
Six's technique is the modern name for a technique used by
Attic black-figure vase painters that involves laying on figures in white or red on a black surface and incising the details so that the black shows through. It was first described by the Dutch scholar
Jan Six in 1888, and was given its English name by
J. D. Beazley.
[Beazley, in ''Greek Vases in Poland'', 1928]
Around 530 BCE, the technique began to be used regularly for decorating the whole vase, rather than for details as in previous practice. The effect is similar to
red-figure painting.
Nikosthenes,
Psiax, and the
Diosphos Painter were among the early users of the technique. It remained in use until the mid-5th century, when it can be observed on a small number of
oenochoe
An oenochoe, also spelled ''oinochoe'' (; from , ''oînos'', "wine", and , ''khéō'', , sense "wine pourer"; : ''oinochoai''; Neo-Latin: ''oenochoë'', : ''oenochoae''; English : oenochoes or oinochoes), is a wine jug and a key form of ancient ...
from the
Haimon painter workshop.
See also
*
Corpus vasorum antiquorum
Notes
References
*Beth Cohen. ''The Colors of Clay'', 2006.
*
C. H. Emilie Haspels, ''Attic Black Figure Lekythoi'', 1936.
*G. van Hoorn, ''Choes and Athesteria'' 1951.
*Jan Six. ''A rare vase-technique'', Journal of Hellenic Studies 30, pp. 323–6.
{{Greek vase painting
Ancient Greek vase-painting styles
Archaic Greek art