Attic Red-Figured and White Ground Pottery

This volume presents the inventoried red-figure and white-ground pottery found in the Agora Excavations between 1931 and 1967. Although many of these vases have already been published in various reports and special studies, this is the first time that all have appeared together, and this study gives a full accounting of them. Because almost all the shapes known in Attic red figure have been found in the Agora, these pieces provide a unique opportunity for study. The two introductory sections serve as a useful overview for the entire state of knowledge of Attic red-figure painting. The first gives a brief description of each vase shape and its development, and then shows how the Agora pieces fit into this sequence; the second follows this same format for groups of painters. In the catalogue, measurements and descriptions are given for 1,684 pieces, with relevant comparanda and up-to-date references. Inscriptions, graffiti, and dipinti are included, as well as reconstruction drawings of some of the more important or unusual scenes. The volume concludes with deposit summaries, concordance, and six indexes.

Whoever starts reading, or rather studying, this rich volume, is struck by the clear and masterful way in which the authoress ranges over the vast field of Attic red-figure. In the Foreword she tells us that preparing the material for publication has been an enormous pleasure, and the reader certainly profits from this mood.
J. M. Hemelrijk, BABesch 75 (2000), pp 198-199.