Vase painting is a form of ancient Greek pottery decoration that involves painting scenes and figures on ceramic vases. This art form flourished from the 8th to the 4th century BCE and is known for its intricate designs and storytelling. Artists used natural pigments to create images that often depicted mythology, daily life, and athletic competitions. There are two main styles of vase painting: black-figure and red-figure. In black-figure painting, figures are painted in a black slip, while the background remains the natural color of the clay. In contrast, red-figure painting allows for more detailed and realistic depictions, as the figures are left in the red color of the clay, and the background is painted black.