Pair of amphorae; Naples; 19th century.Ceramic.Measurements: 38 x 21 x 17 cm.Pair of amphorae from the 19th century, made in Naples, which follow the aesthetic models of classical antiquity. In both cases the pieces are ornamented with the red-figure technique and represent a scene related to offerings on an altar on the front, while the back has a scene related to the banquet. Red-figure ware was one of the most important figurative styles of Greek ceramics. It developed in Athens around 530 BC, and was used until the 3rd century BC. It replaced the previous predominant style of black-figure ware within a few decades. The technical basis was the same in both cases, but in the red figures the colouring is inverted, with the figures highlighted against a dark background, as if illuminated by a theatrical light, following a more natural scheme. Painters working with black figures were forced to keep the motifs well separated from each other and to limit theplexity of the illustration. The red-figure technique, on the other hand, allowed greater freedom. Each figure was silhouetted against a black background, allowing the painters to portray anatomical details with greater accuracy and variety, and the technique consisted of painting the motifs on the still-wet piece, using a transparent varnish which, when fired, took on an intense black hue. The motifs were therefore invisible before firing, which meant that the painters had to work entirely from memory, without being able to see their previous work. Once the piece was fired, the unglazed areas remained with the reddish hue of the clay, while the glazed, "painted" areas took on a dense, glossy black colour.Dimensions: 38 x 21 x 17 cm.