 Written Deconstructive Analysis
Students will engage in writing a two deconstructive analysis paper throughout the semester.
The examples will include historical and contemporary visual works that I will assign to students from our text.
In addition to the five exams given throughout this course (the lowest grade of one exam will be dropped), the average of both papers may assist you in replacing a second lowest exam score in your overall grade for the course.
Methods
Found visual examples will include historical visual works from the areas we have studied.
Always provide bibliographical source material, noting
ARTIST/DESIGNER TITLE/PRODUCT YEAR DIMENSIONS MEDIA and URL link source, other pertinent bibliographic information. Embed the visual image into your written paper, or at the beginning or end of your paper.
Make a number of notes that thoroughly describe how the fundamental elements and principles of the design application are working in the image/object.
Each element should be expressed in the narrative form, at a minimum, one paragraph each.
Elements and Principles of design
to be described
line
plane
shape
space
volume and mass
color and hue, saturation, intensity, the temperature of the color
pattern + texture
scale and proportion
direction and movement
composition and organization
focal point and emphasis
unity and balance
contrast
visual weight
At a minimum, you need to explore 4 elements/principles of design.
In narrative form discuss each thoroughly.
At completion, your analysis should be a minimum of 800 words. |
GO to the page on Student Writing Examples to see previous students' take on the subject matter. These will be very helpful to you.
1. 80% of overall grade goes towards content and description of how the formal elements (above) are operating in the ceramic krater amphora. Remember its narrative image moves right around the krater with a variety of different images to communicate the story being represented.
Your essay should be well developed, thoughtful and analytical in nature.
Your essay should bring in excellent descriptive support of how the elements are operating in this particular work of art.
(Each element will receive approximately 20%)
- Who made this work? Why did they make this work?
- Explain something about the materials, application and the tools that produced this work
- What is the narrative of the particular story shown on the krater?
- Explain how balance, rhythm, pattern, line, space and color are operating in this particular work.
Krater with the Death of Sarpedon
Euphronios (painter) and Euxitheos (potter)
c. 515 BCE
Red-figure decoration on a calyx krater
Ceramic, 18" high
Collection: Etruscan Museum, Villa Giulia, Rome
2. 10% of overall grade
Use the Krater with the Death of Sarpedon and compare it formalistically; making use of the formal elements and principles of design to a Coca-cola bottle
Include an image of a Coco-Cola bottle you are making you are making your comparison with.
3. 10% of overall grade towards the essay's mechanics of writing.
The essay's structure is well organized, transitions are smooth, grammar is excellent, and includes the addition of an image with proper labeling.
The essay is coherent and illustrates excellent technical control of the author.
DUE: NOV 8th.
ANALYTICAL COMPARATIVE RUBRIC:
Student Research Paper Samples:
FA.111-1
11/8/18
The figure shown above is a krater depicting the Death of Sarpedon. It is a calyx krater that has been decorated in the red-figure form. This krater is made from ceramic and stands at 18 inches tall. The krater itself was made by Euxitheos and was painted by a different artist with the name of Euphronios. This krater was created in c. 515 BCE and its main purpose was as a “punch bowl during a symposium, a social gathering of rich and powerful men.” (Stokstad, p.108) The media used to produce this piece is clay and slip. The terracotta clay was used to produce the krater. The slip that is used to paint the krater is a glaze that is painted on to the krater. Slip is “…a mixture of clay and water…” (Stokstad, p.108) There were two types of techniques that were used to paint kraters. These techniques were known as black-figure and red-figure. “…red-figure technique-so called because red figures stand out against a black background. Painters first covered the pot with slip but left or ‘reserved’ the shapes of the figures unpainted to reveal the underlying clay body. Instead of engraving details within a silhouetted area covered by slip, painters drew on the reserved areas with a fine brush dipped in liquid slip.” (Stokstad, p.108) The piece is then fired in a kiln and heated to make the clay hard and make the glaze hard and have its final color. “…the result was a lustrous dark vessel with red-colored figures articulated with black painted details.” (Stokstad, p.109) These techniques allowed for more detail and more developed krater forms.
The person that is depicted on the krater is Sarpedon, who was a figure from the Greek myth of the Iliad. He was the “… son of Zeus and a mortal woman was killed by the Greek warrior Patroclus while fighting for the Trojans.” (Stokstad, p.109) The scene that is being depicted on the krater is not that of the battle but that of Sarpedon “…being carried off to the underworld, the land of the dead.” (Stokstad, p.109) Depictions of these types of scenes were common because they were very important to the culture. This krater would have been used for special events as stated above and would have been valued by the ancient Greeks. This krater would have been an item of wealth.
The lines in this piece convey a variety of things and employ a variety of techniques. The most important use of line in this piece is how it is employed as an anchor line around the circumference of the piece. There is also a line on the top of the piece that frames in the depiction of this story. Outside of these lines, there are a variety of biomorphic figures all in decorative leaf-like shapes that run as borders around this frame and the circumference of the piece. The ones on the bottom of the piece ends when they reach the handles of the piece. The blood is depicted by diagonal lines flowing out of Sarpedon’s side. They are all pointed in the same direction, conveying visual speed and flowing of blood. Lastly, line is employed through the technique of foreshortening. “Euphronios makes it appear as if Sarpedon’s left leg is projecting into the viewer’s space through the technique of foreshortening.” (Stokstad, p.109)
Pattern and texture are employed in this piece in both the borders and in the wings of the soldiers that are carrying Sarpedon. The use of pattern can be seen on the top border where the same biomorphic shape repeats throughout the top border of the piece. This use of pattern is also shown at the base of the piece. There are many concentric ovals that are connected with each other through the touching of their edges. They span the circumference of the base of the piece. Near the part of the piece where the handle resides, we can also see the usage of pattern where there are more biomorphic plant shapes that repeat, helping frame in the main image of the piece. Texture is implied throughout by the painting of many small dots in the wings of the soldiers, producing an optical “gray” color. They are representative of the feathers that would be there and how they would not be flat but would vary in elevation and closeness to the wing, creating three-dimensional texture whose representation is shown here.
There is also a sense of balance and unity throughout this piece. Balance can be seen in the top pattern of biomorphic shapes which goes around the circumference of the top of the piece and creates a radial symmetry around the whole piece. This radial symmetry can also be seen in the pattern in the base of the krater which runs the circumference of the base. Unity can be seen through the variety of the characters’ positions that are shown in the main depiction. They are all in a variety of poses, but they also work in harmony. Sarpedon’s pose is frontal and horizontal, emphasizing him as the focal point. The two gods are bent over. Hermes is upright and in profile. They all are monochromatic and work together with the border. The narrative follows this circular curvature of the krater with the border, which is also monochromatic.
The last element of design that I will discuss is color and how it is used in this piece. Color is not used to create the figures in this piece but is instead used to create space. The color that is used in this piece is black. This black slip is painted on to the krater where negative space would be present. This makes the negative space that is left behind appear to be positive space in the form of the figures and the colored space appear to be negative space. This contrast of the dark value of the black slip and the more vibrant hue of the red terracotta make the figures jump out at the viewer and immediately draws attention to the main focus of the piece.
The Coca-Cola bottle can be compared to the krater in a variety of ways. The Coca-Cola shown here is a glass bottle that is produced by the Coca-Cola company. They are usually around 12oz in size and started being used by the Coca-Cola company c. 1977 CE. (Coca Cola, 2017). The Coca-Cola bottle mirrors the krater in its fundamental purposes. They are both designed to hold a liquid which is designed to bring people pleasure.
The first similar element of these pieces is their use of line. They both have a bottom line and a top line framing in what is important about the piece. The Coca-Cola bottle also employs diagonal lines to show movement in its logo. This is in the form of the flowing wave that is shown, the sweeping of the line along with its diagonal tendency show movement around the bottle. Line in this piece is also used to accentuate the curve of the contour bottle, making it look more appealing to the eye. This also makes the bottle appear to contain more liquid, which is a feature that the krater lacks. The krater does still have the curve, but it’s not accentuated by vertical lines.
The second way that these pieces are similar is through their use of texture and pattern. While they did employ the same elements, they used them in different ways. The pattern on the Coca-Cola bottle can be seen through the spacing between and placement of the lines on the Coca-Cola bottle. However, it is very different from the pattern that was viewed on the krater. The lines on the Coca-Cola bottle do create a physical texture that is pleasing to the touch and creates a very ergonomic feel. This also provides for better grip on the bottle. This is also different from the texture that was viewed on the krater, which was implied rather than physical.
This piece also has balance and unity to it. The way the Coca-Cola bottle is balanced is through radial symmetry much like the krater. This symmetry is employed through the actual vertical, fluted lines that are placed evenly throughout the whole piece. Also, the shape is symmetrical upon a vertical bias with a uniform shape. The bottle also has harmony because the vertical lines bring the label together with the bottle and incorporate it into the radial symmetry that the bottle possesses, even though the label itself does not possess symmetrical properties. Also, the lines that frame in the recessed label aid in the harmonious feel of the whole piece.
Color is also used in the Coca-Cola bottle but is employed in a different way compared to how it was employed in the krater. The label is red and has a deep hue that draws the viewer’s attention to it. The vessel itself is transparent because it’s made of cast glass. The color of the liquid, however, provides a dark tint of brown that contrasts with the red. This creates even more of a focus on the bright red label. This use of negative space is similar to the use of negative space in the krater by allowing the absence of color to create detail. The difference is that the main subject of the bottle is a color that was created by an additive process and not a subtractive process. While both of these works are very similar in their practical uses and in some of their details, they differ heavily in their levels of craftsmanship and their use of color.
Works Cited
"Contour Bottle History." Contour Bottle History | Coca-Cola GB. Coca Cola Company, 2017. Web. 08 Nov. 2018.
Pepper, Jen. "FA2018.FA111.Caz.blogspot.com." Writing Project: A Deconstructive Analysis Paper on an Ancient Greek Krater. N.p., 26 Sept. 2018. Web. 08 Nov. 2018.
Stokstad, Marilyn, and Michael Watt Cothren. Art: A Brief History. Sixth ed. Boston: Pearson, 2016. Print.
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Krater with the Death of Sarpedon Deconstructive Analysis and a Contemporary Coca-Cola bottle
In the beginning of Ancient Greek civilization, some of their art took heavy inspiration from the Ancient Egyptians. From earlier vessels, we can see that the paintings on them were very geometric and simple similarly to the Egyptians. As time progresses so did the Ancient Greeks artistic conventions. Complexity in figures and patterns with decorative embellishments began happening and their art began turning into something of their own. Early Greeks kept some of the ideas that the Egyptians had but made it something new. They had the implication of an anchor line and kept the concept of telling a story on the vessel. The krater with the Death of Sarpedon was created around 515 BCE and is a good example of their own evolving style. Euxitheos and Euphronios collaborated on this piece. The vessel is made out of red clay while the painting is from a black slip.
The krater was created by two individuals. We know this since artists are now beginning to sign their work, something that wasn’t done by the Greeks before this period. We can see that there were a potter and a painter that worked on this vessel. The potter’s name was Euxitheos and the painter was Euphronios. They created this to be a krater, a vessel to hold celebratory libations for special occasions like a symposium, which is when rich and powerful men have social gatherings.
These kraters are ceramic vessels that are created out of red clay. They usually have a black and red color palette. It is very monochromatic which produces a high contrast in the color and value. The slip that they used is the black and the red is the color of the clay. These colors are not like this until the vessel has been fired. The type of ceramic painted forms depends on how you apply the slip. On the krater with the Death of Sarpedon the painting is called red-figure since there are red figures standing out against a black background. The process is called scarifitto, a subtractive process that scratched or removed the black slip color prior to the pieces final firing. This method is more advanced than the previous black-figure method, where they would do just slip the figures and use a sharp tool for carving out details. Both of these methods of pottery are known as Attic style vases, the highest valued of the pots. Euphronios was considered to be one of the best artists that did the red-figure painting technique.
On these kraters a story needs to be told. The krater with the Death of Sarpedon’s story is on just what the title says. Sarpedon was the son to Zeus and a mortal women. He was in a battle alongside the Trojans where he was killed. In Euphronios’ version, he shows Sarpedon being carried by two mythological figures that have wings and elegant attire. We can see that these figures are actually gods based on their appearance. The figure to the left is Hypnos, the god of sleep. The figure on the right is Thanatos, the god of death. They are carrying Sarpedon to the underworld. In the center we can see another figure watching the scene, he is representing Hermes, the messenger of the gods.
Both the ceramic piece itself and the painting show a balanced composition. On the krater the addition of the handles balances the wider opening of the vessel and the skinner bottom. Euphronios created balance in his painting by implementing both horizontal and vertical organically shaped subjects. He also made sure to keep in mind the shape of the vessel to create that perfectly balanced and symmetrical composition. The thicker decorative bands seem to replicate the movement in the figures with their organic repetitive patterns. As stated before, the painter accounted for extra space he may have because of the shape of the krater so he made the
band on the bottom thicker than the top for more balance. Two warrior figures are working with the slender horizontal lines, that are between Sarpedon and the decorative bands, they create a visual guide for your eyes to follow around the piece.
Inside the decorative bands that seem to be inspired by plant forms are two different repeating patterns. Along the top row shows an upside-down heart like shape that is encompassing an organic, flower-like shape. The heart is embellished with elegant swirls on top and is repeated every other shape. On the bottom band, the pattern has similar elements that tie them together. The outer ends of the band, as well as the top and bottom, have a similar organic, flower-like shape. Although, the top and bottom have a second flower shape that the top band does not have. In-between the organic shapes are intricate swirls with dots in the center of them that connect the top and bottom of the band and produces movement in the visual design. These swirls are different than of the top band but still are similar enough to show that they correlate.
Euphronios wanted to make sure that the focal point of the piece was the slain Sarpedon. Out of the six figures that are painted on this one side, Sarpedon is the only horizontal figure, this adds to the diversity of the figure’s gestures. The rest are standing up or slightly hunched but they are still vertical. Additionally, the gods are surrounding Sarpedon and are emphasizing him more since your eye will instantly be drawn into that area. For Sarpedon himself, he is the only one nude so that might be a reassurance to the viewer that this is who we should be putting our focus on. Also, Euphronios made sure to have blood continuously pouring out of his wounds for a more dramatic effect and emphasis on that Sarpedon has been slain.
Around 515 BCE Greeks were out of their earlier Geometric style and into the Archaic Period where they were more into making the figures be proportionally accurate. We can see that previously triangles were representing torsos and lines were arms. Now, in this new period they wanted to depict more or less an actual person. We now see full bodies with all appropriate appendages and now even with the appearance of muscles. Proportions aren’t exaggerated but rather realistic and anatomically correct. Scale, on the other hand, isn’t as realistic. The dead Sarpedon seems much larger compared to the gods that surround him. This could have been done to show that he is the child of a god and a mortal so he is larger than the pure gods or it was just to give more emphasis to the main subject, Sarpedon.
Now, since we have looked at the krater with the Death of Sarpedon we can compare it to a piece from modern day. The modern glass Coca-Cola bottle can be seen to have similarities to the ancient vessel. I notice that the bottle isn’t just straight up and down. The creator or factory made the base bigger then it gets cinched in before going wider again. The krater has a similar start at the base, although it does continually get larger while the bottle gets smaller for drinking purposes. Looking at the middle of the bottle there is the band across it just like on the Krater. This seems to be used to balance out the piece, which applies to both creations. The Coca-Cola enterprise use that band to emphasize their brand and logo. On the bottle the Coca-Cola company is wanting you to see that it is a Coke and on the vessel it wants you to see the story that it is trying to depict. On the topic of emphasis, on the Coke bottle I can see the actual vertical lines that seem to almost be fluted. This design would be something that we might see in an Ancient Greek architectural column. These lines also create an emphasis on the Coke labeling as they seem to flow right to the band. So, of course, my eyes are going to follow them and be led right there. In the krater the bands that surround the main focus are doing the same thing, your focus gets led to the main point by those lines.
Both Euxitheos and Euphronios created a piece of history, the krater with the Death of Sarpedon. They were able to show us a piece of their culture by creating this Krater. It was not just important for them and their gatherings but for us, as well. We now get the chance to have a glance in the past. We get to learn about their lives because they decided to record their history with beautiful pieces of art.
Pg. 109
Euphronios (Painter)
Euxitheos (Potter)
Krater with the Death of Sarpedon
c. 515 BCE
18”
Ceramic
Coca-Cola bottle, glass
Works Cited
Cothren, Michael W., and Marilyn Stokstad. Art A Brief in History. Pearson Education
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The krater, The Death of Sarpedon, was made by a potter named Euxitheos and a painter named Euphronios. The krater was made from terracotta clay and painted in a red figure style which means that the image appears in the red color of the clay. This style of painting allowed an image to be more intricate than black figure kraters because the image was scraped away completely by using a thin tool to remove the black slip. Details could then be painted on the clay in order to create the figures being shown on the vase (Montgomery). Amphoras were typically made to store liquids, such as wine. However, this particular krater was sold to Etruscans and placed in a tomb so we can infer that it was made for funerary purposes (Thompson, Zucker). The scene is portrayed on this krater is the death of Sarpedon, one of Zeus’ sons. Sarpedon was killed on the battlefield during the Trojan War. The krater shows Sarpedon horizontally placed and wounded, being carried away by two winged creatures that Zeus sent to him, Hypnos, who is the god of sleep, and Thanatos, who is the god of death (Thompson, Zucker). On the amphora, Hermes, the messenger of the gods, stands upright and watches the scene happen.
Several elements and principles of design are demonstrated throughout the Death of Sarpedon krater, a major one being balance. We see balance in the krater because the form is symmetrical on a vertical axis. The floral designs wrapping around the top and bottom of the krater are also symmetrical, which creates a perfect balance in those areas. The image, however, is not completely symmetrical, but it still displays balance. Sarpedon is laying across the middle of the krater with Hermes standing directly behind him, Hypnos and Thanatos to his right and left, and two other figures, both standing slightly bent over and carrying spears, on the outsides of the scene. There is about an equal amount of positive space on each half of this image, which creates balance even though it’s not symmetrical.
Rhythm is another element that is portrayed in the Death of Sarpedon krater. Rhythm is seen in the patterns above and below the image because the designs repeat themselves over and over. The design on top wraps all the way around the krater and the design on the bottom goes from handle to handle. Rhythm is also shown in the main scene on the amphora because it only consists of human-like figures. All of the figures are different, but the fact that they were all drawn in a similar way, with black contour edges, creates a rhythm.
Pattern, which is similar to rhythm, is also demonstrated in this amphora. The band wrapping around the top of the krater has a floral pattern that repeats. The band that stretches from handle to handle also has a floral looking pattern and is mirrored on a horizontal axis. These two patterns seem to resemble friezes, which were a large part of Greek architecture at the time. There is another smaller pattern that almost goes unnoticed. It consists of only small, vertical lines that wrap around the bottom of the vase.
Line is another major element that appears in the Death of Sarpedon krater. First, the lines that shape the form of the krater are what allow it to be functional. The wide opening at the top, the more narrow bottom with a solid base, and the two handles all show the lines that demonstrate how the krater is able to be used. Line is also displayed in the patterned bands on the krater. The straight lines that circle the krater separate the pattern from the battle scene and also serve as a sort of frame for the scene. In the image, line is seen in the figures. We can tell right away that the figures were not painted in a very naturalistic way, which means that sharper and less realistic looking lines were used in the creation of the figures.
Space is an important element that we see in this krater, especially because it is a three-dimensional piece. There is space inside of the form because it is meant to be used as a container for liquids, so there has to be space to allow the krater to function. Space also appears between the handles of the amphora and the middle section of the piece. That space shows how the handles protrude from the side and allow the krater to be carried. In addition to the form of the piece, space also appears in the image. The negative space between the figures in the battle scene allows us to clearly see what is happening in the image. For example, the black space below Sarpedon shows the viewer of the piece that he is being lifted up off the ground because the feet of the other figures are visible in that space underneath him.
This piece is monochromatic, using only black and the red-orange of the terracotta clay, but that doesn’t mean color isn’t important to the composition. The fact that there are only two colors means that the painter of this krater had to be very exact with the scraping of the black slip and painting on small details in order to make the image clear. Having only two colors in a piece gives it a sense of both simplicity and complexity. There is not much variety in the color scheme which makes it simple, but the painter had to be very cautious and precise to give the image value so that it didn’t look flat.
Formalistically, the Death of Sarpedon krater isn’t too different from a Coca-Cola bottle. The two are slightly similar in form since they are both meant to hold a liquid. Although the krater has a wide opening and handles while the bottle has a narrow opening and no handles, they both still have a curvy form with a place to hold a liquid. These two pieces also share similarities regarding the principle of emphasis. Both the krater and the Coca-Cola bottle have obvious focal points. For the krater, the viewer’s eyes go directly to the battle scene, specifically Sarpedon. For the bottle, people’s eyes will look straight to the bright red logo wrapping around the drink. The Death of Sarpedon krater and the Coca-Cola bottle are also both balanced pieces. Both forms are symmetrical on a vertical axis, which creates balance, but they are also balanced in terms of elements like space and color. The is about an equal amount of space and color displayed on the right and left sides of the krater and the bottle.
The Death of Sarpedon krater is a very formalistically diverse work of art. The krater demonstrates elements and principles such as, balance, rhythm, pattern, line, space, and color. Also, even though this amphora is very old, it still shares similarities with common items that we see every day.
Works Cited
Dr. Erin Thompson and Dr. Steven Zucker. "Euphronios, Sarpedon Krater." Smarthistory, July 13, 2017, accessed 4 November 2018, https://smarthistory.org/euphronios-krater/.
Montgomery, Heather. “Red-Figure Pottery.” Ancient History Encyclopedia, https://www.ancie nt.eu/Red-Figure_Pottery/. Accessed 4 November 2018.
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A Deconstructive Analysis on the Krator with the Death of Sarpedon
Krater with the Death of Sarpedon
Euphronios (painter) and Euxitheos (potter)
c. 515 BCE
Red-figure decoration on a calyx krater
Ceramic, 18" high
Collection: Etruscan Museum, Villa Giulia, Rome
When one thinks about ancient Greece, one of the first things that come to mind is their spectacular achievements in the arts. From Egyptian-inspired bronze sculptures like the Boy of Kouros to the grande marble temples often featuring realistic reliefs in their frieze and pediment, ancient Grecians were well versed in the innovations of visual art. Among all of their artwork, however, one set of creations stands out not only in their abundance but their usefulness as well: kraters and amphoras. Amphoras and kraters are clay vessels used to hold things like wine and dried goods. These vessels almost always had a design on them, and this design was unique not only in subject but also technique. The ancient Greeks developed three different styles of kraters: geometric, black-figure, and red-figure. After simply decorated geometric went out of style, the black-figure technique became the popular choice because of its interesting look. After forming and firing the physical krater, the narrative’s figures would be painted on with black slip to construct the overall illustration. However, this method was tedious, thus leading to painters turning to red-figure attic vases, which actually turned out to be harder as it involved scraping off the desired areas. One would use the method known as sgraffito, which is the scraping off of the black slip to form the image by exposing the clay body underneath. One of the most well-known kraters, the Krater with the Death of Sarpedon is an excellent example of the widely used red-figure method, as well as a good subject for the analyzation of a piece of Greek art.
The Krater with the Death of Sarpedon was created around 515 BCE during the Attic period by the potter Euxitheos and the painter Euphronios (Stokstad). As stated before, it is a red-figure krater, meaning the design is the color of the terracotta clay, while the background (or negative space) is black because of the added slip painted around the original illustrated picture. This is the opposite of black-figure kraters, which obviously from the name, had black figures on top of the natural red clay background. Apart from design, this krater would have been formed on a manually spun potter’s wheel, then left to dry before the base and handles were added on with slip. Before being put in the kiln, Euxitheos would have needed to let all of the water evaporate in order to avoid air bubbles that cause the clay to explode when fired to the bisque state. Then obviously the story is added to the vessel before being placed in a kiln that reached temperatures between 1700 and 1900 degrees Fahrenheit.
This particular piece, Krater with the death of Sarpedon, illustrates the mythological story of Sarpedon’s journey to the underworld (Stokstad). Sarpedon was a demi-god, being the son of Zeus, the Greek king of Gods, and the mortal woman named Hippodamia (Wikipedia). He was killed by a Greek warrior named Patroklus in a battle between the Greeks and the Trojans, and is ultimately taken to the afterlife (Stokstad). On this krater, we can see that Sarpedon is being carried to the Underworld by the winged figures of Hypnos, the God of sleep, and Thanatos, the personification of Death (Stokstad). Hermes, the messenger of the Gods, is seen walking upright in the center of the frame behind Sarpedon's lifeless diagonally placed body (an obvious contrast in gesture), seemingly overviewing the situation with the two guards on either side of the main group (Stokstad). You can also see lines of Latin words coming from the mouth of Hypnos and Thanatos, as well as a few sentences strewn horizontally and diagonally throughout the background. These represent the signing of the krater by its potter, Euxitheos, and its painter, Euphronios. As for the meaning behind this design, that is really all the can be drawn from this illustration, however, that is not all that can be drawn from this krater’s design itself.
Right off the bat, the use of illusionary space on this two-dimensional piece creates depth and intricacy within the overall design of this krater. Sarpedon is positioned in the foreground, overlapping the figures of Hypnos, Thanatos, and Hermes. This overlap not only pushes Sarpedon forward, making him the most prominent part of the story, but it also pushes the other three towards the background. If you look even closer, you can see that these two soldiers are actually even further back than Thanatos, Hypnos, and Hermes. Thanatos and Hypnos’s feet are drawn on top of the soldiers’ feet, showing that they are really positioned in the middle ground while the soldiers are in the background. Back to the foreground, Sarpedon’s knee is actually depicting another method used to create the illusion of space. His knee is drawn protruding forward, a method is known as foreshortening, which creates the illusion that the knee is actually farther out in front of Sarpedon’s body. This method creates another visual layer to the illustration besides the ones created by overlapping.
Along with the strong use of space in this piece, an overall balance and unity are also present in this beautiful amphora. There is a relatively similar band containing a floral design on the top and bottom of the main bowl (not including the added-on base) that balances the krater vertically. There is also the presence of the two soldiers who are similar in stature that balance the main scene horizontally. Bent over Thanatos and Hypnos also create a sense of balance as they are on either side of Sarpedon, sort of creating a border around him. Aside from the added design, the physical handles on the krater also balance out this piece. They are placed on opposite sides of each other with the same distance between them on both sides. They are also placed about halfway down the krater, so they not only balance it horizontally with their distance from each other, but they also balance it vertically with their distance from the top and bottom. Overall, each of the different symmetrical parts of this piece (the figures, designs, and handles) all work together harmoniously to create overall unity within this krater.
When focusing more on the smaller details, it is seen that there are several places where the element of line is used to either direct you around the story told on this krater, or it's used to separate the different parts of the intricate designs. There are two parallel, horizontal lines directly below the top rim of this krater. Below that, adjacent to the two handles are two more parallel, horizontal lines. Both sets of these lines do practically the same thing; firstly, both encase the decorative floral design found on the top and bottom of this krater, and secondly, they also form a border around the main scene containing Sarpedon. Since they are horizontal lines, they naturally create a path for the eyes to follow across the entire krater’s surface. The two soldier’s spears found within the main band of the story also serve a similar purpose. Both spears work harmoniously with the horizontal lines to frame the main pictorial, as well as separately draw the viewer’s eyes up the picture instead of across like the horizontal lines. Also found within the main illustration are several Latin sentences that come from all different directions. Some come from the mouths of the figures on the krater, like the ones that come from Hypnos and Thanatos’ mouths. These may potentially represent conversations between the two immortals, and they also encourage the viewer to look at the speaker’s faces. The rest of the sentences serve to direct you around the rest of the krater since eyes tend to jump from one sentence to the next when reading. Lastly, the blood coming from Sarpedon's body is also an example of how line is used on this piece of artwork. The blood leads diagonally away from Sarpedon’s body, which could symbolize his life leaving his body in his journey to the underworld. It also points to the anchor line, which we know to be a symbol of sacred ground in Ancient Egypt, and that makes sense considering Sarpedon is being brought to the underworld by Hypnos, Thanatos, and Hermes.
Now, probably one of the most obvious characteristics of this piece is its high contrast in colors. Any red-figure krater will have this definite contrast because of the addition of black slip to red clay. As seen on its surface, the Krater with the Death of Sarpedon has a glossy black background surrounding the red figures of Sarpedon, Hermes, Hypnos, and Thanatos. The floral design on the top and bottom is also left to be the color of the terracotta clay, as is the thick dividing lines bordering the different parts of this pictorial. On the narrow part of the base is a small, striped design that sticks out against the black, and right below that is a ridge that is also left in the original color of the clay, which breaks up the different layers of the base. This strong contrast found all around the vessel creates a sharp, interesting look that at the time was obviously preferred given the number of amphoras made.
The Coca-Cola Contour Bottle
The Root Glass Company of Terre
Haute, Indiana
Created in 1915
Made of Glass
6.5 fluid oz.
The Coca-Cola contour bottle was first created in 1915 by glassmakers in order to ramp-up sales (Staff). At the time, many other soft drink companies were copying Coca-Cola’s glass bottle shape, so the soda company decided to hire somebody to design a superior bottle that would shine with its uniqueness (Staff). That's when they began working with The Root Glass Company located in Indiana to develop the contour bottle. This bottle was narrow at the lip and neck, then widened out towards the middle before the final synch and flare at the bottom. It was completely transparent, with the Coca-Cola logo printed into the glass instead of on a label like today. The design not only helped increase Coca-Cola’s sales at the time, but it also became a part of American history with its iconic look.
When compared to the original Coca-Cola Contour Bottle, the Krater with the Death of Sarpedon is a little similar. Firstly, both are three-dimensional vessels that hold liquid. Though the Krater with the Death of Sarpedon held drinks like wine while the Coca-Cola contour bottle held Coca-Cola, both were revered drinks during their time. Now, the volumes of the actual vessels aren’t really similar except for their girth sizes. Both have a relatively wide middle section to hold liquids in, however, the Krater with the Death of Sarpedon is wider at its opening than the Coca-Cola Contour Bottle, which narrows at the neck. Both also have a glossy texture to them. With the bottle being fused glass, and the krater being polished clay, both seem to have a smooth exterior. They also each have a lip to them, though the kraters’ is quite larger. Lastly, both seem to have a defined middle band to them conveying the main message of the whole vessel. The Coca-Cola Contour Bottles’ middle band contains the logo, which of course is important when advertising a product and business. The Krater with the Death of Sarpedon’s middle band contains the main story being depicted on the vessel: Sarpedon’s death.
Overall both the Krater with the Death of Sarpedon’s and the Coca-Cola Contour Bottle share a handful of similarities. Formally, they can be compared by the elements used to create them. Historically, both are significant creations of their time that served as useful creations for the everyday person. Thousands of years apart, both are notably connected by their ability to be remembered and seen as creations that truly defined their time.
Work Cited:
Stokstad, Marilyn, and Michael W Cothren. Art: A Brief History. 6th ed., Pearson Education, 2016.
Staff, Journey. “Contour Bottle History.” Contour Bottle History | Coca-Cola GB, The Coca-Cola Company, 2017, www.coca-cola.co.uk/stories/contour-bottle-history.
“Sarpedon.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 26 Oct. 2018, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarpedon
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Ancient Greek art and architecture influenced many artists for centuries. Referring to the Classical world of Greek and Roman art, we have “borrowed” many ideas and have transformed them, influencing our culture and way of life. The process behind creating the red-figure decoration displayed on the krater can be quite tedious. The red clay is first dug up from the ground, formed into an amphora and is then dried out before firing. Then, the krater is put into a kiln to be fired. This is known as the “bisque” stage. The bisqued krater is then painted with a black clay slip. A stylus is used to scratch away the slip to create the red designs and
scenes on the krater. This is called “scraffito,” and hence, this is why this krater, in particular, is called a red-figure amphora from the Attic vase period.
The Krater with the Death of Sarpedon, is a ceramic krater, a large vase that would hold liquids such as wine, water, honey, oil, and many other liquids, made in 515 BCE by painter Euphornios and potter, Euxitheos. In ancient Greece, kraters would be placed in a room and were used to preserve a variety of special liquids used for ceremonial purposes. These often ranged from things like honey to using the krater for the process of diluting wine with water. Often times, kraters were dedicated at temples or used in religious ceremonies to offer to gods or spirits.
Like most amphoras, scenes are depicted on the band of the Krater with the Death of Sarpedon. The figures portrayed on the krater are sometimes mystical in style. In this scene, some of the people are wearing helmets and weapons, possibly demonstrating a battle from a war. The mystical creatures seem to be carrying a dead body, Sarpedon. In Greek mythology, Sarpedon was the son of Zeus and the mortal woman, Laodamia. The figure shown in the background is Hermes, the messenger god who looks to be giving orders to the ones around him, telling them where to take Sarpedon.
Visual movement is shown through the mystical creatures’ stances. The way their bodies are positioned makes it look like they are about to move Sarpedon to the right of the krater. The painter of the Krater with the Death of Sarpedon used scale to make the scene appear as it does. There is a foreground, middle ground, and black can serve as the background, thus describing the illusion of spatial depth. Patterns and banding around the top and bottom of the krater create a fluent rhythm, adding to the flow of the story between the two while drawing the observer’s eye around the three-dimensional form. The limpness of Sarpedon and his limbs show the lack of movement his body has in the scene, showing he is most likely dead.
Overlap is used to make the god Hermes, standing in the middle ground giving orders, appear in the background, behind those carrying the body of Sarpedon. Scale gives this scene dimension, making the two-dimensional surface of the krater appear as if it has spatial depth. The way the legs of those carrying Sarpedon were painted shows they are in the middle of walking because the leg that is stepping forward or backward is overlapping the one that appears in the background.
Many lines are shown, both actual and implied, in the bands of this krater. Lines along the top consisting of patterns that seem to be influenced by plant life. This creates constant lines, allowing the story to be told consistently around the krater. The line below the characters’ feet appears similar to an “anchor line” that we’ve seen before in Ancient Egypt. Perhaps this was an Egyptian influence on the Ancient Grecian artists. The implied eyelines of both those carrying Sarpedon’s limp body and the man in the middle of the two are lowered, making them appear as if they are upset and mourning his death. The enhanced lines on Sarpedon’s torso show he was very fit and creates an idealistic representation of what he may have looked like. These lines are very delicate, they were most likely added by painting fine contour edges instead of using scarfitto.
Focal points are put into a work of art to draw attention to the piece and create emphasis. The way in which Sarpedon’s horizontal stance and arms were painted make him one of the focal points in this scene. His arms, legs, and neck are all limp in order to exaggerate his dead body. His torso has been exaggerated to immensely to make his muscles appear more prominent, creating emphasis on his abdominal region. The wings on those gods who are carrying him produce yet another focal point in the piece. This is due to their size and the shading on both wings, creating contrast and making the men seem mystical or similar to angels of some kind.
In works of art, space refers to the distance or area between, around, above, below, and within shapes and forms within a composition. Space can be seen on the Krater with the Death of Sarpedon between every figure in the scene. The way space is portrayed creates the illusion of movement as well as dimension. Negative space is shown throughout the band on this krater, producing background for the story. Negative space can also be noted between the legs of those in this scene, adding to this idea of believable movement that has been created through many other factors.
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The Coca-Cola bottle seen above is a more contemporary object. Although Coca-Cola was first produced in 1894, there have been many changes to both the symbol and the bottle itself over the past 120 years. Though there is quite a time difference between when the Krater with the Death of Sarpedon was created and the Coca-Cola bottle’s production, many aspects of these pieces can be compared to one another.
There are many elements in both the Krater with the Death of Sarpedon and the Coca-Cola bottle that are similar. One of the most noticeable similarities is the concept that both of these objects hold liquid of some kind. While the krater typically holds honey, olive oil or wine, the Coca-Cola bottle holds the carbonated drink Coca-Cola. Both the krater and the bottle have a band that wraps around the middle, traveling all the way around the entire three-dimensional form, creating consistent movement. These bands both contain symbols, the krater depicting a story, and the bottle sporting the symbol of its company. An organic line produced from the word Coke can be seen under the company logo, creating the look of an anchor line in motion.
This anchor line is similar to the one on the Krater with the Death of Sarpedon that the people are walking on.
While there are many similarities between the Krater with the Death of Sarpedon and the Coca-Cola bottle, a few differences are also present. For instance, it is clear that the symbols on the krater are much more complex than those on the bottle. On the krater, many formal elements are being used to create the story of Sarpedon’s death, making it much more complex than the simple Coca-Cola symbol. Another difference is the shape and texture of the two objects. The krater is very wide at the top and gradually slims towards the base, while the Coca-Cola bottle is very slim at the top and then gradually gets thicker towards the middle, then slimmer and then thicker once again, creating a flowing shape. On the krater, actual texture can’t really be felt, as opposed to the fluting on the bottle, creating movement on its surface. Unlike the amphora, the Coca-Cola bottle has the incorporation of text while the krater only has pictures to tell the story.
In conclusion, the Krater with the Death of Sarpedon contains many formal elements, creating the story of Sarpedon’s death. These elements include movement, scale, overlap emphasis and focal points, line and space. The elements work together to produce complex symbols and figures in order to tell the story of what how Sarpedon passed on. When compared to the Coca-Cola bottle, both the krater and the bottle share a few similarities but there are also many differences between the two. For instance, they are both made of symbols that people both interpret and recognize. There are also differences between the two including
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the use of the krater for storage of wine, honey or oil and the use of the Coca-Cola bottle more for everyday use. Though it is not the only factor that contributes to their differences, the time periods in which both objects were made has an influence on the variation of style between them both.
Reference
Stokstad, Marilyn, and Michael W. Cothren. Art a Brief History. 6th ed, Pearson, 2014.