Lydos%20Vase

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Lydos Vase
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Figure

• It is a black-figure vase

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What is it

• Its an ancient Athenian vase. (560-550b.c.)
• Its 56.5cm tall each cm is 10 million USD
• Which means, we cant afford it as Mr Sheehans
  retirement present.

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The Shape

• The name of the shape is Column Krater.

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The Potter/ Painter

• The name of the Potter was in fact Lydos.
  Hence, the name of the vase.
• (p.s. this is not actually Mr. Lydos)

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The Characters

• Dionysus(?????s??) god of theatre and wine as
  well as the inspirer of ritual madness and
  ecstasy.
• Hephaestus(?fa?st??)- He was the god of
  technology, blacksmiths, craftsmen, artisans,
  sculptors, metals, metallurgy, fire and
  volcanoes. He served as the blacksmith of the
  gods, and he was worshipped in the manufacturing
  and industrial centers of Greece, particularly in
  Athens.

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Characters

• Maenads- In Greek mythology, maenads were the
  female followers of Dionysus. Their name
  literally translates as "raving ones". Often the
  maenads were portrayed as inspired by him into a
  state of ecstatic frenzy, through a combination
  of dancing and drunken intoxication. In this
  state, they would lose all self-control, begin
  shouting excitedly, engage in uncontrolled sexual
  behavior, and ritualistically hunt down and tear
  animals (and sometimes men and children) to
  pieces, devouring the raw flesh.
• Satyrs- In Greek mythology, satyrs (Ancient
  Greek S?t????, Satyroi) are a troop of male
  companion Dionysus In mythology they are often
  associated with sex drive and vase-painters often
  portrayed them with perpetual erections.
• 
  
• 
  A Satyr
• A maenad

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The story on the vase

• Return of Hephaistos to Olympus accompanied by
  Dionysus, Satyrs and Maenads. Dionysus and
  Hephaistos were placed on opposite sides of the
  crater where they appear to have been separated
  amid the riotous revelry of the party
• Hephaistos as the lame good is depicted riding a
  mule and carrying a wine flask, while Dionysus
  stands serenely clasping a vine, a piece of ivy
  and a wine horn- his godly attributes. Both gods
  stand aloof from the festivities and it is
  obvious that the focus of the artists decoration
  is the drunken behaviour of the satyrs and the
  maenads.
• The procession is led by a satyr playing the
  double pipes (aulus) and hes followed by scenes
  of tail pulling, snake handling and wine
  guzzling.

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Innovations

• The scene is two-dimensional, but the painter has
  deliberately has varied the main profile poses of
  the figures by putting in three figures with
  either full-frontal or partly frontal features.
• The satyr is depicted wearing a tragic mask.
• The creature glaring out at the viewer from
  behind Hephaestus mule with his hands raised,
  has been painted with a frontal head and torso
  but with profile legs.

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Innovations

• Lydos gave the Satyrs human faces. This is a
  feature that makes the viewer relate to the
  characters rather than concentrating on their
  beast- like features.
• Lydos attempted to show depth by overlapping the
  figures.
• An extensive use of added colour including purple
  to detail clothing and white for the skin of the
  maenads. Unfortunately, most of this white
  over-paint has disappeared and with it the
  features of the maenads which were painted over
  the top.

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Innovations

• The artist also attempted to give greater
  attention to the drapery of the characters by
  drawing lines to simulate the folds of cloth and
  also by incising the edge of the fabric so that
  it appeared to hang at an angle.
• It is obvious from the way he has painted the
  column krater that Lydos has tried to bring the
  figures from the myth alive by using a variety of
  poses and making the characters appear as wild
  and mischievous creatures.

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Appreciations.

• As you may have noticed, the colour of our power
  point is red and green. this symbolises red wine
  and olives- both things that are from the ancient
  Greeks.