| Collection: | University Museums, University of Mississippi |
| Summary: | Artemis with a fawn. |
| Ware: | Attic Red Figure, White Ground |
| Painter: | Attributed to the Bowdoin Painter |
| Date: | ca. 480 BC - ca. 470 BC |
| Dimensions: | H. 0.275 m., D. 0.085 m. |
| Primary Citation: | |
| Shape: | Lekythos |
| Period: | Early Classical |
Decoration Description:
On the body of the vase, Artemis faces right, bending forward with both arms extended to greet a fawn which jumps up at her from the right. Artemis wears a chiton and himation, and has bracelets on both wrists. The goddess' bow and quiver hang behind her. This scene is topped by a maeander between two lines. The shoulder of the vase is decorated with palmettes. The mouth, neck, handle, lower body, and upper surface of the foot are glazed. The sides of the foot are reserved.
The Bowdoin Painter worked in both red figure and white ground. The lekythos is his preferred shape, and he favors scenes with single female figures, such as Artemis, Nike and mortal women. Scenes of Artemis standing with a fawn begin ca. 500. The use of five palmettes on the shoulder of the vase and the rendering of the chiton in outline are elements characteristic of the work of the Bowdoin Painter.
The white ground technique, which first becomes popular in the experimental stage of Attic vase painting in the 520's, consists of covering the natural reddish ground of the clay with a thin white "slip" of ultra-refined clay, which remains white after firing. In the earliest usage of this white ground technique, decoration in the standard black-figure technique of silhouette with incision and added color would then be placed against this lighter background. By the early fifth century, many painters switch to an outline technique. From its inception until the mid fifth century, white ground is used primarily for small vases, such as lekythoi, pyxides, and alabastra, and for small areas of larger vases. After the middle of the fifth century, white ground is used only rarely for vases other than lekythoi.
Shape Description:
The "standard cylindrical shape" lekythos develops at the end of the sixth century and continues to be produced until the beginning of the fourth. The Bowdoin Painter favors the "BL" type. This type is characterized by a black neck and reserved shoulder. The foot is reserved and often flared.
Collection History:
Once in the Robinson collection.
Sources Used: