Early & Late Archaic periods (650- 500 B.C;
During this period more interest is shown in Etruria in mythological subjects. As to placement of figure and the interaction between them, we have left the introspective early age and entered into a more conversational one: figures face each other and interact more easily. The second period of Etruscan art is marked by the growth of painting and reliefs; this was in contrast to the Greek where statuary continued to develop. However, Etruscan art does borrow from the Greeks with the first painter’s atelier at Vulci where Pontic vases (in the Greek Archaic manner) have been discovered. The Pontic amphora with the story of the Judgment of Paris (Munich) (above) is a good example of this, and it influenced painters in the later classical era. We also see the growth of painted wall decorations; the Boccanera slabs from Cerveteri (British Museum). Mention should be made of tombs in Umbria which have yielded examples of metallic reliefs such as bronze sheetings from a chariot (found at Castel San Mariano) along with a relief of Herakles fighting opponents. Unsurprisingly, Chuisi continued to retain its reputation as an art centre in the north-west, though the town seems to have been concerned more with metalwork and stone sculpture rather than painting which barely existed in this region. Importantly, for the history of art in this period are the cippi in the form of rectangular bases which are framed like pictures; these resemble the painting found on Pontic vases too. While painting is to be found down south in the celebrated tombs at Tarquinia, Etruscan art in the north continues to concentrate on stone, though sticking to the rectangular format.
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