Potters and painters shape the character of a workshop; they determine sizes and shapes, painting techniques, and styles of decoration. In this context, potters have far more influence than we generally assume today: In their daily work, they determine not only size and shape but also the framework for figurative painting, while the painter is responsible for implementing these specifications and, of course, for his own artistic design. As the workshop owner, the potter could not lose sight of economic success amid all aesthetic considerations, which gave rise to his special responsibility for the vessel.The workshop that will be the focus of this lecture was active in Athens between approximately 520 and 490 B.C. and was known above all for large, perfectly crafted, elaborately decorated vessels that were painted using two techniques—one traditional and one new. In addition, however, the workshop also produced mass-market goods: smaller vessels in standardized shapes and sizes. This allowed them to appeal to and serve different customer groups. All vessels sold equally well in Etruria, where they were transported by networks of merchants who collaborated with the painters. Some of the artists signed their work, while many others did not. What does this tell us about marketing strategies?

About the Author: Prof. Dr. Bettina Kreuzer studied Classical Archaeology, Prehistory and Early History, and Ancient History in Würzburg and Freiburg. She received her doctorate in 1991 with a dissertation on Attic black-figure pottery from the Heraion of Samos and completed her habilitation in 2003 with a study on the role of the heroes Heracles and Theseus in archaic Athens. Since 2010, she has been a researcher at the Corpus Vasorum Antiquorum and has been cataloging Attic pottery from the Collections of Antiquities in Munich.

About the lecture series: For over 20 years now, this public lecture series has been taking place, featuring scholars from the Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities as well as from its seven sister academies. The lectures are aimed at a broad audience to provide insights into the research. Afterward, attendees have the opportunity to chat with the scholars over pretzels and wine in the Academy’s courtyard garden.

The series is held in cooperation with the vhs Heidelberg.