Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art

About this Work

The exterior of this stemmed drinking cup portrays two athletic scenes within the Greek gymnasium. Each scene depicts a nude athlete, a trainer carrying a stick, and a male who observes the activity. One athlete is in the midst of his training, working with either a ball or discus. The other, cleansing himself with a strigil (scraper), has completed his exercises. On the interior of the vessel, a lyre player stands within a circular tondo framed by a patterned border. Both athletics and music were important elements in the education of aristocratic young men: physical training was a social obligation of the elite, and music was recognized as an intellectual pursuit honoring the gods.

Red-Figure pottery developed in response to the black-figure technique. Principle aspects of design were preserved but the overall effect is reversed: rather than creating a black figure on a reserved ground, the figure is reserved (in the red of the clay) and the background is covered in a black gloss. The details in the figures could then be painted on, rather than incised. This development allowed for greater fluidity and was useful to artists who were increasingly interested in movement and naturalism.