Greek Red-Figure Ceramics Photos

Red-Figure style decoration (c520-c320 BCE) was invented when a Greek potter thought of using the negative version of black-figure art -- backgrounds were painted black leaving figures mostly unpainted to fire as red. The advantage of the technique is that black details could be created with a fine brush adding greater perspective & realism. Red-Figure style spread & outlasted black-figure.

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Greek ceramic red figure on black pelike painted with Oedipus & the Sphinx at Kunsthistorisches Museum. Vienna, Austria.Greek terracotta red-figure water jar with Herakles fighting Nemean Lion from Athens at Getty Museum Villa. Malibu, CA.Details of Greek terracotta red-figure krater with Herakles fighting Hydra from Athens at Getty Museum Villa. Malibu, CA.Details of Greek terracotta red-figure krater with Herakles fighting Nemean Lion from Athens at Getty Museum Villa. Malibu, CA.
Greek ceramic red figure on black pelike painted with Oedipus & the Sphinx (470-460 BCE) at Kunsthistorisches Museum. Vienna, Austria.Greek terracotta red-figure water jar with Herakles fighting Nemean Lion (c470 BCE) from Athens at Getty Museum Villa. Malibu, CA.Details of Greek terracotta red-figure krater with Herakles fighting Hydra (c480 BCE) from Athens at Getty Museum Villa. Malibu, CA.Details of Greek terracotta red-figure krater with Herakles fighting Nemean Lion (c480 BCE) from Athens at Getty Museum Villa. Malibu, CA.
Greek terracotta red-figure wine cup with man dragging sacrificial goat with purple ribbons from Athens at Getty Museum Villa. Malibu, CA.Greek terracotta red-figure wine cup with Achilles from Athens at Getty Museum Villa. Malibu, CA.Greek terracotta red-figure wine cup with crouching Satyr from Athens at Getty Museum Villa. Malibu, CA.Greek terracotta red-figure wine cup with Satyr & Nymph from Athens at Getty Museum Villa. Malibu, CA.
Greek terracotta red-figure wine cup with man dragging sacrificial goat with purple ribbons (c510-500 BCE) from Athens at Getty Museum Villa. Malibu, CA.Greek terracotta red-figure wine cup with Achilles (c490 BCE) from Athens at Getty Museum Villa. Malibu, CA.Greek terracotta red-figure wine cup (kylix) with crouching Satyr (c480 BCE) from Athens at Getty Museum Villa. Malibu, CA.Greek terracotta red-figure wine cup (kylix) with Satyr & Nymph (c500-490 BCE) from Athens at Getty Museum Villa. Malibu, CA.
Greek terracotta red figure Kylix from Vulci, Italy shows Achilles binding Patroclus at Altes Museum. Berlin, Germany.Greek terracotta red figure Kylix from Vulci, Italy shows Cult of Dionysus at Altes Museum. Berlin, Germany.Greek terracotta red-figure wine cup with boy holding lyre from Athens at Getty Museum Villa. Malibu, CA.Greek terracotta red-figure mixing vessel with Triptolemos on snake-drawn chariot & Persephone from Athens at Getty Museum Villa. Malibu, CA.
Greek terracotta red figure Kylix (wine cup) (c500 BCE) from Vulci, Italy shows Achilles binding Patroclus at Altes Museum. Berlin, Germany.Greek terracotta red figure Kylix (wine cup) (c480 BCE) from Vulci, Italy shows Cult of Dionysus at Altes Museum. Berlin, Germany.Greek terracotta red-figure wine cup (kylix) with boy holding lyre (c480 BCE) from Athens at Getty Museum Villa. Malibu, CA.Greek terracotta red-figure mixing vessel (dinos) with Triptolemos on snake-drawn chariot & Persephone (c470 BCE) from Athens at Getty Museum Villa. Malibu, CA.
Greek terracotta red-figure water jar with owl & olive branches from Athens at Getty Museum Villa. Malibu, CA.Greek terracotta red-figure mixing vessel with theatrical figures from South Italy or Sicily at Getty Museum Villa. Malibu, CA.Greek terracotta black-figure plate with Gorgon Medusa by Lydos of Attica at Antikensammlungen. Munich, Germany.Greek terracotta red-figure Hydria with music students & teacher by Phintias at Antikensammlungen. Munich, Germany.
Greek terracotta red-figure water jar (kalpis) with owl & olive branches (c480-470 BCE) from Athens at Getty Museum Villa. Malibu, CA.Greek terracotta red-figure mixing vessel with theatrical figures (c360 BCE) from South Italy or Sicily at Getty Museum Villa. Malibu, CA.Greek terracotta black-figure plate with Gorgon Medusa (c560 BCE) by Lydos of Attica at Antikensammlungen. Munich, Germany.Greek terracotta red-figure Hydria with music students & teacher (c510 BCE) by Phintias at Antikensammlungen. Munich, Germany.
Greek terracotta red-figure wine bucket with lyre players by Brygos-painter at Antikensammlungen. Munich, Germany.Greek terracotta red-figure wine bucket with Dionysus & Maenads by Brygos-painter at Antikensammlungen. Munich, Germany.Athenian rhyton in form of head of donkey in bridle attrib. Painter of Colmar at Petit Palace Museum. Paris, France.Athenian black-figure terracotta amphora with Athena as warrior at Louvre Museum. Paris, France.
Greek terracotta red-figure wine bucket with lyre players (c470 BCE) by Brygos-painter at Antikensammlungen. Munich, Germany.Greek terracotta red-figure wine bucket with Dionysus & Maenads (c470 BCE) by Brygos-painter at Antikensammlungen. Munich, Germany.Athenian rhyton in form of head of donkey in bridle (c500-480 BCE) attrib. Painter of Colmar at Petit Palace Museum. Paris, France.Athenian black-figure terracotta amphora with Athena as warrior (323-322 BCE) at Louvre Museum. Paris, France.
Red figure column krater featuring erotic scene with two youths paired with two hetaera circa 480 to 470 BC at Cycladic Art Museum in Athens. Greece.Greek terracotta red figure Kylix from Athens at Art Institute of Chicago. Chicago, IL.Ancient Greek Oinochoe pitcher for pouring wine at Museum of World Treasures. Wichita, KS.Ancient Greek red-figured krator with scenes from Trojan War at Museum of Fine Arts. Boston, MA.
Red figure column krater featuring erotic scene with two youths paired with two hetaera circa 480 to 470 BC at Cycladic Art Museum in Athens. Greece.Greek terracotta red figure Kylix (wine cup) (c470 BCE) from Athens at Art Institute of Chicago. Chicago, IL.Ancient Greek Oinochoe pitcher for pouring wine at Museum of World Treasures. Wichita, KS.Ancient Greek red-figured krator with scenes from Trojan War (460 BCE) at Museum of Fine Arts. Boston, MA.
Ancient Greek red-figured ram's head rhyton at Museum of Fine Arts. Boston, MA.Ancient Greek red-figured lekythos showing battle of Greeks & Amazons at Museum of Fine Arts. Boston, MA.Greek terracotta white on black pelike at Memorial Art Gallery. Rochester, NY.Ceramic red-figure fish plate from Paestum attrib. to the Asteas/Pylon at Cleveland Museum of Art. Cleveland, OH.
Ancient Greek red-figured ram's head rhyton (c450 BCE) at Museum of Fine Arts. Boston, MA.Ancient Greek red-figured lekythos showing battle of Greeks & Amazons (c430 BCE) at Museum of Fine Arts. Boston, MA.Greek terracotta white on black pelike (500-401 BCE) at Memorial Art Gallery. Rochester, NY.Ceramic red-figure fish plate (340-330 BCE) from Paestum attrib. to the Asteas/Pylon at Cleveland Museum of Art. Cleveland, OH.
Greek terracotta red-figure fish plate from Campania, Southern Italy at RISD Museum. Providence, RI.Attic terracotta red-figure cup with image of winged messenger Iris attrib. Eucharides Painter from Greece at San Antonio Museum of Art. San Antonio, TX.Front side of Attic terracotta Kantharos drinking cup with image of Herakles from Greece at San Antonio Museum of Art. San Antonio, TX.Greek terracotta red-figure fish plate from Southern Italy at San Antonio Museum of Art. San Antonio, TX.
Greek terracotta red-figure fish plate (360-320 BCE) from Campania, Southern Italy at RISD Museum. Providence, RI.Attic terracotta red-figure cup with image of winged messenger Iris (c490-480 BCE) attrib. Eucharides Painter from Greece at San Antonio Museum of Art. San Antonio, TX.Front side of Attic terracotta Kantharos drinking cup with image of Herakles (c470 BCE) from Greece at San Antonio Museum of Art. San Antonio, TX.Greek terracotta red-figure fish plate (c330-320 BCE) from Southern Italy at San Antonio Museum of Art. San Antonio, TX.
Greek terracotta red-figure bowl with Medusa from South Italy at Getty Museum Villa. Malibu, CA.Terracotta Red-figure Greek Patera with atlas handle at Dallas Museum of Art. Dallas, TX.Collection of antique Greek pottery at Dallas Museum of Art. Dallas, TX.Collection of red on black Greek pottery at Museum of World Treasures. Wichita, KS.
Greek terracotta red-figure bowl with Medusa (c350 BCE) from South Italy at Getty Museum Villa. Malibu, CA.Terracotta Red-figure Greek Patera with atlas handle (4thC BCE) at Dallas Museum of Art. Dallas, TX.Collection of antique Greek pottery (c5thC BCE) at Dallas Museum of Art. Dallas, TX.Collection of red on black Greek pottery at Museum of World Treasures. Wichita, KS.
Collection of red on black Greek pottery at Museum of World Treasures. Wichita, KS.Collection of ancient Greek pottery at Museum of Fine Arts. Boston, MA.

Collection of red on black Greek pottery at Museum of World Treasures. Wichita, KS.Collection of ancient Greek pottery at Museum of Fine Arts. Boston, MA.

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All photos on this page are originals by & copyrighted by Jim Steinhart.
All rights reserved. Permission required to use.

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