The motif of the ‘chariot turning’ in Athenian Black-figure Vase Painting

This paper presents the methodology and first results of a research project investigating the ‘chariot turning’ motif in Attic black-figure vase painting (between ca. 550–450 BC). Moving beyond traditional narrative interpretations, the study treats this three-quarter view depiction of the quadriga wheeling around as a standardised iconographic motif used by workshops as a ready-to-use composition. Relying on the research method developed by Geralda Jurriaans-Helle, the chariot turning is studied as a type of scene. In the first phase of the project, only the vases depicting the chariot in itself were studied. The BAPD contains data on 84 vases featuring the ‘Chariot Turning Alone’ (CTA) subtype. There were two main categories to be identified: single-rider scenes (CTA I, often featuring Athena or warriors) and two-rider scenes (CTA II, dominated by warrior-charioteer pairs). These initial findings suggest that the motif, pioneered by Group E, functioned as a versatile "stock element” that facilitated mass production while remaining visually legible to both Athenian and foreign consumers.