Style
It is difficult to definitely recognise his work, since he was the centre and main artist of a highly productive Attic pottery workshop. For that reason, many vases are simply described as in the style of Lydos. Several other individual artists within his circle can be identified, including the Painter of Vatican 309 and Painter of Louvre F 6. These works are quite homogeneous in style, but differ considerably in terms of quality.
The style of Lydos strongly resembles that of older artists, such as the painters of Siana cups, of which he himself painted many. He was the last Attic painter to decorate large vases entirely with polychrome animal friezes in the Corinthian style. His human figures resemble the works of Klitias, and later painters, whose humans appear “wrapped” in cloth. Sometimes they have dotted garments, such as preferred by the Amasis Painter. His figures exude a dignity nearly akin to those by Exekias. The Lydos Group did not only paint large vases, but also known for miniature work. For example, they painted ittle-master cups and eye-cups. Ascribed to Lydos himself is a band cup potted by Nikosthenes.
His early works show a tendency to use colour, which decreased throughout his career. Similarly, at an early stage he paid much attention to certain details, such as the hairy backs of cat-like animals, whereas later he concentrated more on gesture. His animal figures appear somewhat stiff, but are usually highly decorative. Lydos painted vases by a variety of potters, including Nikosthenes, Kolchos, Epitimos and Amasis.
His workshop’s style can be described as out-of-date but was used well into the 520s BC. It is not clear why that is the case; perhaps the material was aimed at older or poorer customers. The last artist to resemble Lydos in style was the Ready Painter.
Read more about this topic: Lydos
Famous quotes containing the word style:
“To write well, to have style ... is to paint. The master faculty of style is therefore the visual memory. If a writer does not see what he describes—countrysides and figures, movements and gestures—how could he have a style, that is originality?”
—Rémy De Gourmont (1858–1915)
“We are often struck by the force and precision of style to which hard-working men, unpracticed in writing, easily attain when required to make the effort. As if plainness and vigor and sincerity, the ornaments of style, were better learned on the farm and in the workshop than in the schools. The sentences written by such rude hands are nervous and tough, like hardened thongs, the sinews of the deer, or the roots of the pine.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“I shall christen this style the Mandarin, since it is beloved by literary pundits, by those who would make the written word as unlike as possible to the spoken one. It is the style of all those writers whose tendency is to make their language convey more than they mean or more than they feel, it is the style of most artists and all humbugs.”
—Cyril Connolly (1903–1974)