ART HIS 20 Final: Art History Final Study Guide
23 Dec 2016
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Document Summary
Geometric amphora, dipylon cemetery in athens, greece, ca. This is a giant ceramic vase known as an amphora, but it would have been used as a grave marker in antiquity. This vase is unusual in that we see figures - a narrative scene is taking place and the style is very geometric. It is covered from head to toe in sharp edged geometric patterns such as meanders, triangles, and diamonds. This pot is really coming out of ancient tradition by avoiding empty spaces on the surface of the vase; the artist leaves little to no negative space. Something unique is the incorporation of both humans and animals, with what looks like gazelle and deer grazing on the neck of the amphora being represented in a repeated motif. In the center of the pot, there is a scene depicting a number of figures surrounding the body of a dead woman, whom we can identify as a woman because of her skirt.
