--- title: Red-Figure Pottery author: Heather Montgomery source: https://www.worldhistory.org/Red-Figure_Pottery/ format: machine-readable-alternate license: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/) updated: 2022-12-22 --- # Red-Figure Pottery _Authored by [Heather Montgomery](https://www.worldhistory.org/user/Heather_Montgomery/)_ Red-figure [Pottery](https://www.worldhistory.org/pottery/) is a style of [Greek](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/greek/) vase painting invented in [Athens](https://www.worldhistory.org/Athens/) c. 530 BCE. The style has drawn red figures and a painted black background. Red-Figure Pottery grew in popularity, and by the early 5th century BCE it had all but replaced [black-figure pottery](https://www.worldhistory.org/Black_Figure_Pottery/) as the predominant pottery type in Athens. The last recorded examples are from c. 320 BCE. In red-figure pottery, the figures are created in the original red-orange of the clay. This allowed for greater detail than in black-figure pottery, for lines could be drawn onto the figures rather than scraped out. This made the painted scenes both more detailed and more realistic, and allowed red-figure painters the opportunity to work with greater perspective. In black-figure painting, figures were almost always shown in profile, but red-figure allowed for frontal, back and three-quarter views, therefore creating a third dimension to the painting. Like black-figure pottery, red-figure pottery was created in a variety of shapes for specific uses. Daily use pottery, such as *[amphora](https://www.worldhistory.org/Amphora/)* for transporting goods and *hydria* for drawing water, often depicted scenes of daily life. Pots designed for ritual use, such as the *lekythos* for pouring libations, usually had scenes of religious importance. Athens remained the lead producer in red-figure pottery, in both quality and quantity, but eventually the style spread to other Greek regions, especially Southern [Italy](https://www.worldhistory.org/italy/). The subject matter of red-figure vases varied greatly, from portraits of gods and heroes to depictions of every day Athenian life. As such, these paintings provide an archaeological record of historical, social, and mythological information. Academics have been able to identify individual artists and artistic groups as painters of these red-figure vessels. The most definitive work on the identification of these artists is Sir John Beazley's Attic Red-figure Vase-painters, first published in 1925. Beazley, a professor at Oxford University, catalogued over 65,000 vases and fragments, and identified over 17,000 artists. Of these identified painters, the Andokides Painter is usually credited with the invention of the style. He was joined by several other early adopters of the technique, including the so-called “Pioneer Group” of Euphronios, Euthymides, and Phintias. These early red-figure painters were often “bilingual,” meaning that they worked in both red- and black-figure for a period of time. Notable painters emerged from the late Archiac period such as the Berlin Painter, the Kleophrades Painter, and Douris, as the technique became more refined and began to dominate in the [Mediterranean](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/mediterranean/) world. Mastery of the technique continued in the Classical period with famous painters such as the [Achilles](https://www.worldhistory.org/achilles/) Painter, the Providence Painter, and the [Pan](https://www.worldhistory.org/Pan/) Painter. Later famous artists include the Eretria Painter, the Meidias Painter, who achieved new levels of detail in painting garments, and the [Meleager](https://www.worldhistory.org/Meleager/) Painter. #### Editorial Review This human-authored definition has been reviewed by our editorial team before publication to ensure accuracy, reliability and adherence to academic standards in accordance with our [editorial policy](https://www.worldhistory.org/static/editorial-policy/). ## Bibliography - [Boardman, J. *Athenian Red Figure Vases the Archaic Pe.* THAMES & HUDSON @, 1975.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/B001IF0S6W/) - Boardman, J. *Greek Art.* Thames & Hudson: London, 1964 - [Boardman, J. *The History of Greek Vases.* Thames & Hudson, 2006.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/0500285934/) - [Carpenter, T. H. *Art and Myth in Ancient Greece.* Thames & Hudson, 1991.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/0500202362/) - Sparkes, B. A. *The Red and the Black.* London & New York: Routledge, 1996 ## Timeline - **530 BCE**: The Andokides Painter invents [red-figure pottery](https://www.worldhistory.org/Red-Figure_Pottery/). - **c. 530 BCE**: [Red-figure pottery](https://www.worldhistory.org/Red-Figure_Pottery/) style takes precedent over black-figure. - **520 BCE - 500 BCE**: The Pioneer Group of red-figure painters is active. - **510 BCE - 470 BCE**: The Kleophrades Painter of [red-figure pottery](https://www.worldhistory.org/Red-Figure_Pottery/) is active. - **500 BCE - 460 BCE**: Douris, the [red-figure pottery](https://www.worldhistory.org/Red-Figure_Pottery/) painter is active. - **490 BCE - 460 BCE**: The Berlin Painter of [red-figure pottery](https://www.worldhistory.org/Red-Figure_Pottery/) is active. - **480 BCE - 450 BCE**: The [Pan](https://www.worldhistory.org/Pan/) Painter of [red-figure pottery](https://www.worldhistory.org/Red-Figure_Pottery/) is active. - **470 BCE**: The Providence Painter of [red-figure pottery](https://www.worldhistory.org/Red-Figure_Pottery/) is active. - **470 BCE - 425 BCE**: The [Achilles](https://www.worldhistory.org/achilles/) Painter of [red-figure pottery](https://www.worldhistory.org/Red-Figure_Pottery/) is active. - **440 BCE**: The Eretria Painter of [red-figure pottery](https://www.worldhistory.org/Red-Figure_Pottery/) is active. - **420 BCE - 400 BCE**: The Meidias Painter of [red-figure pottery](https://www.worldhistory.org/Red-Figure_Pottery/) is active. - **400 BCE - 375 BCE**: The [Meleager](https://www.worldhistory.org/Meleager/) Painter of [red-figure pottery](https://www.worldhistory.org/Red-Figure_Pottery/) is active. - **320 BCE**: Last recorded examples of Attic [Red-Figure Pottery](https://www.worldhistory.org/Red-Figure_Pottery/). ## Questions & Answers ### What is red-figure pottery in the Greek period? Greek red-figure pottery is pottery with decorative scenes in red against a black background. It was first made around 530 BCE. ### What is the difference between red and black-figure pottery? The difference between red and black-figure pottery is the former has red designs against a black background and the latter has black designs against a red background. ### What was the purpose of red-figure pottery? The purpose of red-figure pottery was to create decorative vessels for daily use such as holding water, wine, oil, and foodstuffs. ## External Links - [The Colors of Clay (Getty Villa Exhibitions)](http://www.getty.edu/art/exhibitions/colors_clay/homepage.html) - [History's most famous pot: the Meidias hydria | British Museum](https://www.britishmuseum.org/blog/historys-most-famous-pot-meidias-hydria) ## Cite This Work ### APA Montgomery, H. (2012, September 07). Red-Figure Pottery. *World History Encyclopedia*. [https://www.worldhistory.org/Red-Figure\_Pottery/](https://www.worldhistory.org/Red-Figure_Pottery/) ### Chicago Montgomery, Heather. "Red-Figure Pottery." *World History Encyclopedia*, September 07, 2012. [https://www.worldhistory.org/Red-Figure\_Pottery/](https://www.worldhistory.org/Red-Figure_Pottery/). ### MLA Montgomery, Heather. "Red-Figure Pottery." *World History Encyclopedia*, 07 Sep 2012, [https://www.worldhistory.org/Red-Figure\_Pottery/](https://www.worldhistory.org/Red-Figure_Pottery/). ## License & Copyright Submitted by [Heather Montgomery](https://www.worldhistory.org/user/Heather_Montgomery/ "User Page: Heather Montgomery"), published on 07 September 2012. The copyright holder has published this content under the following license: [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/deed.en). 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