branch from which are suspended two hares and a deer. Between them we see an altar on top of which rests a kantharos. Above the alter

is an inscription reading downwards: Kleitias painted me. The house on the extreme right is seen frontally. 'The artist has turned the building round by 90 degrees towards the spectator so as to be able to show the entrance with its half opened double door which reveals Thetis seated inside holding the cloak which covers her head. She herself is in profile facing not the spectator but the oncoming procession of guests

4) THE DEATH OF TROILUS

In the centre of the frieze just where there is a large gap we see the right leg and remnants of the scabbard of Achilles who is running with long strides after a mounted youth with flowing hair, Troilus, son of Priam.

In front of this group the lower part of a woman is visible. She too runs away, she is the sister of Troilus and has dropped her hydria in her flight. She had gone with Troilus to the fountain, where Achilles was lying in ambush. Behind Achilles we see Athena and behind her Hermes who has turned his head to Thetis. Apollo is the huge figure, bearded and draped in a himation thrown over his shoulders. His left hand is forward in a gesture of concern and annoyance. Behind her is a smaller figure called Rhodia. She is a Trojan girl and companion of Polyxena, sister of Troilus. She has both arms raised in horror.

The other end of the frieze is taken up by the walls of Troy, shown as regular squared blocks surmounted by battlements Out of a double gate comes a rescue party headed by Hector and Polites, two brothers of Troilus. Priam is seen taking the sun. He holds a long sceptre, his left leg is drawn back whilst his left hand supports itself against the seat in an instinctive effort to rise. He is alarmed because the two figures have hastened forward with the news.

5) THE BATTLE OF THE PYGMIES AND CRANES.

The cranes peck and the pygmies use sticks with a curved end to collar and clubs to brain their adversaries.

SIDE B.

1) DANCE OF THE LIBERATED ATHENIAN YOUTHS.

On the left a ship with its stern pointing to land. On land there is a dance of seven maidens and seven youths. Theseus as fifteenth leads the dance playing the lyre. Facing Theseus on the extreme right is Ariadne, the daughter of Minos, she holds a wreath and the famous thread rolled up into a ball. She is accompanied by her nurse.

The subject refers to the annual dispatch of 14 youths from Athens to King Minos of Crete for sacrifice to the Minotaur. Theseus with the help of Ariadne liberated the Athenians by killing the Minotaur and rescuing the youths.

2) BATTLE OF THE LAPITHS AND CENTAURS. (Centauromachy)

On the left there is a centaur throwing a rock against Theseus.

3) MARRIAGE OF PELEUS & THETIS (cont)

From right to left. First chariot (although top half not visible) is thought to carry Apollo and either his sister Artemis or mother Leto.

Next chariot team is better preserved and holds Athena and another unnamed goddess, perhaps Artemis. Athena is dressed simply in black; she holds a rein and a goad. Turned towards her to give her welcome is a tall woman Doris, the mother of the bride and wife of Nereus, who is next to her and pointing forward to indicate the way. He has long white hair and is dressed in a white chiton. The next chariot team is driven by Hermes with his mother Maia. He is in a black chiton. There are four women walking along holding hands and each overlapping a little the one by her side.

Behind Hermes’s chariot follows the last team which is almost totally lost.

4) RETURN OF HEPHAESTOS

After the expulsion of Hephaistos from Olympus at the instigation of Hera his mother, who was disgusted at having given birth to a cripple, he avenged himself by sending her a splendid throne for a present. Once Hera sat down on this throne she was unable to rise again enmeshed by finely devised and invisible bonds which he had fitted to the throne. Finally Dionysus succeeded in getting Hephaestos to return by getting him drunk. The reward for Hephaestos freeing Hera was the hand of Aphrodite, whilst Dionysus was admitted to Olympus

In the centre slightly to the left we see Zeus with sceptre and thunder-bolt. He sits on a throne wearing a white chiton and himation. Behind him sits Hera with impatient gestures unable to move. Her feet rest on a foot stool. To the left stands Athena in a chiton and purple himation with folds indicated. She turns round to jeer at Ares seated on a low block. (He had tried to fetch Hephaestos but had been chased away by lumps of molten metal directed against him.) Behind Ares is Artemis coming forward with a gesture. Then follow two more figures, both male whose lower parts alone are preserved. The first one is generally taken to be Poseidon, dressed in the long white of the senior gods and holding a trident, the lower end of which is still visible. Behind him comes the last figure in the frieze, Hermes, booted as usual and dressed in a short chiton. The right half of the frieze deals with the procession approaching the seat of the gods. Dionysus is leading an ithyphallic mule ridden by Hephaestos whip in hand and dressed in a rich chiton and himation. His feet point in opposite directions to indicate that he is a cripple. In front of Dionysus and between him and Zeus we see Aphrodite her hands expressing dismay as she sees Dionysus and her future husband.

Hephaistos on his mule is followed by a band of nymphs and satyrs. The satyrs are ithyphallic and all have equine legs, tails and ears. The first one is bending under the load of a wine skin filled to the bursting. He is followed by another playing on a flute and wearing a mouthband. Then merging out of a break in the surface we see the remnants of a satyr with a nymph in his arms.

BATTLE OF THE PYGMIES AND CRANES

With this vase Kleitias has celebrated above all the tale of Achilles; for he or his father Peleus are the subjects of the main frieze and also of several of the others, ie. the pursuit of Troilus, the funeral games for Patroclos, and to a lesser extent the hunt of the Calydonian boar, where Peleus is one of the leading heroes. All these are placed on what can be claimed as the principle face of the vase. Finally Achilles' dead body is carried by Ajax on the handle pictures. It has also been argued that the painter wanted to give prominence to the deeds of Theseus. Certainly the dance of the Athenian youths and maidens shows him as hero but really does not figure predominantly in other friezes apart from a minor role in the centauromach

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