Room XX - Astarita Collection
A
prestigious collection of Greek ceramics donated to Paul VI Montini (1963/78)
in 1967
In the frieze paintings “Atlas, Banquet
offered by Saul to Samuel, Banquet of Thyestes and allegorical figures” by Orlando Parentini for Pius IV Medici (1559/65)
“Corinthian crater with newlyweds on a chariot surrounded
by friends and row of animals” by the Painter
of the Three Girls about 560 BC
“The growing support for the figurative
style contributed to the crisis of the Corinthian production. The trade of
Athens with the Etruscans and Magna Grecia (Southern Italy) rapidly deprived
the Corinthians of their usual markets. The reaction of the Corinthian artisans
was determined even trying to imitate the nicer color of the Attic clay
covering the bottom of their vases with red-orange mixture. However, this
emulative effort stopped before the compositional freedom and the widespread
use of engraving in Athenians' works. This crater has many additions in red and
white, for details on a black background engraving was used while the details
on a white background are painted. Vases of this type were still exported to
the West, but the preference given by the Etruscans to the Athenian pottery
made the Corinthian one fail” (John Griffiths Pedley)
“Attic black-figured kylix with heads of
women” by Sakonides 550/500 BC from Orvieto
“Bilingual Attic kylix: inside centaur with
black figures; outside, javelin thrower with red figures” by Oltos about 520 BC
“Bilingual Attic kylix: inside
black-figured trumpeter; outside red-figured combat” by Oltos about 520 BC
“Attic red-figured kylix: inside warrior;
outside combat” by Douris about 490/480 BC
“Attic red-figured Stamnos: on the A side,
two warriors standing and a fallen warrior; on the B-side, two warriors” by the
Painter of Kleophrades about 485/480 BC
Room XXI (of the Meridian) - Vases, Attic ceramics with red figures
The room takes its name from the meridian
of Cardinal Francesco Saverio de Zelanda Secretary of State of Pius VI, who
lived in these rooms until 1801 and who also had here his astronomical
instruments
“Hydria with Apollo on the Delphic tripod” by
the Berlin Painter 490 BC
The god is represented here as he flies
over the sea in a very elegant composition
“This vessel has been considered, since the
authors of the nineteenth century inventories, as one of the most important of
the Vatican collection, and it is dated to the juvenile period of the painter.
The figure is isolated, on the high-gloss background of the vase, according to
the peculiar taste for composition of this master, who prefers elegance and
harmony above all in his creations” (Web site of the Vatican Museums -
mv.vatican.va)
“Eponymous amphora with Achilles standing” by
the Painter of Achilles considered a pupil of
the Berlin Painter about 440 BC from Vulci
“To the Painter of Achilles are attributed
more than 200 vessels. He loved painting solitary figures or pairs of
monumental structure” (Carlo Bertelli, Giuliano Briganti, Antonio Giuliano)
“The accuracy of the representation of the
body is extraordinary, whether it is the left leg or the eye painted in
profile. The deeply sculpted folds of the drapery of the figures of the
Parthenon find here their equivalent in painting with the wavy lines of
clothing, thick and irregular on the left shoulder, capable in subtle ways to
give the feeling of weight and texture of the fabric, whereas instead they are
broken, curled and bent as a hook on the upper thighs. The attitude is similar
to the abstract peace of the figures of the Parthenon, while the posture and
position refer to that of the Doryphorus by Polykleitos” (John Griffiths
Pedley)
“Crater with Hermes handing the little
Dionysus to old Silenus” by the Painter of the Boston
Phiale pupil of the Painter of Achilles
about 440/430 BC from Vulci
On the other side “Three Muses”. Polychrome
on white background
“Hydria” by the Painter
of the Boston Phiale 440/430 BC from Vulci
“Kylix with Triptolemus” by the Painter of Jena about 410 BC from Vulci
The vessels of this painter, so called
because most of the vases attributed to him are in the German city, were
largely carried out in Athens but have been found in Etruria, as well as in
Crimea
Room XXII - Italiot and Etruscan ceramics with red figures
In
this room there are the main productions: Lucania, Campania, Apulia and
Paestum, with the exception of the factories in Sicily
“Paestum Crater” by Assteas
painter of Paestum about 360/330 BC painted pottery with Zeus courting Alcmene,
wife of Amphitryon, under the eyes of Hermes
“In the production of pottery painters from
Paestum there is a strong inspiration from the theatrical Italic world. The
grotesque hairstyles of comedians shown here are typical of the popular taste
of the fliacica comedy (from Phliax, figure of the Dionysian procession), which
flourished in Magna Graecia during the fourth and third century BC. Our artist
signed six vessels, while others, like the Vatican example, are attributed to
him on the basis of technical and stylistic similarities” (Web site of the
Vatican Museums - mv.vatican.va)
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