The History of Greek Vases

by John Boardman

"Boardman gets down to the nitty-gritty of how and why potters created and decorated the vases, how their artistic quality developed and their influence spread."― Publishers Weekly Greek pottery has long fascinated scholars and historians of art. It provides a continuous commentary on all other Greek arts, even sculpture, and the scenes figured on the vases can prove to be as subtle and informative as the great works of Greek literature. In no other art of antiquity do we come closer to the visual experience of the ancient Greeks, or are we able to observe so clearly their views on life, myth, and even politics. John Boardman has demonstrated the stylistic history of Greek vases in other Thames & Hudson titles; as he writes, the subject "is a central one to classical archaeology and art, and dare not be ignored by students of any other ancient medium, or indeed of any other classical discipline."

Here Boardman sketches that history but goes on to explore many other matters that make the study so fruitful. He describes the processes of identifying artists, the methods of making and decorating the vases, the life of the potters' quarter in Greek towns, and the way in which the wares were traded far beyond the borders of the Greek world. Boardman shows how Greek artists exercised a style of narrative in art that was long influential in the West, and how their pictures reflected not simply on storytelling but also on the politics and social order of the day. 358 illustrations

Genres: Nonfiction, Art, History, Ancient, Ancient History, Classical Studies, Archaeology

320 pages, Paperback

First published May 27, 2001

Reviews

[Bloodyjaded · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had to read it as compulsory material for a university exam so I am totally biased, but this was so boring. I had to force myself in order to finish it and in the end I felt like I wasted time because it didn't add much to what I had already known.

[Carly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book sums up a lot of really great information on Greek vases, but the illustrations could be better.

[Michael Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice overview of this critical historical and artistic achievement.