DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.8577#0157
CORINTHIAN FIGURE STYLE 137
Suicide of Ajax.1
Protocorinthian aryballos in Berlin (Johansen 144 and pi. 23, 2a).
Protocorinthian bronze matrix from Corfu, pi. 45, 3.
Crater, no. 780.
Alabastron, no. 790.
Aryballos, no. 1258 A.
Aryballos from Camirus Longperier, Mus. Nap. iii, pi. 66,1; Perrot ix, 620,
fig. 334. As Johansen points out, no. 1 gives the composition in its most
primitive form, with body not yet drawn in profile. An ivory comb from
Sparta of exactly the same type as that mentioned on p. 134 gives another
very early version of the subject.2
Legends from the Odyssey.3
Early vase-painters in general show very little interest in the adventures of
Odysseus, and the Corinthians are no exception to the rule. There are no
stories from the Odyssey on Protocorinthian vases, and none on Corinthian
before the sixth century. Even then we have only three examples, and two
of these are by insignificant artists.
The blinding of Polyphemos. Alabastron in New York, fig. 159, of the
second quarter of the sixth century. It is obviously only chance that we have
nothing between this vase and the much earlier Aristonothos crater.4 This
last keeps nearer the words of the Odyssey in more than one respect; Poly-
phemos is half lying, like a man roused suddenly from sleep;5 Odysseus has
four companions 6 and is himself clearly conceived as guiding the operation
from the far end.7 On the Corinthian alabastron, as on the Laconian cup
(Mon. i, pi. 7; Schaal, Bilderhefte iii fig. 26) Polyphemos is seated upright,
and Odysseus has but three companions. He is not distinguished from them
on the Corinthian vase, which, though technically inferior even to the
Laconian cup, is a rather lively piece of work.8 The subject seems to recur
in an impoverished form on a very bad column-crater in the Louvre (E 616,
Pottier, Album i, pi. 44); I do not feel sure that this vase is Corinthian, or
even Greek.
The escape from the cave. Crater-fragment, fig. 49. As will be seen from
the drawing, where, as usual, the thick outlines enclose white areas, the ram,
1 The subject is treated in detail by Schmidt, 5 ko.1 avaKXivdels ireoev vtttlos (ix, 371).
Troika p. 12 and ff. 6 reaaapes, avrap iyu> -nip^mos jnera rolaw iXey-
2 Cf. also the late Argive-Corinthian reliefs pi. 45, p.r]v (335).
4, 8 (top panel on left and second on right). 7 eyco 8' i^vnepdev ipeiaOels StVeov (383; seeMiiller
3 See F. Miiller, Die Antiken Odyssee-Illustratio- p. 2 ff.)
nen, Berlin 1913; he mentions only one of the 8 One individual touch: the Cyclops is covered
Corinthian examples. with long hair. With these Corinthian and Laconian
4 Hoppin B.F.V. p. 6 (Buschor2, fig. 30; Pfuhl fig. examples, cf. the amphora Rumpf, Chalk. Vas. pi.
65). The superficial resemblance to the warrior vase 203 (Miiller, op. cit. p. 4.)
has often been much exaggerated.
3575 T
Suicide of Ajax.1
Protocorinthian aryballos in Berlin (Johansen 144 and pi. 23, 2a).
Protocorinthian bronze matrix from Corfu, pi. 45, 3.
Crater, no. 780.
Alabastron, no. 790.
Aryballos, no. 1258 A.
Aryballos from Camirus Longperier, Mus. Nap. iii, pi. 66,1; Perrot ix, 620,
fig. 334. As Johansen points out, no. 1 gives the composition in its most
primitive form, with body not yet drawn in profile. An ivory comb from
Sparta of exactly the same type as that mentioned on p. 134 gives another
very early version of the subject.2
Legends from the Odyssey.3
Early vase-painters in general show very little interest in the adventures of
Odysseus, and the Corinthians are no exception to the rule. There are no
stories from the Odyssey on Protocorinthian vases, and none on Corinthian
before the sixth century. Even then we have only three examples, and two
of these are by insignificant artists.
The blinding of Polyphemos. Alabastron in New York, fig. 159, of the
second quarter of the sixth century. It is obviously only chance that we have
nothing between this vase and the much earlier Aristonothos crater.4 This
last keeps nearer the words of the Odyssey in more than one respect; Poly-
phemos is half lying, like a man roused suddenly from sleep;5 Odysseus has
four companions 6 and is himself clearly conceived as guiding the operation
from the far end.7 On the Corinthian alabastron, as on the Laconian cup
(Mon. i, pi. 7; Schaal, Bilderhefte iii fig. 26) Polyphemos is seated upright,
and Odysseus has but three companions. He is not distinguished from them
on the Corinthian vase, which, though technically inferior even to the
Laconian cup, is a rather lively piece of work.8 The subject seems to recur
in an impoverished form on a very bad column-crater in the Louvre (E 616,
Pottier, Album i, pi. 44); I do not feel sure that this vase is Corinthian, or
even Greek.
The escape from the cave. Crater-fragment, fig. 49. As will be seen from
the drawing, where, as usual, the thick outlines enclose white areas, the ram,
1 The subject is treated in detail by Schmidt, 5 ko.1 avaKXivdels ireoev vtttlos (ix, 371).
Troika p. 12 and ff. 6 reaaapes, avrap iyu> -nip^mos jnera rolaw iXey-
2 Cf. also the late Argive-Corinthian reliefs pi. 45, p.r]v (335).
4, 8 (top panel on left and second on right). 7 eyco 8' i^vnepdev ipeiaOels StVeov (383; seeMiiller
3 See F. Miiller, Die Antiken Odyssee-Illustratio- p. 2 ff.)
nen, Berlin 1913; he mentions only one of the 8 One individual touch: the Cyclops is covered
Corinthian examples. with long hair. With these Corinthian and Laconian
4 Hoppin B.F.V. p. 6 (Buschor2, fig. 30; Pfuhl fig. examples, cf. the amphora Rumpf, Chalk. Vas. pi.
65). The superficial resemblance to the warrior vase 203 (Miiller, op. cit. p. 4.)
has often been much exaggerated.
3575 T