Art and Historical Analysis of an Ancient Bell Krater

In the Ancient Gallery in the Chazen Museum of Art, there is a bell krater from Attica, Greece that was made around 460-450 BCE. It is a ceramic vase that is in excellent condition with the exception of a few chips on the red-figure decoration. The Bell Krater (figure 1, figure 2) stands under two feet tall and is just over one foot in width. Overall, the scene and design style on this krater is mostly consistent throughout the entire body of the vase, but there are a few formal elements that separate the scenes on Side A (figure 1) from Side B (figure 2). The three main elements that will be discussed include technique, space, and line, as they all have a significant impact on how the viewer sees the artwork. While the Bell Krater is cohesive as a whole, the different use of formal elements on each side would have created individual impressions for the viewer in Ancient Greece as they surveyed both viewpoints while dining in their home. In the Bell Krater, the technique differs so greatly between Side A and Side B, that it is reasonable to suggest that each was painted by a different artist. The personal ways in which each artist handled the red-figure decoration establishes their separate techniques and thus gives each scene completely different emotions for the viewer to pick up on. On Side A, the red-figure decoration shows Theseus pursuing Helen, and uses strong yet intricate lines, giving the scene a sense of strength and intensity. The heavy strokes add definition and purpose to the figures’ actions, but the artist still manages to use plenty of detail, especially in the figures’ garments and faces. This detail would have allowed the scene to come to life for viewers in Ancient Greece by giving off a sense of motion from the intricate pleats of the clothing, and also emotion due to the different facial expressions of the figures. Side B, which portrays a maid bringing news to the queen, also uses strong lines, but with much less detail and fluidity. The