Sicilian vase painting

The Sicilian vase painting was a regional style of the red-figure vase painting - unteritalisch. She was one of the five southern Italian regional styles. Together with the Lukan and paestanischen vase painting she made a closer stylistic Community.

To date, the beginning of the Sicilian vase painting is in the dark. The production of Sicilian vase began before the end of the 5th century BC in the cities of Himera and Syracuse. The workshops oriented in her work stylistically, thematically, ornamental and in the vase shapes strongly to the Attic models. Especially the influence of Attic Late Classic Meidias Painter is recognizable. It is possible that it is Athenian prisoners of war in the first potters and painters. The checkerboard painter, one of the first Sicilian vase painter seems to have been trained by the Attic Pothos Painter. His pupil, the Dirce Painter, established the typical Sicilian way of working. In the second quarter of the 4th century BC justified from Sicily to Capua and Cumae in Campania and Paestum emigrated ceramist the local production, and only in Syracuse was a limited production vases exist.

The typical Sicilian vase painting first appeared around 340 BC It is possible to distinguish three groups of workshops. A first, Lentini Manfria group called, was active in Syracuse and Gela, a second group on Etna ( Centuripe genus ) and the third group on Lipari. The tone of the vases is pale pink, the black paint color is a matte shade, it flakes easily. Especially typical of the Sicilian vase painting is the use of additional colors, especially white. Especially in the early stages of large vessels like chalice krater, hydria Volutenkratere and were painted, but smaller vessels such as bottles, Lekanen, lekythoi, and skyphoide pyxides are typical. Shown are mainly scenes from the world of women, cupids, women's heads and Phlyakenszenen. Mythical content are rare. As in all other areas marked around the year 300 BC, the end of the Sicilian vase painting.

The Sicilian vase painting was not recognized until relatively late. Meanwhile, about 1,000 vases are known.