The study of the ancient Greek theatrical performance from material sources: painting on vessels from the 5th and 4th centuries B.C.

Abstract

In this article, we analyze the “theatrical” paintings depicted on artifacts used in daily or ritual activities. We believe that these artifacts constitute an important material source from which we can study ancient Greek theatrical performance. These pictorial representations are not always clear or univocal, and often one cannot determine whether or not they are related to the theater. The issue is complicated, especially by another feature of these paintings: often what is painted is not the theatrical representation, as one would see it on stage, but rather what the play represents, that is, a representation of reality, the dramatic illusion. With this in mind, and after reviewing a number of general characteristics associated to the theater and its socio-cultural context, we will define; first, what a “theatrical painting” is, and then we will study these paintings taking into account the different ways in which comedy and tragedy are represented. Finally, we will move from the analyzed paintings to engage with theatrical spectacle and what characterizes it.