Black-Figured Amphora (Storage Vessel) (Primary Title)
attributed to, The Ivy Leaf Group (Artist)
Like many creatures in Greek myth, sirens originated in the Near East during the Orientalizing period. In art sirens are often associated with death, but in literature their song seduces sailors to their doom; Odysseus’s sailors bound him to the mast of his ship so he could safely hear the sirens’ song. This skillfully painted Etruscan vase was misfired, resulting in the reddish color on the siren’s body.
Adolph D. and Wilkins C. Williams Fund
“The Centaur’s Smile: The Human Animal in Greek Art” Princeton Univ. Art. Mus., Oct. 11, 2003- Jan. 18, 2004; MFA Houston, Feb.22- May 16 2004.
Image released via Creative Commons CC-BY-NC
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