Technique
White-ground
Period
c. 500–400 BC
Collection
734 vases
A white slip covers the vessel, allowing polychrome painting in added colours — reds, blues, yellows, greens. The closest surviving approximation to the lost art of Greek panel painting. Most common on lekythoi used as grave offerings, their ethereal beauty perfectly suited to funerary themes.
734 examples
SARCOPHAGUS (EAST GREEK, CLAZOMENIAN, OUTLINE)
CUP (BOEOTIAN, OUTLINE)
Kylix
BOEOTIAN BIRD CUP (BOEOTIAN, OUTLINE)
Kylix
FRAGMENT (CORINTHIAN GEOMETRIC, OUTLINE)
FRAGMENT (ARGIVE GEOMETRIC, OUTLINE)
AMPHORA, NECK (ATHENIAN GEOMETRIC, OUTLINE)
Amphora
ARYBALLOS (CORINTHIAN, OUTLINE)
Hermonax
· Aryballos
· -500 to -450
PYXIS (ATHENIAN GEOMETRIC, OUTLINE)
Pyxis
ARYBALLOS (CORINTHIAN, OUTLINE)
Aryballos
OINOCHOE (CORINTHIAN GEOMETRIC, OUTLINE)
Oinochoe
SKYPHOS (ATHENIAN GEOMETRIC, OUTLINE)
Skyphos
ARYBALLOS (CORINTHIAN, OUTLINE)
Aryballos
ARYBALLOS (CORINTHIAN, OUTLINE)
Aryballos
PYXIS (ATHENIAN GEOMETRIC, OUTLINE)
Pyxis
ARYBALLOS (CORINTHIAN, OUTLINE)
Aryballos
ARYBALLOS (CORINTHIAN, OUTLINE)
Aryballos
ARYBALLOS (CORINTHIAN, OUTLINE)
Aryballos
ARYBALLOS (CORINTHIAN, OUTLINE)
Aryballos
ARYBALLOS (CORINTHIAN, OUTLINE)
Aryballos
ARYBALLOS (CORINTHIAN, OUTLINE)
Aryballos
ARYBALLOS (CORINTHIAN, OUTLINE)
Aryballos
HYDRIA (BOEOTIAN GEOMETRIC, OUTLINE)
Hydria
BOEOTIAN BIRD CUP (BOEOTIAN, OUTLINE)
Kylix
PYXIS (ATHENIAN GEOMETRIC, OUTLINE)
Pyxis
AMPHORA, NECK (ITALO-GEOMETRIC, OUTLINE)
Amphora
AMPHORA, NECK (ATHENIAN GEOMETRIC, OUTLINE)
Amphora
TANKARD (ATHENIAN GEOMETRIC, OUTLINE)
TANKARD (ATHENIAN GEOMETRIC, OUTLINE)
PITCHER (ATHENIAN GEOMETRIC, OUTLINE)
CUP (ATHENIAN GEOMETRIC, OUTLINE)
Kylix
CUP (ATHENIAN GEOMETRIC, OUTLINE)
Kylix
ARYBALLOS (CORINTHIAN, OUTLINE)
Aryballos
ARYBALLOS (CORINTHIAN, OUTLINE)
Aryballos
ARYBALLOS (CORINTHIAN, OUTLINE)
Aryballos
ARYBALLOS (CORINTHIAN, OUTLINE)
Aryballos
ARYBALLOS (CORINTHIAN, OUTLINE)
Aryballos
OINOCHOE (ATHENIAN GEOMETRIC, OUTLINE)
Oinochoe
ARYBALLOS (CORINTHIAN, OUTLINE)
Aryballos
ARYBALLOS (CORINTHIAN, OUTLINE)
Aryballos
DISH (ATHENIAN GEOMETRIC, OUTLINE)
RING ASKOS (BOEOTIAN, OUTLINE)
VARIOUS (BOEOTIAN, OUTLINE)
STAMNOS (BOEOTIAN GEOMETRIC, OUTLINE)
Stamnos
CUP (BOEOTIAN, OUTLINE)
Kylix
AMPHORA, BELLY (BOEOTIAN, OUTLINE)
Amphora
BOEOTIAN BIRD CUP (BOEOTIAN, OUTLINE)
Kylix
CUP (BOEOTIAN, OUTLINE)
Kylix
PYXIS (BOEOTIAN, OUTLINE)
Pyxis
OINOCHOE (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)
Oinochoe
OINOCHOE (BOEOTIAN GEOMETRIC, OUTLINE)
Oinochoe
OINOCHOE (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)
Oinochoe
SARCOPHAGUS, FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK, CLAZOMENIAN, OUTLINE)
SARCOPHAGUS, FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK, CLAZOMENIAN, OUTLINE)
SARCOPHAGUS (EAST GREEK, CLAZOMENIAN, OUTLINE)
PLATE (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)
ARYBALLOS, FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)
Aryballos
FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)
OINOCHOE (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)
Oinochoe
PLATE (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)
-575 to -525
CUP (EAST GREEK GEOMETRIC, OUTLINE)
Kylix
Images courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art (CC0)