Analysing a pictorial representation of a myth

This Athenian Red-figured wine bowl, figure 1, circa 460-450 BC, is attributed to the Niobid Painter. The scene depicts, from the myth of Prometheus in Hesiod’s Theogony, the creation of the first woman, Pandora, who is acknowledged as both a blessing and a curse for men.

The upper scene of this vase illustrates the gods preparing Pandora, who stands facing forward in a stiff rigid pose reminiscent of a sculpture. This statuesque depiction could be seen as significant, as the gods are creating her, she may not be complete and has not yet been brought to life.

The lower half of the vase depicts a frieze of dancing and playing satyrs. This lower frieze presents a man playing the pipes and many satyrs dancing and singing to this music. Further round to the back of the vase there is a maenad and a satyr father with his child^[1].

As a viewer of the artwork, you are forced to focus on this particular part of the myth, the creation of the first woman on Earth. Interestingly the first time I saw this vase, I momentarily interpreted the scene somewhat differently to the myth. Without the knowing the myth one could easily presume that the central figure of Pandora was the deity and that those around her were lining up to pay homage.

The name Pandora, suitably meaning ‘all gifts’, is appropriate as this scene from the upper frieze, figure 2, demonstrates the gods approaching Pandora one by one to bestow gifts or curses upon her. Aphrodite is shown offering up a myrtle wreath, a symbol of hope and immortality, while other gods move around the scene. Beside Aphrodite to the right stands Poseidon with his trident in hand, and to the left stands Ares with both spear and shield. Several other gods appear further round in this frieze including Hephaistos, Athena, Zeus and Hermes.

The goddess Athena dressed Pandora in fine clothes and garlands and taught her the art of weaving, Hermes endowed her with lies, a deceitful nature and the gift of speech.

This vase, as I have said is a krater. Its purpose was primarily for storing wine, which would have then been poured into a smaller decorated cup for drinking, commonly used for parties known as symposiums. These types of vases or goblets typically depicted celebrations, other symposiums or the god of wine Dionysos among his following of satyrs. This krater could be interpreted as a celebration of the gods’ creation Pandora, even though she was sent into the world as a Kalon Klakon, a 'beautiful evil' or ‘necessary evil’. Could they have been pleased with this woman they created as a gift and a curse for mankind?

This would have been an interesting subject for a vase at a drinking party. These symposiums were mostly male dominated and, given myth which the vase portrays, perhaps it could have inspired some lively male banter about the benefits or otherwise of the female gender.

References

^[1] The British Museum, The creation of Pandora above a frieze of dancing and playing satyrs, Red-figured wine bowl, Internet WWW page at URL: http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/gr/r/wine_bowl,_athens.aspx, (Accessed 27.1.11).

Bibliography

Burn, L. The British Museum Book of Greek and Roman Art, London: The British Museum Press, 2005.

Hesiod, Theogony and Works and Days, Translated by L. M. West, New York: Oxford World’s Classics, 2008.

Osdorne, R. The World of Athens: An Introduction to Classical Athenian Culture, England: Cambridge University Press, 2008.

The British Museum, The creation of Pandora above a frieze of dancing and playing satyrs, Red-figured wine bowl, Internet WWW page at URL: http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/gr/r/wine_bowl,_athens.aspx, (Accessed 27.1.11).

Woodford, S. The Art of Greece and Rome, New York: Cambridge University Press, 2004.

Illustrations

Figure 1: The creation of Pandora above a frieze of dancing and playing satyrs. Red-figured wine bowl (calyx-krater), attributed to the Niobid Painter, Athenian circa 460-450 BC, Found at Altamura, Puglia, Italy.

Figure 2: Close-up of: The creation of Pandora above a frieze of dancing and playing satyrs. Red-figured wine bowl (calyx-krater), attributed to the Niobid Painter, Athenian circa 460-450 BC, Found at Altamura, Puglia, Italy.