Vases › White-ground

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

OINOCHOE (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

OINOCHOE (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

OINOCHOE (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

OINOCHOE (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

OINOCHOE (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

OINOCHOE (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

OINOCHOE (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

OINOCHOE (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

OINOCHOE (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

OINOCHOE (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

FLASK (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

FLASK (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

AMPHORA, BELLY, FRAGMENTS (EAST GREEK, FIKELLURA, OUTLINE)

AMPHORA, BELLY, FRAGMENTS (EAST GREEK, FIKELLURA, OUTLINE)

JAR (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

JAR (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

DISH (EAST GREEK)

DISH (EAST GREEK)

SITULA, FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

SITULA, FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

SITULA, FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

SITULA, FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

SITULA, FRAGMENTS (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

SITULA, FRAGMENTS (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

SITULA, FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

SITULA, FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

SITULA, FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

SITULA, FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

PLATE, FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

PLATE, FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

PLATE, FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

PLATE, FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

JUG, FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK)

JUG, FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK)

AMPHORA, NECK (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

AMPHORA, NECK (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

PLATE (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

PLATE (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

PLATE (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

PLATE (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

PLATE (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

PLATE (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

PLATE (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

PLATE (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

OINOCHOE (ITALO-GEOMETRIC, OUTLINE)

OINOCHOE (ITALO-GEOMETRIC, OUTLINE)

SKYPHOS (ITALO-GEOMETRIC, OUTLINE)

SKYPHOS (ITALO-GEOMETRIC, OUTLINE)

OINOCHOE (ITALO-GEOMETRIC, OUTLINE)

OINOCHOE (ITALO-GEOMETRIC, OUTLINE)

OINOCHOE (ITALO-GEOMETRIC, OUTLINE)

OINOCHOE (ITALO-GEOMETRIC, OUTLINE)

KRATER (MYCENEAN, OUTLINE)

KRATER (MYCENEAN, OUTLINE)

KRATER (MYCENEAN, OUTLINE)

KRATER (MYCENEAN, OUTLINE)

KRATER (MYCENEAN, OUTLINE)

KRATER (MYCENEAN, OUTLINE)

PLATE (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

PLATE (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

BOWL, FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

BOWL, FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

DINOS, FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

DINOS, FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

OINOCHOE, FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

OINOCHOE, FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

FIGURE VASE, ARYBALLOS (CRETAN, OUTLINE)

FIGURE VASE, ARYBALLOS (CRETAN, OUTLINE)

OINOCHOE, FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

OINOCHOE, FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

BOWL, FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

BOWL, FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

BOWL, FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

BOWL, FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

OINOCHOE, FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

OINOCHOE, FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

ARYBALLOS (CORINTHIAN, OUTLINE)

ARYBALLOS (CORINTHIAN, OUTLINE)

KRATER (CYPRIOT, OUTLINE)

KRATER (CYPRIOT, OUTLINE)

AMPHORA, NECK (CYPRIOT, OUTLINE)

AMPHORA, NECK (CYPRIOT, OUTLINE)

AMPHORA, NECK (CYPRIOT, OUTLINE)

AMPHORA, NECK (CYPRIOT, OUTLINE)

AMPHORA, NECK (CYPRIOT, OUTLINE)

AMPHORA, NECK (CYPRIOT, OUTLINE)

ALABASTRON (CORINTHIAN, OUTLINE)

ALABASTRON (CORINTHIAN, OUTLINE)

AMPHORA, BELLY (MYCENEAN, OUTLINE)

AMPHORA, BELLY (MYCENEAN, OUTLINE)

AMPHORA, BELLY (MYCENEAN, OUTLINE)

AMPHORA, BELLY (MYCENEAN, OUTLINE)

OINOCHOE (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

OINOCHOE (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

SKYPHOS, FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

SKYPHOS, FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

FRAGMENT (ATHENIAN GEOMETRIC, OUTLINE)

FRAGMENT (ATHENIAN GEOMETRIC, OUTLINE)

PYXIS (ATHENIAN GEOMETRIC, OUTLINE)

PYXIS (ATHENIAN GEOMETRIC, OUTLINE)

TANKARD (ATHENIAN GEOMETRIC, OUTLINE)

TANKARD (ATHENIAN GEOMETRIC, OUTLINE)

ARYBALLOS (PROTOCORINTHIAN, OUTLINE)

ARYBALLOS (PROTOCORINTHIAN, OUTLINE)

SKYPHOS (ATHENIAN GEOMETRIC, OUTLINE)

SKYPHOS (ATHENIAN GEOMETRIC, OUTLINE)

TANKARD (ATHENIAN GEOMETRIC, OUTLINE)

TANKARD (ATHENIAN GEOMETRIC, OUTLINE)

AMPHORA, NECK (ATHENIAN GEOMETRIC, OUTLINE)

AMPHORA, NECK (ATHENIAN GEOMETRIC, OUTLINE)

OINOCHOE, FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

OINOCHOE, FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

CUP (IONIAN, OUTLINE)

CUP (IONIAN, OUTLINE)

KRATER, FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

KRATER, FRAGMENT (EAST GREEK, OUTLINE)

AMPHORA, NECK, FRAGMENTS (EAST GREEK, FIKELLURA, OUTLINE)

AMPHORA, NECK, FRAGMENTS (EAST GREEK, FIKELLURA, OUTLINE)

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Images courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art (CC0)