Biering & Brinkmann Verlag: Books

STUDIES ON ANTIQUE PAINTING AND USE OF COLOR IV

Ulrike Koch-Brinkmann, Die polychromen Lekythen

The revolutionary invention of light-shadow modelling made illusionist images possible towards the end of the 5th Century B.C. In a combination of drawing, colour and light it was for the first time possible to represent people, animals and objects as they really appeared. Written sources report in detail about this phenomenon, contemporary archaeological clues are however hardly to be found. However, just like little mirrors, the polychrome Lekythes narrate the experimental paths taken, and the formal conditions, which were necessary for this kind of painting even to be possible. With the aid of an analysis of the painting technology an attempt is made to reconstruct the original appearance of the Lekythe pictures. Comparisons with the remaining painting of other styles, particularly of the 4th Century B.C. and with the written sources complete this study, which makes it much easier to understand an important era of painting.