Terracotta amphora (jar)
Attributed to the Praxias Group
Artists of the Praxias Group, who probably worked in Vulci, were the first Etruscan vase-painters to develop a simpler version of the true red-figure technique. This vase is a good example of their work. The amphora shape is directly borrowed from Greek, specifically Attic, prototypes. The nude youth leaning on a long walking stick that is repeated on each side is a subject perfectly familiar from the Greek repertoire. What is different is the technique. Here, rather than reserving the figures (painting up to their outline), they are painted in a red-slip over the black-gloss background; then, interior modeling is achieved by incising lines through the superposed red slip.
This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.