Hydria (Water Jar)
360-350 BCE
Medium
terracotta, red-figure
Dimensions
53 × 41.2 × 34.2 cm (20 7/8 × 16 1/4 × 13 1/2 in.)
Classification
vessel
Department
Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
102082
Art Historical Context
This elegant terracotta hydria, or water jar, was crafted in southern Italy around 360–350 BCE by the Iliupersis Painter, a master of the red-figure technique. In this innovative method, artists reserved the natural red clay for figures and details while coating the background with black slip, allowing for greater anatomical precision, expressive gestures, and intricate drapery compared to earlier black-figure styles. Such vessels were essential in daily Greek life for fetching and storing water, yet their elaborate decoration elevated them to objects of beauty and status. Measuring over twen...