Red-figure pottery
Red-figure pottery is a style of Greek pottery in which the figure outlines, details and the background are painted black, while the figure itself is not painted. This way, the figures take on the typical reddish tone of pottery after it has been burned in the presence of oxygen.
Red-figure pottery, developed around 530 BC, superseded the earlier black-figure pottery because the new process allowed more intricate detail on the ornaments, humans, animals, etc. depicted. It remained popular until the late 4th century BC.
Red-figure pottery is considered to mark the apex of Greek pottery, as most vases or cups famous today for their skillful painting are in the red-figure style.
External links
- British Museum: Red-figured water jar
- Achilles bandaging Patroclus (depiction inside a cup)
- Greek pottery images
