How to Read Greek Vases

The Metropolitan Museum of Art - How to Read

by Joan R. Mertens

This handsomely illustrated volume is the second in a series of publications aimed at giving a broad audience deeper insight into the extensive collections of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Museum is famed for its Greek vases. Joan R. Mertens, Curator in the Department of Greek and Roman Art at the Metropolitan, has chosen thirty-five notable examples. They reveal the variety and vitality of the refined forms and masterfully rendered scenes that characterize these works. And they demonstrate the interrelation of function, shape, technique, and subject matter that is key to understanding the rich language of Greek vases. The introduction provides valuable background information, and the entries delve into the features of each vase, incorporating brilliant color illustrations, including many arresting details.  Greek vases served specific utilitarian functions, and they also afforded outstanding artists, some of whom signed their work, a medium for depicting both the details of daily existence and aspects of their gods, goddesses, and heroes. We see the garments, implements, athletic competitions, and marriage and funerary rituals of Greeks who lived from the seventh through the fourth century B.C. We see their mythological figures and stories, for instance, the goddess Athena with her helmet, spear, and shield, and the great hero Herakles, from his first exploit as a baby to his elevation as an immortal at the end of his earthly life.  The exceptional group of works assembled in this volume conveys the extent to which the culture of ancient Greece is still apparent today. Urns and jars inspired by Greek models are a staple in all types of public and private spaces. The meander patterns, palmettes, and other florals that adorn ancient vases recur in all kinds of modern objects. And the concept of the hero, or superman, first formulated and given visual form in ancient Greece is integral to Western culture.  How to Read Greek Vases is sure to inspire closer scrutiny of these remarkable works of art, which have survived for over two millennia to offer viewers an enlightening look into the ancient heritage of the Western world.

Published in association with The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Genres: Art, History, Art History, Archaeology, Greece, Classics

176 pages, Paperback

First published November 28, 2010

About the author

Joan R. Mertens is a curator and administrator in The Metropolitan Museum's Department of Greek and Roman Art. She became curator in 1981, and served as an administrator from 1983 to 1990. For the comprehensive gallery reinstallation (1990s–2007) and subsequently, her work has focused on the collection of Greek vases and Cypriot art.

Reviews

[TL]

I had a nice experience recently while intoxicated: when I looked in the mirror after a workout and noticed how my newly generated beard had grown I thought I looked like Poseidon. Certainly while sober I look less like him. Nonetheless that experience set my taste agenda for Summer 2025. And that experience's auxiliaries too: after Poseidon appeared in my reflection I went back to my bedroom, which is on the side of the house that the sun barely strikes, and its one-year-long decadent interior design style clashed intensely with the Grecian health I had just perceived. I felt anxious, even nauseous about those unhealthy colors, royal purple and a certain shade of turquoise and black, inspired obliquely by À rebours, and that cheap jewel-encrusted tapestry from Thailand—it all created a most powerful mood, but the wrong one, for Poseidon recommended an urgent escape from all of it, offered a chariot I ought to ride up out into the daylight: and I thought then that he was right. So I went upstairs, and since the clouds had parted and the sun came out at 3 PM that afternoon, and as I let my strawberry-blonde cat in from outside, I understood the importance of orange, of warm colors, and of white marble. Therefore as a simulacrum of the ocean god I became friends with Apollo.

[Nick H · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful, vibrant reference book. I love how it zeroes in on specific works and looks at them from all angles. Incredible as artistic reference material because the pictures are also large and high-res. I appreciate the chronological ordering as well, which gave me a better understanding of the various eras and trends.

素晴らしい写真本。いい美術レファレンス。たくさん習いました

[Kevin Albrecht · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredible journey through the history of Greek vases via 35 detailed walkthroughs of Greek vases from the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection.

Gave me a new appreciation for the details on the vases. Can't wait to see some in person next time!

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting, but I do wish it had more general information on Greek vases.

[Anna C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great selection from the Met's collection highlights, but not at all the "How to Read" guide it purports to be.

[EJ Easlick · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very useful book if you want to know more about ancient art. I learned the difference between black-figure, red-figure, and white ground pottery in ancient Greece, and quite a bit more about how to interpret the images on Greek vases and pottery. And I feel like I've become much more competent in this area.