222 THE GREEKS
to it not only for the principal reason that it is situated between the handles at the
broadest point of the pot. The vertical black figures contrast with the predominantly
horizontal patterned bands of the rest of the vase, while the horizontal black line of
the corpse corresponds to them. The band enclosing the human scene is broader than
any of the geometrically patterned bands of the body of the pot and has a larger area
of pale background colour, which intensifies the black figures. There is a similar effect
of colour in the band of animals in the neck of the pot with a lighter background
highlighting the black shapes. Furthermore, the two animal bands offset the more
prominent human scene.
The design is therefore more complex than it might at first seem, since it looks
deceptively simple. It is a balance of repetition and variation (and there are variations
within the repetitions), designed to highlight the human scene through the subtle use
of proportion, shape and colour. The component geometric parts can be said to
cohere in a unified whole which expresses the function for which it is designed.
The Archaic period (seventh and sixth centuries)
Archaic black-figure style
Not long after the date of the Dipylon vase, in about 720, at Corinth a new and freer
style developed, following oriental models and introducing animal and plant motifs.
The use of plants in decoration continued to classical times, though interest in animals
diminished in favour of an emphasis upon the human, whether in the depiction of
mythological figures or in scenes from everyday life.
The Corinthian jug (fig. 45), dated about 630, is a fine example of this style in its
maturity. Three prominent bands divide the pot into sections, as in the geometric
style, but the intervening designs are what interest the artist. The winged mythical
creature, reminiscent of the Egyptian sphinx, with her roughly triangular shape fits in
well with the tapering contours of the top of the vase. The flourish of the wing and
the tail offset the statuesque dignity of the shapely human head and hair. The artist
has taken care with the detail of the figures: the headband on the hair, the feathers on
the wing, the claws and sinews of the limbs. The bulky forms of the larger-bodied
creatures amply fill the central band and add solidity to the overall design of the jug.
The animals are recognizable (boars and perhaps a mastiff dog), but are clearly
stylized, looking rather like silhouettes. Once again there is detail in the representation
of the faces, the ribs and paws of the dog, and the sinews and hooves of the boars.
The lower section, with its airy movement and slender creatures (greyhounds and a
hare), reflects the more feathery delicacy of the top panel. But there is no strong
correspondence between the parts of the whole as in the geometrical style. The
animals do not face the same way and the flowers simply fill in the spaces. There is