Geometric Krater

Geometric Krater

The Geometric Krater is a magnificent piece of Greek Art. In the eight century, vase painting became very popular. The vases show a great show a great variety of style and development over the centuries, beginning with the geometric and very linear style. They then continued through the oriental style which borrowed images from the eastern world, and into the classical era with mythology portrayed with as much classical accuracy as the ancient Greek potters and painters could muster. The majority of the vases were made of a ceramic material which could easily be used for everyday uses, however in this time, the artists would then paint on them in order to decorate them and make them ornate enough to be used for cultural or ceremonial uses such as grave markers. The Geometric Krater is a prime example of the vase painting movement in Greek art.

Originally made in approximately 740 B.C in Athens, Greece, the Geometric Krater was used as a grave marker in the Dipylon cemetery and now can be located in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. The vase stands about three and a half feet high and is in the Ð''krater' shape. This shape is classified as having round body, a wide mouth, a heavy stand and a handle on either side, (Pottier). This specific vase was made to serve a purpose besides to decorate the grave site. It was made with holes "cut out of its bottom in order for liquid offerings to be poured to the dead," (Vlamis).

The vase itself is golden, embellished with black and red geometric designs. These geometric designs are made up of intense details and intricate designs. The base of the vase is covered in thick black stripes separated by thinner and more decorative golden stripes. On the top half of the vase is where the designs become very intricate and are actually depictions of things. There are two main bands in which scenes are drawn out. Upon looking closely, one will see that the a funeral scene is represented. "The scenes depict the mourning for a man laid out on his bier and the grand chariot procession in his honor. In the upper band, the shroud, raised to reveal the corpse is an abstract checkerboard-like backdrop, and the funerary couch has only two legs because the artist had no interest in suggesting the depth or representing space," ( Kleiner 94). This is a typical aspect of geometric design. The people, animals, and objects are all two dimensional. The figures are actually made up of very simplified shapes, not meant to be realistic looking. Upon examining one of the people depicted on the vase one may see that the bodies are comprised of only basic shapes. The torso is made of a triangle, while the head is a combination of circles. Even the arms are slender rectangles with triangular hands. The painters were not focused on the realistic aspects, but rather the symbolic representation. In their defense, it is clear to the viewers that the figures are people without the painters having to spend an enormous amount of time on them.

Upon researching the geometric style of Greek vase painting, I realized exactly how unique the style is compared to all other types of vases, even other vases made by the Greeks themselves. After the geometric style