11.1 The decline of Athenian vase production and rise of regional styles

Athenian vase production declined in the late Classical period due to competition, changing tastes, and economic instability. The Kerch style emerged as a luxurious late development, featuring elaborate designs and mythological scenes.

South Italian vase painting flourished, developing distinct regional styles like Apulian, Lucanian, Campanian, and Paestan. These styles reflected local traditions and preferences, often incorporating native Italic subjects alongside Greek themes.

Decline of Attic Vase Painting

Attic Red-Figure Decline and Kerch Style Emergence

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  Attic Red-Figure Pelike, Kerch Style (Getty Museum) View original

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  Attic Red-Figure Pelike, Kerch Style (Getty Museum) View original

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  Attic Red-Figure Pelike, Kerch Style (Getty Museum) View original

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  Attic Red-Figure Pelike, Kerch Style (Getty Museum) View original

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  Attic Red-Figure Pelike, Kerch Style (Getty Museum) View original

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  Attic Red-Figure Pelike, Kerch Style (Getty Museum) View original

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  Attic Red-Figure Pelike, Kerch Style (Getty Museum) View original

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  Attic Red-Figure Pelike, Kerch Style (Getty Museum) View original

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• Attic red-figure vase painting declined in quality and popularity during the late Classical period (400-320 BCE)
• Decline attributed to several factors:
  • Increased competition from other regional styles (South Italian, Gnathian)
  • Changing tastes and preferences of consumers
  • Economic and political instability in Athens during the late 5th and 4th centuries BCE
• Kerch style emerged as a late development of Attic red-figure painting in the 4th century BCE
  • Named after the city of Kerch in Crimea where many examples were found
  • Characterized by more elaborate and ornate designs compared to earlier Attic red-figure
  • Featured intricate floral and vegetal motifs, as well as mythological scenes and figures (Dionysus, Eros)
  • Considered a more luxurious and decorative style catering to the tastes of wealthy clients

South Italian Vase Painting Styles

Overview and Regional Variations

• South Italian vase painting developed as a distinct tradition from Attic vase painting in the late 5th and 4th centuries BCE
• Emerged in the Greek colonies of southern Italy (Magna Graecia)
• Influenced by Attic red-figure but developed unique regional styles and characteristics
• Main regional styles include Apulian, Lucanian, Campanian, and Paestan
  • Each style has distinct iconography, shapes, and decorative elements reflecting local tastes and traditions

Apulian and Lucanian Styles

• Apulian vase painting originated in the region of Apulia (modern Puglia) in southeastern Italy
  • Largest and most prolific of the South Italian styles
  • Known for large, elaborate vases with complex mythological scenes and funerary imagery (naiskos, or tomb, scenes)
  • Use of added color (white, yellow, red) and gilding for decoration
• Lucanian vase painting developed in the region of Lucania (modern Basilicata) in southern Italy
  • Closely related to Apulian but with some distinct features
  • Preference for smaller vase shapes and simpler, more naturalistic compositions
  • Frequent depiction of native Italic subjects and customs alongside Greek mythological themes

Campanian and Paestan Styles

• Campanian vase painting originated in the region of Campania in southwestern Italy
  • Influenced by both Attic and Etruscan traditions
  • Known for distinctive "Owl-Pillar" group of vases featuring owls perched on pillars
  • Use of polychrome decoration and plastic elements (molded figures attached to vases)
• Paestan vase painting developed in the city of Paestum (Greek Poseidonia) in Campania
  • Smallest and shortest-lived of the South Italian styles
  • Characterized by distinctive tall, slim vase shapes (lekythoi, hydriai)
  • Specialization in funerary scenes and imagery related to the cult of Dionysus and women's rituals

Other Regional Styles

Gnathia Ware

• Gnathia ware is a type of ceramic style that originated in the Greek colony of Gnathia (modern Egnazia) in Apulia
• Developed in the mid-4th century BCE and spread throughout southern Italy and beyond
• Characterized by distinctive decoration technique using added colors (white, yellow, red, brown) on a black glaze background
• Decorative motifs include floral and vegetal patterns, theater masks, and figures from Greek mythology (Eros, Nike)
• Represents a more standardized and mass-produced style compared to earlier red-figure painting
• Found in various shapes including pelikai, skyphoi, and oinochoai used for drinking and serving wine
• Gnathia ware exemplifies the increasing Hellenization and cultural integration of southern Italy in the late Classical period