Apulian Red-Figure Loutrophoros: The Afterlife

by Paola Morales

Abstract

Greek mythology interprets the afterlife and its importance in an interesting way. What is more, the ancient Greeks left behind art to help us experience their ethos and rich stories. In the “Apulian Red-Figure Loutrophoros” vase, we get a glimpse of the Greek concept of the afterlife in a beautiful narrative displayed on the funerary vase. This funerary vase was used as a grave marker for a young woman, and on one side illustrates an offering to the young woman while on the other side the story of “The Swan and Leda” is portrayed. Vases such as these were important as an offering to the dead, not as a mere gesture, but as a crucial tribute to the deceased, known as Eusebeia (meaning to perform appropriate actions to the gods – the Greek word means piety, and Eusebeia was basically the Greek’s word for religion). The significance of each scene on the vase was crucial as it depicted a clear picture of death, the afterlife, and the connection between humanity and the Greek gods. This vase is currently exhibited at the Getty Villa (Gallery 109, The Greeks) in southern Italy. 

Keywords: Apulian Red-Figure Loutrophoros, Leda, Zeus, Swan, Gods, death, vase, Greek, grave marker, funerary vase.

 

Apulian Red-Figure Loutrophoros: The Afterlife

It is in history and art that we can see the past and get an insight of Greek beliefs in their mythology and stories. The Apulian Red-Figure Loutrophoros, is a vase that was made around 350 – 330 before the common era (BCE) in Apulia in Southern Italy. This vase does not simply tell a tale of death and the Greek gods but depicts the connection to each other and each composition on the surface of the vase has significance for the afterlife. It was of the utmost importance and respect for society to follow godliness by placing grave markers to the deceased, so they would be ensured a good place in the afterlife. As scholar Joshua Mark explains, placing a grave marker “was considered one’s duty to the dead to remember them well, of the life they had lived, the mistakes they had made, and, thereby, provide them with continued existence in Elysium (blessed after death).”  “It was through the images and narratives depicted on grave markers that this was accomplished” The detail on this vase shows the image for the deceased on one side, and more memorably the myth of “Leda and the Swan” on the other side. According to this myth, Zeus transforms himself into a swan to seduce Leda, a mortal and the wife of Tyndareus, king of Sparta. It is with vases like the “Apulian Red- Figure Loutrophoros” that we find myth and reality in one, as the image of the deceased is reality, Leda and the Swan is the myth. 

Death can be seen as a dark dead end of life but to the Greeks it was a place of continuous living for the soul – the living were relied upon to remember the deceased. Whether you wound up in a restful or grim place would depend upon your character during life; they believed in the god of the afterlife Hades, ruler of the underworld. It was believed that “if they (humans) had lived a good life and were remembered by the living they could enjoy the sunny pleasures of Elysium; if they were wicked then they fell into the darker pits of Tartarus while, if they were forgotten, they wandered eternally in the bleakness of the land of Hades.” (Mark) As time passed and they believed their deeds were rewarded better, ancient Greeks still relied on being remembered by the living to be able to pass to a restful afterlife. And so, when a person died it was important to have a grave marker at their tomb to represent their life and importantly for their soul to be remembered and allowed passage to the Elysium.

 People found ways to pay tributes and remembrance to the deceased; some used tombstones while others used vases that stood at a person’s grave like the Apulian Red-Figure Loutrophoros. This vase, with its hole on the bottom, possibly for libations, gives us a good indication that it was made to serve as a grave marker and not a mere container. One example of that is that at the neck of the vase there is a siren, who is part human and part bird, which for that time was a representation of grief and lamentation. “To spark the light of continued remembrance in order that the `dead’ should live in bliss eternally. In ancient Greece death was defeated, not by the gods, but by the human agency of memory.” (Mark) Paying tribute to their dead was crucial to the Greeks as it was one’s duty and good deed to keep the dead’s memory alive and connected to the gods. As we all know death is inevitable; for the Greeks death meant passing on to the afterlife, to a more rewarding life with the gods.

Although it was the art on the vases that helped narrate the story of the person that passed on; depicting how they lived and how they were expected to continue to live in the afterlife, it was also important to depict a story of the mythical gods on the vases to continue the connection between the deceased and the gods. Each element on the Apulian Red- Figure Loutrophoros was beautifully painted but most importantly, each scene also conveyed a significant message. As this vase was used as a grave marker for a young female, on one side we see a young woman in the center in her tomb, holding up a ball of thread/wool. Her dress seems as if she was floating in air and her feet appear as if they are rising. Around her, there are visitors bringing gifts to the grave. We can see the difference in color between the deceased woman and her visitors, she is painted in all white just like her tomb whereas the other women have color in their skin, perhaps to differentiate the dead from the living. On the same side on the neck of the vase, you see a side portrait picture of the deceased surrounded by laurel leaves. 

On the other side of the vase a different concept is presented, the one of Leda and the Swan. As previously noted, there is a siren at the neck which is part woman and part bird and represents mourning. On the right side of the vase, you see a representation of Eleusis, a festival that symbolizes a good harvest and happy afterlife.The bottom center of this piece is perhaps the most interesting because it depicts the myth of Zeus seducing Leda which was seen as a comforting metaphor for a woman’s death. On the vase in the Aphrodite scene, Leda is portrayed as a vulnerable human that gods like Hypnos can have power over, and make them do things impossible for mere mortals. One can see through this vase the importance of myth in relation to real life and how both help make meaning of the afterlife.

According to Greek myth, Leda was the queen of Sparta and the wife of Tyndareus who was seduced by Zeus who disguised himself as a swan to have sex with her. In the Apulian Red- Figure Loutrophoros, we can see how the different scenes come together in portraying the seduction of Leda. On the top scene you see Zeus sitting and holding his staff as he is talking to Aphrodite. His feet look relaxed as if he is ready to stand, and Aphrodite looks calm as well, leaning on the Ionic columns holding a wheel from a string which may have been a seduction charm to seduce Leda. To the left, we see Astrape, with big wings, a server of Zeus, holding his bolts and a torch with fire. To the right is Eleusis, the embodiment of a festival that represents good harvest and fortunate afterlife. One of the most interesting aspects of this vase is the bottom scene which represents Leda and the swan kissing. To the left of Leda, you see Hypnos using his staff to put a charm on Leda. Hypnos seems as if he is following Leda and the swan. 

On the other side, you see a woman who appears to be Leda’s servant running away from the scene. What is so captivating about this piece compared to other depictions of Leda and the swan, is that Leda is holding and kissing the swan on the mouth. This is something different than what is commonly seen in other depictions of this myth. For example, the Leda and the Swan statue in the late Henry Lillie Pierce collection shows Leda half naked, with her body against the swan, almost as if Leda is protecting the animal. But in the imagery on the vase, we see Leda fully dressed in her gown a distance away from the swan. Her feet are separated as if she were taking a step forward. Additionally, another difference that we see is how the swan is displayed. The swan’s feet are off the floor and his wings open as if ready to fly or embrace Leda. In the Henry statue, we see the swan’s wings are closed under Leda’s arms and clothing. It is intriguing that the ancient Greeks used this myth as part of a death marker to make sense of a woman’s death.

In conclusion, Greek history and mythology have given us a profound sense of their times. In the Apulian Red- Figure Loutrophoros we see their conceptions of death and the importance of how the deceased are remembered and assured a happy afterlife with the gods. The characters created and their significance in making sense of life and its gifts is fascinating. But it is the story of Leda and the Swan that I find most captivating, because of the symbolism of sex, gods, and the connection to reality. Let us not forget that even after thousands of years, beautiful artwork can still be enjoyed and can teach us so much about the past.

Works Cited

Cartwright, Mark. “Leda.” World History Encyclopedia, 2017, www.worldhistory.org/Leda/ 

Mark, Joshua J. “The After-Life in Ancient Greece.” World History Encyclopedia, 2012, www.worldhistory.org/article/29/the-after-life-in-ancient-greece/ 

Painter of Louvre MNB 1148. Apulian Red-Figure Loutrophoros. 330 BC, J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles. www.getty.edu/art/collection/object/103WEG?altImage=8509e107-f028-4da4-9612-786ac19f2a1e 

S. N. D. “Leda and the Swan.” Museum of Fine Arts Bulletin, vol. 5, no. 25, 1907, p. 15, JSTOR. www.jstor.org/stable/4423331?searchText=leda+and+the+swan&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3Dleda%2Band%2Bthe%2Bswan&ab_segments=0%2FSYC-6744_basic_search%2Fcontrol&refreqid=fastly-default%3Adbd7819870f5edb06eccc26fc1619c03#metadata_info_tab_contents

Fig. 1 Timotheos. Leda and the Swan. 4th century BCE

Fig. 2 Painter of Louvre MNB 1148. Apulian Red-Figure Loutrophoros. 330 BC, J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles.

Fig. 3 Painter of Louvre MNB 1148. Apulian Red-Figure Loutrophoros. 330 BC, J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles.

Fig. 4 Painter of Louvre MNB 1148. Apulian Red-Figure Loutrophoros. 330 BC, J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles.

Fig. 5 Fig. 4 Painter of Louvre MNB 1148. Apulian Red-Figure Loutrophoros. 330 BC, J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles.

Fig. 6 Fig. 4 Painter of Louvre MNB 1148. Apulian Red-Figure Loutrophoros. 330 BC, J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles.

Attributed to Painter of Louvre MNB 1148 (Greek (Apulian), active 350 – 330 B.C.), painter

Apulian Red-Figure Loutrophoros, about 330 B.C.

Terracotta

Object (rim): 90.2 × 26 cm (35 1/2 × 10 1/4 in.), Object (body): 35.5 cm (14 in.), Object (foot): 18.7 cm (7 3/8 in.)

The J. Paul Getty Museum, Villa Collection, Malibu, California, 86.AE.680