Black-Figured Panel Amphora at the Term Paper

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C.E. With this particular piece, the artist was less concerned with anatomical description than with the problems of foreshortening in the figures and of showing them from different viewpoints. The turning and twisting of the figures indicate that the artist was beginning to view them as three-dimensional volumes with free mobility in a space deeper than the flat, two-dimensional surface of a picture plane, a significant departure from the pre-Greek tradition.

Essentially, the representations on the black figure panel amphora were obviously inspired by the Homeric epic of the Iliad, a poem which relates the famous tale of the attack by the Greek army on the city of Troy. The character of Achilles is by far the most important, for he was considered the best of the Greeks and without equal, the mighty warrior and pre-eminent holder of the Greek principle of excellence in all things. As he engages in battle with Prince Memnon, the body of the injured and perhaps dying Antilochus lies prostrate on the ground between the two enemies. Both Achilles and Prince Memnon are carrying spears and shields and are wearing the typical Greek plumed helmet. The two female figures, described as mourning mothers, are certainly mere onlookers to what is occurring before them and stand quite helpless as Achilles and Price Memnon fight one another for supremacy on the battlefield. The central motif of the curvilinear snake appears to be the shield of the figure on the right and might represent a form of family heraldry.

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The lower portion of the amphora contains black, blade-shaped decorations that draw the eyes upward into the middle section of the amphora and then still higher toward the highly-fashioned lip. The overall balance of this piece is exquisite and one can easily notice that the figures are in rapid motion and rhythmically proportioned.

Thus, this superb example of Greek amphoric art allows us to trace the artistic continuity from the sub-Mycenaean period into the Classical 5th century B.C.E some fifty years or so before the black figure panel amphora was created by an unknown artist. But most importantly, this piece allows one to see the changes in the representation of the human figure that was the result of carefully accumulated knowledge. As mentioned on the Dallas Museum of Art website, this amphora contains a "sense of tragic dignity" which means that the scenes depicted on this amphora, much like those on earlier and contemporary pieces, was meant to be a showcase for the skills and bravery of the Greek soldier as he defended himself and his country on the battlefield. For the Greeks, tragedy was an everyday part of life and frequently inspired them to display the heroic and sometimes tragic events of their national figures. The Greek artist was especially influenced as shown by the scenes on this spectacular amphora, a remnant of times long past yet strangely modern......

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