Download RED FIGURE c.500

RED FIGURE c.500-300 BC
The second quarter of the 5th century BC saw a rise in the wealth of the Athenian
empire, influenced by frequent overseas expeditions returning to Athens with
luxury items to be sold at inflated prices. The expansion of the empire attracted
various skilled workers to Attica, including several influential painters.
The previous style of pottery, Black Figure, limited the painter due to the stiffness
and harshness of the interior lines. The Attic painter, Andokides, revolutionized black
figure pottery by highlighting the figures in the sun-burnt orange colour against a
black background. The result was Red Figure pottery – a simplistic style sharply
articulating landscapes, buildings and the natural world. The red figure technique
allowed the development of the softer lines, adding a new perception of space and
depth. The paintings on the pottery were as glorious as Athens in the Classic Age, and
just like Athens. Red figure pottery degenerated over the course of the two hundred
years into careless and disfigured paintings.