May 14, 2015
Terracotta Pyxis
Classical Greek
465-460 BC
Attributed to the Penthesilea Painter
The Judgement of Paris During the middle of the fifth century B.C., the white-ground technique was commonly used for lekythoi, oil flasks placed on graves, and for fine vases of other shapes. As classical painters sought to achieve ever more complex effects with the limited possibilities of red-figure, the white background gave new prominence to the glaze lines and polychromy. The decoration of this pyxis reflects the delight with which an accomplished artist like the Penthesilea Painter depicted a traditional subject.
(Source: The Met Museum)
