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The Ancient Greek Symposion Is One Of The More Popular

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The ancient Greek symposion is one of the more popular aspects of Greek culture, especially since many pottery paintings depict the practice of the symposion. However, there is still mystery surrounding the symposion, especially since said pottery may not be an accurate record of what truly occurred and is merely an artistic representation. Stewart describes the symposion as a “drinking party,” however, it was much more than a mere social gathering. Men who participated in the symposion discussed philosophy and politics, listened to music, and played games. The space of the andron, a room specifically designed to host symposia, functioned as a reclusive space where it was acceptable to engage in actions typically frowned upon in public, …show more content…

The focus of the hydria is the appliqué directly under the vertical handle. The addition of a separate appliqué was a new development Late Classical period where artists would “work the applique in a delicate repoussé technique,” or separately from the body of the hydria. Through this technique, bronze artists began to expand the range of ornamental elements and started “to show more complex mythological scenes that involved one or two human figures, often actively engaged with an object or one another.” The flamboyant style became more popular in various forms of art during this era, and being able to add more detail and dimension to their figures allowed some bronze artists to either pioneer or adopt these techniques. The MFA Eros vase artfully demonstrates these innovations. The main applique depicts two figures, with Eros leaning on a smaller statue of Aphrodite. Eros’ drapery is represented in the flamboyant style, with it dynamically wrapping around his thighs and pooling on top of the Aphrodite statue’s head. His wings are large and sumptuous with comprehensive detailing throughout. Eros’ body is arranged in contrapposto, and the artist skillfully foreshortens his leg to account for his leaning motion. Eros gazes into a mirror and rearranges his hair, delicately picking strands up. On his wrists are two bracelets made of silver, drawing attention to this

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