Judgement of Paris Amphora
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| Judgement of Paris Amphora | |
|---|---|
| Amphora of the London B 76 Painter, Amphore du Jugement de Pâris | |
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| Artist | London B 76 Painter |
| Year | 575–550 BC |
| Catalog | inventory number E 581-c |
| Type | Attic black-figure belly amphora |
| Dimensions | 36 cm (14 in); 23.4 cm (diameter) |
| Location | Musée des beaux-arts de Lyon, Lyon |
The Judgement of Paris Amphora (French: amphore du Jugement de Pâris) is an Attic black-figure belly amphora dating to about 575–550 BC.[1] It is named after the mythological scene of the Judgement of Paris shown on one side. The vase is attributed to the London B 76 Painter, an anonymous Athenian vase-painter active in the early Archaic period, and is now in the Musée des beaux-arts de Lyon (inventory E 581-c).[1][2]
The amphora was produced in Athens in the second quarter of the 6th century BC, during the early phase of Attic black-figure vase-painting.[3] Its shape and decoration identify it as an Attic black-figure belly amphora of type B, a form used for both storage and display.[1] The exact archaeological find-spot is unknown.[1]
The amphora entered the collections of the Musée des beaux-arts de Lyon in 1923 as a gift from the industrialist Joseph Gillet. It is kept in the museum's Department of Antiquities under the inventory number E 581-c and is regularly used in educational programmes on Greek myth and imagery.[1][2]
Description
The vase is 36 cm high with a maximum diameter of about 23.4 cm.[1] It has two vertical handles and a broad, rounded body, with figural panels on both sides framed by bands of stylised floral ornament and tongues. The same decorative motifs are repeated around the shoulder and lip.
Face A: the Judgement of Paris
On side A the painter depicts the procession leading up to the Judgement of Paris. Three goddesses, Hera, Athena and Aphrodite, move in single file and are shown in profile, wearing long garments and himation cloaks. Each holds a circular object, often interpreted as a crown or wreath, in her hand.[1] At the head of the group walks Hermes, identifiable by his beard, travel hat, staff and winged attributes, who guides the goddesses towards Paris. Paris stands facing them, holding a staff or sceptre. The figures are drawn as black silhouettes with details incised into the slip and with limited use of added colour for emphasis, typical of the black-figure technique.[3]
Face B: duel of hoplites
Side B shows a combat scene between two heavily armed Greek hoplites. The warriors, advancing towards one another, carry round shields (aspides), spears and wear greaves and Corinthian helmets.[1] The composition sets up a frontal confrontation framed by the same floral borders used on the mythological side. The juxtaposition of the peaceful procession on A with the violent duel on B echoes the role of the Judgement of Paris as the mythical origin of the Trojan War.[3]
