Athenian Red Figure Vases: The Archaic Period

The quality of Greek painting and the intrinsic interest of the figure subjects chosen for depiction were never greater than in Athens in the fifty years following the invention of the 'red figure' technique in about 530 BC. The period is covered in this sequel to Athenian Black Figure Vases, also written by John Boardman, Lincoln Professor Emeritus of Classical Archaeology and Art in Oxford. Professor Boardman illuminates the ancient art form by placing the painters and their vases within the history of Athens and the greater tradition of Greek mythology. 528 illus.