Hermonax is an Athenian red-figure painter active ca. 475-450 BCE. The name derives from the signature as painter (“egrapsen”)
on several vases. Shapes are the stamnos, pelike, neck amphora, loutrophoros, oinochoe, lekythos, lekanis, and cups. Subjects
include Dionysos and followers, revelers (“komasts”), weddings, warriors, the Death of Orpheus, Zeus and Ganymede, Boreas
and Oreithyia, Eros and lovers, and youths and young women. Some findspots are sites in southern Italy and Sicily, Cerveteri,
Ampurias (Spain), Athens (Agora, Acropolis), Argos, Brauron, Camiros (Rhodes), and Xanthos (Turkey).
The Telephos Painter is an Athenian red figure painter active ca. 470-460 BCE. The name derives from a cup found in eastern
Etruria (Boston, Museum of Fine Arts 98.931; BAPD 205037) showing Telephos at the palace of Agamemnon. The main shape is the
cup, but also the phiale, neck amphora, lekythos, and rhyton in the shape of a donkey head. Subjects include the symposion,
revelers (“komasts”), satyrs, athletes, warriors, Eos and Tithonos, and the Ilioupersis. Some findspots are Orvieto, Etruria
(Vulci, Tarquinia), sites in southern Italy and Sicily, Eretria, Athens (Acropolis, unspecified sites), and Camiros (Rhodes).
The Keyside Class denotes a group of Athenian black-figure painters active late 6th to early 5th c. BCE. The name derives
from two vases (Würzburg, Martin von Wagner Museum 347; BAPD 303245; and Würzburg, Martin von Wagner Museum 345; BAPD 303249)
with a key-pattern as a side border. Attributed to the class are the Leagros Group, Group of Vatican G49, Painter of Sèvres
100, and Class of Athens 581. The main shape is the oinochoe. Subjects include Dionysos and followers, Herakles, dancers,
the symposion, and Amazon. Findspots are Vulci, other Etruscan sites, and sites in southern Italy and Sicily.
The Hypobibazon Class denotes a group of Athenian black-figure vases made around 510 BCE. The name derives from an amphora
discovered in the Athenian Kerameikos (Athens, Kerameikos 158; BAPD 301866) showing a warrior about to mount a horse. The
shape associated with the class is a belly amphora (Type B) with rounded handles and feet. Painters of this class prefer daily
life scenes. Findspots are sites in Athens (Agora, Acropolis, Kerameikos) and Eleusis.
Euthymides is an Athenian red-figure painter active ca. 515-500 BCE, who signed as both painter (“egrapsen”) and potter (“epoiesen”).
Euthymides is considered a member of the Pioneer Group, along with Euphronios, Phintias, and other vase-painters. One of the
best known works is an amphora (Munich, Antikensammlungen 2307; BAPD 200160) featuring revelers (“komasts”) and the inscription
“as never Euphronios.” Shapes include different amphora types, the hydria, and cups. Scenes are Dionysos and followers, other
gods, athletes, Theseus, Herakles, and the symposion. Some findspots are Vulci and other sites in Etruria, Athens (Acropolis,
Agora), sites in Sicily and southern Italy, and Vix (France).
The Epeleios Painter is an Athenian red-figure cup painter active ca. 515-500 BCE. The name derives from the appellation “Epeleios”
inscribed on several vases. Subjects include revelers (“komasts”), sacrifice, satyrs and maenads, athletes, and youths with
horses. Some findspots are Etruria (Vulci, Gravisca, Chiusi, Roselle), Athens (Acropolis, Agora), Selinus, and Olbia.
The Flying-Angel Painter is an Athenian red-figure painter active ca. 480-470 BCE. The name derives from an amphora found
in Capua (Boston, Museum of Fine Arts 98.882; BAPD 202711) showing a satyr supporting a child-satyr on his shoulders with
outstretched arms (“flying-angel”). Shapes include the amphora (Type C), kraters, pelike, lekythos, and a Panathenaic amphora
with revelers (“komasts”). Other subjects are athletes, the symposion, Dionysos and followers, warriors, and Herakles. Some
findspots are Cerveteri, Chiusi, Gela, Athens (Acropolis, Agora), Rheneia (Delos), Cyrene, and Kerch.
Kleophrades signed cups as potter (epoiesen 'made it') that were decorated by a variety of painters. Other vases have been
attributed to him on the basis of style. He was the son of the potter Amasis (q.v.).
The Leafless Group is a group of Athenian black-figure painters active late 6th to early 5th c. BCE. The name derives from
the leafless branches added to the scenes. Shapes include kylix cups (Type A, Type B), the kyathos, and mastoid cups. The
scenes are mainly Dionysian. Findspots include Turkey (Smyrna, Xanthos, Clazomenae), Athens (Agora, Acropolis), Adria (Adriatic
coast of Italy), Olbia, and Camiros (Rhodes).
The Bulas Group is a group of Athenian black-figure painters active in the early 4th c. BCE. The group is known for decorating
the miniature Panathenaic amphora. The name derives from Casimar Bulas, the scholar who first assembled the group. Scenes
are of Athena, athletes, and Eros. Findspots include Greece (Corinth, Eretria, Athens), Amathus (Cyprus), Al Mina (Syria),
and Cumae.
Impressed describes decoration that is added by impressing or stamping (see Stamped) designs onto the surface of the vessel
before it is painted. In Athens, it first appears around the middle of the 5th c. BCE perhaps in the work of the Sotades Painter
(see Painter). The ornament generally consists of small and simple motifs, such as rosettes, concentric circles, palmettes,
ovules, and tongues. Impressed and stamped decoration usually appears on drinking vessels.
Black pattern is a term sometimes used to describe Athenian vases without human or animal figures. The decoration includes
floral, linear, or patterned bands. On some vases, large areas of the surface are painted black with a reserved band for decoration.
Examples are dated from the mid-6th through the 4th c. BCE. Other regions producing their own versions of black pattern decoration
included Corinth, Boeotia, Laconia, and South Italy.
Onesimos is an Athenian red-figure painter active ca. 505-480 BCE, and associated with the Proto-Panaitian Group. The name
derives from a cup found at Vulci signed as painter (“egrapsen”) by Onesimos and as potter (“epoiesen”) by Euphronios (Paris,
Louvre G105; BAPD 203218) showing horsemen. The primary shape is the cup (kylix). Other shapes are the skyphos, plate, and
pyxis. Subjects include Theseus, Herakles, the Trojan War, the symposion, revelers (“komasts”), athletes, and nude females.
Some findspots are Etruria (Vulci, Cerveteri, Tarquinia, Chiusi, Orvieto), sites in southern Italy and Sicily, Athens (Acropolis,
Agora), and Naukratis.
The Charmides Painter is an Athenian red-figure painter active ca. 480-460 BCE. The name derives from the inscription “Charmides
kalos'' or “kalos Charmides” (“Charmides is beautiful”) on several vases. Shapes include the neck amphora (Nolan amphora)
and lekythos. Subjects are Eros, warriors, the Judgement of Paris, Eos and Tithonos, Nike, and satyrs. Findspots are sites
in southern Italy and Sicily and the Athenian Agora.
A Bronze Age Minoan style perhaps inspired by frescoes, the entire surface of a pot was covered with sea creatures, octopus,
fish and dolphins, against a background of rocks, seaweed and sponges.
The Siren Painter is an Athenian red-figure painter active ca. 480-470 BCE. The name derives from a stamnos from Vulci (London,
British Museum E440; BAPD 202628) showing Odysseus and the Sirens. Shapes are the pelike and stamnos. Subjects include Herakles
and Deianira, Perseus and a Gorgon, and the Struggle for the Delphic Tripod. Findspots are Vulci and perhaps Cerveteri.
The Chelis Painter is an Athenian red-figure cup painter active ca. 515-500 BCE. The name derives from the potter (“epoiesen”)
who signs as Chelis. Subjects are Dionysos and followers, and the known findspots are in Etruria.
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from Latin: aurum) and atomic number 79, making it one of the higher atomic
number elements that occur naturally. In a pure form, it is a bright, slightly reddish yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and
ductile metal. It appears to be the earliest metal to be manipulated by humans.
The Antiphon Painter is an Athenian red-figure painter active ca. 490-470 BCE. The name derives from the inscription “Antiphon
kalos” (“Antiphon is beautiful”) on a stand from Pomarico (southern Italy) (Berlin, Antikensammlung F2325; BAPD 203436) showing
athletes. The cup is the main shape, and subjects include warriors, hunting, Herakles, Theseus, the symposion, and revelers
(“komasts”). Findspots are the Athenian Acropolis, Etruria (Orvieto, Vulci, Tarquinia, Cerveteri, Chiusi), and sites in southern
Italy.
Lead is a chemical element with the symbol Pb (from the Latin plumbum) and atomic number 82. It is a heavy metal that is denser
than most common materials. Lead is soft and malleable, and also has a relatively low melting point.
Outline denotes using black lines of clay slip to express the edges of a figure or form, leaving interior areas unpainted
or untreated. It is commonly used for details of anatomy on figures, such as eyes, faces, and exposed parts of the body. In
Athens, it first appears in the Geometric period (see Geometric) combined with silhouette, then in the Orientalizing period
(see Orientalizing), and eventually later as part of the black-figure, red-figure, and white-ground techniques.
The use of white-ground (see White-ground) with the black-figure technique (see Black-figure) was pioneered by the Edinburgh
Painter (see Edinburgh Painter) during the late 6th c. BCE. A white slip (see Added White) is applied to the surface of the
vase onto which human or animal figures are painted using black-figure. Shapes include the lekythos, oinochoe, and small neck-amphora.
The Clinic Painter is an Athenian red-figure painter active ca. 470-460 BCE. The name derives from an aryballos (Paris, Louvre
CA2183; BAPD 210078) showing a medical scene. Shapes are mainly cups, but also the askos, aryballos, stamnos, and oinochoe.
Subjects include Dionysos and followers, revelers (“komasts”), Eros, warriors, youths, men, women, Herakles, and the Embassy
to Achilles. Findspots are Adria, Spina, Etruria (Vulci, Chiusi, Orvieto), and Nola.
Makron is an Athenian red-figure painter active ca. 495-475 BCE. The name derives from a skyphos from Suessula with the signature
of Makron as painter (“egrapsen”) and Hieron as potter (“epoiesen”) (Boston, Museum of Fine Arts 13.186; BAPD 204681) showing
Paris and Helen on one side and Menelaus and Helen on the other. The main shape is the cup, but also the aryballos, askos,
stamnos, oinochoe, plate, and pyxis. Subjects include musicians, revelers (“komasts”), courting, the symposion, Dionysos and
followers, a satyr-play, athletes, warriors, centaurs, Herakles, Demeter and Triptolemos, and the Trojan War. Some findspots
are Athens (Acropolis, Agora), Etruria (Vulci, Orvieto, Cerveteri, Chiusi, Tarquinia), Adria, sites in southern Italy, and
Ampurias (Spain).
The Salting Painter is an Athenian red-figure cup painter active ca. 510-500 BCE. The name derives from the previous owner
(Walter Salting) of a cup (London, Victoria and Albert Museum C2 496.1910; BAPD 201631) showing an athlete with a discus on
the interior. Other scenes include warriors and revelers (“komasts”). Findspots are mainland Greece (Corinth, Atalanti), Etruria,
Rome, and Naukratis.
The Oinanthe Painter is an Athenian red-figure painter active ca. 470-450 BCE and a member of the Mannerist Group. The name
derives from the inscription “Oinanthe kale” (“Oinanthe is beautiful”) on a hydria found at Vulci (London, British Museum
E182; BAPD 206695) showing the Birth of Erichthonios. Other shapes are the column krater, pelike, and hydria. Scenes include
Theseus and gods and goddesses. Findspots are Norcia (southern Italy) and Vulci.
The Group of the Negro Alabastra denotes a group of Athenian white-ground vases, decorated with figures in silhouette and
outline and produced in the 480’s BCE. The name derives from the shape (alabastron) that is often decorated with African males.
Aside from the alabastron, the group also decorated a few plates. Subjects include isolated figures: a draped African male
sometimes holding objects, an Amazon, and a Thracian. Some findspots are Boeotia (Thebes, Tanagra), Camiros (Rhodes), Athenian
Acropolis, and sites in southern Italy.
The Dot Band Class denotes a group of Athenian black-figure painters of the small neck amphora active late 6th to early 5th
c. BCE. The name derives from a band of dots on the neck of the amphora. Attributed to the class are the Edinburgh Painter,
Michigan Painter, Leagros Group, Group of Brussels R312, and the Bompas Group. Scenes are of Dionysos and followers, Herakles,
warriors, and Amazons. Findspots include sites in Etruria, southern Italy and Sicily, the Athenian Agora, and Rhodes.
The Swan Group is a group of Athenian black-figure painters active during the 6th c. BCE. The group is known for decorating
miniature vessels. The name derives from the prevalence of black silhouette swans (often upside down) as decoration. Shapes
include the pyxis, skyphos, lekanis, plate, oinochoe, phiale, and lebes. Findspots are Athens (Agora, Acropolis, Kerameikos),
Attica (Koropi, Eleusis), Tocra (Libya), Syracuse, and Perachora.
Eucharides Painter is the common nickname of an ancient Greek artist who decorated but did not sign attic vases. Neither his
real name, nor the dates of his birth and death are known. Presumably this artist was a pupil of the Nikoxenos painter.
The Elpinikos Painter is an Athenian red-figure cup painter active in the early 5th c. BCE. The name derives from the inscription
“Elpinikos kalos” (“Elpinikos is beautiful”) on several examples. Subjects include Menelaus and Helen, the symposion, and
youths. Findspots are sites in Etruria (Orvieto, Vulci, Cerveteri).
The Pithos Painter is an Athenian red-figure cup painter active at the end of the 6th c. BCE. The name derives from the storage
vessel (pithos) represented in several scenes. Subjects include youths, satyrs, warriors, archers, athletes, and the symposion.
Findspots are Athens (Agora, Acropolis), Camiros (Rhodes), Chios, Rhitsona, Perachora, Delos, Olynthos, Adria, Gela, Naukratis,
Al Mina, sites in Israel, Olbia, and the River Thames (Reading, UK).
The Dolphin Group are a group of black-figure painters active in the mid-6th c. BCE. Originally considered to be Athenian,
the group has also been associated with Euboea. The name derives from the dolphins on the shoulder of the vessels. The primary
shape is the lekythos. Scenes are of animals and floral motifs. Findspots include Athens (Kerameikos, Agora), Ialysos (Rhodes),
Cerveteri, and sites in Euboea.
The Akestorides Painter is an Athenian red-figure painter active ca. 470-450 BCE. The name (“Akestorides”) is inscribed on
a cup from Aegina (New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art 22.139.72; BAPD 209611) showing a boy playing the lyre. The main shape
is the cup. Subjects include satyrs and maenads, revelers (“komasts”), athletes, musicians, and draped figures. Findspots
are Vulci, Orvieto, Koropi (Attica), Athens, Aegina, and Kerch.
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite. Marble is typically
not foliated, although there are exceptions. In geology, the term marble refers to metamorphosed limestone, but its use in
stonemasonry more broadly encompasses unmetamorphosed limestone. Marble is commonly used for sculpture and as a building material.
The Matsch Painter is an Athenian red-figure painter active ca. 480-470 BCE. The name derives from the former collector of
a pelike (Pennsylvania, Private Collection; BAPD 202568) showing a man with a staff and a woman with a basket. Other shapes
are the neck amphora and column krater. Subjects include Herakles and Geras (“old age”), Dionysos and followers, and warriors.
Findspots are Padula (southern Italy) and Cerveteri.
Athenian red-figure vase-painter whose name is unknown. Nevertheless consistent individual characteristics of style suggest
the existence of a unique artistic personality. Beazley called him the Nikosthenes Painter naming him after the potter Nikosthenes
who signed some of the vases he decorated.
A rock is any naturally occurring solid mass or aggregate of minerals or mineraloid matter. It is categorized by the minerals
included, its chemical composition and the way in which it is formed. Rocks are usually grouped into three main groups: igneous
rocks, metamorphic rocks and sedimentary rocks.
The Group of Rhodes 12264 is a group of Athenian black-figure painters of Little Master cups and other cup shapes active beginning
in the mid-6th c. BCE. The name derives from a Droop cup discovered at Camiros, Rhodes (Rhodes, Archaeological Museum 12264;
BAPD 302520) showing a fight with a chariot on both sides. Other subjects are fights with chariots, Theseus, animals, and
the interiors of stemless cups are decorated with a gorgoneion. Findspots include Xanthos (Turkey), Rhtisona, Rhodes, Samos,
Spain, and Italy.
The Providence Painter is an Athenian red-figure painter active ca. 475-450 BCE. The name derives from a neck amphora (Providence,
Rhode Island School of Design 15.005; BAPD 207352) showing Apollo with a kithara. Other shapes are the Panathenaic amphora,
hydria, lebes gamikos, stamnos, lekythos, oinochoe, column krater, and cups. Subjects include Dionysos and followers, other
gods and goddesses, the Apotheosis of Herakles, women (domestic activities, pursuit scenes), athletes, warriors, revelers
(“komasts”), and a wedding. Some findspots are Etruria (Cerveteri, Vulci), sites in southern Italy and Sicily, Athens (Acropolis,
Agora), Eretria, Thebes, Ampurias (Spain), and Al Mina.
The Delos Painter is an Athenian red-figure cup painter active ca. 520-500 BCE. The name derives from a cup found in Delos
(Delos, Archaeological Museum 652; BAPD 201559) showing a satyr and maenad on one side and a fight on the other. Other subjects
include Dionysos and Herakles. Other findspots are the Athenian Agora and Gravisca.
The Painter of Louvre G265 is an Athenian red-figure cup painter active ca. 470-460 BCE. The name derives from a cup found
at Vulci (Paris, Louvre G265; BAPD 204532) showing the Deeds of Theseus. Other subjects include religion, warriors, athletes,
Dionysos and followers, revelers (“komasts”), and the Death of Orpheus. Findspots are Vulci, Orvieto, and Nola.
The P.S. Painter is an Athenian red-figure painter connected to the Syriskos Group, active ca. 470’s BCE and earlier. The
name derives from the signature as potter (“Pistoxenos Syriskos epoiesen”) on two vessels (the skyphos) belonging to a private
collection in England (Whitby, UK, Mulgrave Castle). Subjects on both sides of one skyphos are women at a fruit tree (BAPD
352513), and on the other skyphos are Theseus and Prokrustes and Theseus and Sinis (BAPD 352514). Findspots are unknown.
Sir John Beazley used the term group in two different ways. The first was for vases that were closely related but could not
be assigned to a single painter's hand. The second indicates the work of artists with similar or related styles, such as
the Pioneer Group. Some groups, such as the Tyrrhenian Group or the Leagros Group, belong to both categories.
The Berlin Painter (active c. 490s-c. 460s B.C.) is the conventional name given to an Attic Greek vase-painter who is widely
regarded as a rival to the Kleophrades Painter, among the most talented vase painters of the early 5th century B.C.
Coral red (or “intentional red”) is the term used to describe a color applied to some vases in the 6th and 5th c. BCE. The
color was painted onto entire vases (called “red-bodied” vessels) but did not adhere well to the surface. It is debated whether
coral red derives from a mixture of red ochre or comes from a refined form of natural clay and yellow ochre that transforms
to coral red when fired. The earliest known example of coral red is a kylix signed as potter (“epoiesen”) by Exekias (Munich,
Antikensammlungen 2044; BAPD 310403) showing Dionysos reclining inside a ship on the cup’s interior (see Exekias). The technique
appears mostly on small shapes and on a volute krater attributed to the Kleophrades Painter (see Kleophrades Painter).
Phintias is an Athenian red-figure painter active ca. 525-510 BCE, who signed as both painter (“egrapsen”) and potter (“epoiesen”).
Along with Euthymides, Euphronios, and other vase-painters, Phintias is considered a member of the Pioneer Group. Shapes connected
to the painter include both cups and large vessels, like the hydria, amphora (Type A), and krater. Smaller shapes connected
to the potter are the cup and the cockle-shell aryballos. Scenes include the symposion, fountain-house, and athletes. Some
findspots are Etruria (Vulci, Populonia, Orvieto, Tarquinia), the Athenian Acropolis, and Thasos.
The Group of the Courting Cups is a group of Athenian black-figure eye cups (Type A) dating to the late 6th c. BCE. The name
derives from homosexual courting couples shown on the exterior. A gorgoneion is portrayed in the interior. Some examples are
attributed to the FP Class. Findspots are Berezan, Vulci, Thebes, Sicily, and Ampurias (Spain).
The Perseus Painter is an Athenian red-figure painter active ca. 470-450 BCE, and a member of the Mannerist Group. The name
derives from a hydria found at Vulci (Berlin, Antikensammlung F2377; BAPD 206718) showing Athena and Perseus. Other shapes
are the pelike, neck amphora, loutrophoros, lebes gamikos, and krater. Scenes include Dionysos and satyrs, other gods and
goddesses, herms, and funerary scenes. Findspots are the Athenian Agora, Camiros (Rhodes), Cyrenaica (Libya), sites southern
Italy, and Etruria (Vulci, Cortona).
Myson is an Athenian red-figure painter active ca. 500-475 BCE. The name derives from signatures as painter (“egrapsen”) and
potter (“epoiesen”) on a column krater from the Athenian Acropolis (Athens, National Museum Akr. 806; BAPD 202359) showing
Athena. Other shapes are the pelike, calyx krater, psykter, and oinochoe. Scenes include revelers (“komasts”), the symposion,
athletes, Dionysos and satyrs, Croesus seated on a pyre, Amazons, the Struggle for the Delphic Tripod, and other scenes with
Herakles. Some findspots are Athens (Acropolis, Agora, Kerameikos), Etruria (Vulci, Cerveteri), Orvieto, Falerii, Locri (south
Italy), and Kerch.
Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals
(such as aluminium, manganese, nickel or zinc) and sometimes non-metals or metalloids such as arsenic, phosphorus or silicon.
The Group of the Dresden Lekanis is a group of Athenian black-figure painters active in the first quarter of the 6th c. BCE.
The name derives from a lekanis found in Corinth (Dresden, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen, Albertinum ZV 1464; BAPD 300250), showing
a male and animals. Some vases are attributed to a single hand (Painter of the Dresden Lekanis), who is thought to have been
trained in Attica and later emigrated to Boeotia, becoming identified with the Horse-bird Painter/Group. Shapes include the
lekanis, amphora, the skyphos-krater, and chalice. A dinos in the Athenian Agora (P334; BAPD 300278) portrays the Kalydonian
Boar Hunt, Funeral Games of Pelias, male revelers (“komasts”), a satyr, and a maenad. Findspots include Athens (Agora, Acropolis),
Smyrna, Ampurias, Taranto, and Corinth.
Glass is an amorphous solid (non-crystalline) material that exhibits a glass transition, which is the reversible transition
in amorphous materials (or in amorphous regions within semicrystalline materials) from a hard and relatively brittle state
into a molten or rubber-like state.
The so-called Kalpis or Continuous-curve Hydria differs from the Shoulder Hydria in several ways: the neck, shoulder, and
body form a continuous curve; its vertical handle is cylindrical and is rooted on the neck rather than on the lip; its foot
shape is more varied; its rim is concave on top; and it is usually smaller. It was popular between the end of the sixth through
the fourth century B.C.
Added color refers to additional pigments that are painted onto a vase’s surface either before or after firing. It is a frequent
component of black-figure, red-figure, and white-ground vases. The most commonly added colors are matte white (primary clay
with minimal iron oxide) and matte red/purple (mainly red ochre), and occasionally added yellow. Other added colors are vegetable-based
greens, blues, and pinks, as well as gold (gilding), and were likely applied after the firing process.
The Tithonos Painter is an Athenian red-figure painter active ca. 500-480 BCE. The name derives from a neck amphora from Suessula
(Boston, Museum of Fine Arts 03.816; BAPD 203171) showing Eos and Tithonos. Other shapes are the lekythos and stamnos. Subjects
include Dionysos and followers, revelers (“komasts”), warriors, religion, and athletes. Findspots are Eretria, Kydonia (Crete),
Adria, Vulci, Nola, Gela, and Syracuse.
The Harvard Art Museums is part of Harvard University and comprise three museums: the Fogg Museum (established in 1895), the
Busch-Reisinger Museum (established in 1903), and the Arthur M. Sackler Museum (established in 1985) and four research centers:
the Archaeological Exploration of Sardis (founded in 1958), the Center for the Technical Study of Modern Art (founded in 2002),
the Harvard Art Museums Archives, and the Straus Center for Conservation and Technical Studies (founded in 1928). The three
museums that comprise the Harvard Art Museums were initially integrated into a single institution under the name Harvard University
Art Museums in 1983. University was dropped from the institutional name in 2008.
The Tyszkiewicz Painter is an Athenian red-figure painter active ca. 490-470 BCE. The name derives from a calyx krater from
Vulci formerly in the Tyszkiewicz Collection (Boston, Museum of Fine Arts 97.368; BAPD 202631) showing Achilles and Memnon
on one side and Diomedes and Aeneas on the other. Shapes are kraters in different forms, the amphora in different forms, the
pelike, stamnos, and hydria. Subjects include the Trojan War, Dionysos and followers, the symposion, revelers (“komasts”),
Amazons, Theseus, and the Gigantomachy. Some findspots are Etruria (Cerveteri, Vulci, Tarquinia), Spina, Falerii, sites in
Sicily, Athens (Acropolis, Agora), Histria (Romania), and Kerch.
The Komast Group is a group of Athenian black-figure painters active from ca. 585-570 BCE or later. The name derives from
the prevalence of male revelers ("komasts" or “komast dancers”) decorating many vessels. The main shapes are the Komast cup,
skyphos, and column krater. Painters include the KX Painter, KY Painter, the Falmouth Painter, and the Palazzolo Painter.
Findspots are widespread and include Athens, Naukratis, Taranto, Ampurias, Miletus, and Berezan.
The Briseis Painter is an Athenian red-figure painter active ca. 480-470 BCE. The name derives from a cup found at Vulci (London,
British Museum E76; BAPD 204400) showing Achilles and Briseis. The main shape is the cup, but other shapes are the neck amphora,
Panathenaic amphora, column krater, lekythos, alabastron, pyxis, and plate. Subjects include warriors, athletes, Herakles,
Dionysos and followers, revelers (“komasts”), and religion. Some findspots are Adria, Etruria (Vulci, Tarquinia, Cerveteri),
sites in southern Italy and Sicily, Athens, and Naukratis.
The Class of C.M. 218 denotes a group of Athenian black-figure vases dating from the beginning of the mid-6th c. BCE. The
name derives from a neck amphora that is attributed to the Painter of Boston 01.17 found in Cerveteri, now in Paris (Cabinet
des Médailles 218), showing Dionysos with Apollo and maenads. The class consists of a variant of the Nikosthenic amphora,
including bilingual vases (decorated in two techniques) and two examples in red-figure signed as potter (“epoiesen”) by Pamphaios
that are attributed to the painter Oltos. The primary findspot is Cerveteri.
Red-figure is a light-on-dark technique used for figure decoration on a wide variety of shapes. It was invented in Athens
ca. 530-520 BCE. Red-figure decoration is created by leaving figures and shapes in reserve (see Reserving) on the untreated
or lightly treated surface of the vessel, often outlining them. Linear details are then created using gloss, dilute gloss,
and relief lines. The areas outside the outlined figures are painted with clay slip. Vases are fired in three stages, resulting
in reserved red figures (human and animal) against a black background. The red-figure technique was first used by the Andokides
Painter (see Andokides Painter [Red-figure]; see Andokides Painter [Black-figure]), who is best known for bilingual vases
(vessels decorated with the same scene on both sides, one in red-figure and the other in black-figure).
The Pedieus Painter is an Athenian red-figure cup painter active in the late 6th c. BCE. The name derives from the inscription
“Pedieus kalos” (“Pedieus is beautiful”) on several examples. Subjects include Amazons, horsemen, warriors, and women. Findspots
are Thebes, Athens, Camiros (Rhodes), and sites in Etruria (Cerveteri, Tarquinia, Gravisca).
The white-ground technique refers to the application of a white clay slip on the surface of a vessel before adding figure
decoration. It is first found on some Geometric (see Geometric) and Orientalizing (see Orientalizing) vessels made in Athens
and Attica. Around 530 BCE, the technique appears on Athenian black-figure vases (see Black-figure), like those from the workshops
of Nikosthenes (see Nikosthenes), the Andokides Painter (see Andokides Painter [black-figure]), and Psiax (see Psiax), but
the inventor is uncertain. By the late 6th c. BCE, painters use the technique to decorate the black-figure lekythos and other
shapes. After ca. 480 BCE, the white-ground technique is used primarily for funerary subjects on the lekythos, and the figures
are painted in outline, semi-outline, and later polychrome. White-ground may have been inspired by stone vessels and has been
connected to wall and panel painting.
Apulia (Italian: Puglia)[note 1] is a region of Italy in Southern Italy bordering the Adriatic Sea in the east, the
Ionian Sea to the southeast, and the Strait of Òtranto and Gulf of Taranto in the south. It was a major producer of Red Figure
pottery during the
Classical period.
The Syriskos Group is a group of Athenian red-figure painters active ca. 470 BCE and earlier. The main painters are the Copenhagen
Painter, the Syriskos Painter, and the P.S. Painter. The group decorates vases of both common and unusual shapes.
The Burgon Group is a group of Athenian black-figure painters dated to the second quarter of the 6th c. BCE. Attributed to
this group is the first complete Panathenaic amphora, the Burgon Vase (London, British Museum B130; BAPD 300828), named for
the scholar who discovered it. Other shapes include the oinochoe, plate, and pyxis. Subjects are daily life and Ajax and Achilles.
A pinax (plaque) from Athens represents a scene of prothesis (laying out the body of the deceased). Findspots include Athens,
Rhodes, Naukratis, and Brauron.
The Euaion Painter is an Athenian red-figure painter active ca. 460-440 BCE. The name derives from the inscription “Euaion
kalos” (“Euaion is beautiful”) on a cup (Paris, Louvre G401; BAPD 209713) showing satyrs and maenads. The main shape is the
cup. Other shapes are the skyphos, oinochoe, pyxis, hydria, and calyx krater. Other subjects include the symposion, revelers
(“komasts”), athletes, warriors, Boreas and Oreithyia, Atalanta, and Theseus. Some findspots are Etruria (Vulci, Cerveteri,
Orvieto), sites in southern Italy and Sicily, Aleria (Corsica), Athens (Agora, Acropolis, Kerameikos), Le Cayla (France),
and Kerch.
The Group of the Paidikos Alabastra is a group of red-figure painters active ca. 520-500 BCE, who decorate a single shape
(the alabastron). The name derives from the potter (“epoiesen”) who signs as Paidikos on an alabastron from Eretria (Paris,
Louvre CA487; BAPD 200865) showing a youth and a woman. Some white-ground vases assigned to the group are signed “epoiesen”
by the potter Pasiades. Painters associated with the group include the Euergides Painter (see Euergides Painter [Red-figure])
and the Pasiades Painter (see Pasiades Painter [Red-figure]). Some findspots are Athens (Acropolis, unspecified sites), Boeotia,
Miletus, Delphi, Eretria, Ampurias (Spain), and Bologna.
Black-figure is a dark-on-light technique used for figure decoration on a wide variety of shapes. It was invented in Corinth
ca. 700 BCE and was used in Athens by ca. 630 BCE. The decoration is created by applying silhouetted figures (see Silhouette)
in clay slip to the surface of the vessel, incising linear details, and sometimes adding color before firing (see Added Color;
see Added Red; see Added White). Vases are fired in three stages, resulting in black figures (human and animal) against an
untreated (or lightly treated) lighter colored background. The creation of the black-figure technique has been attributed
to the influence of minor arts from the Near East, most likely ivories and metalwork. Regional versions of the black-figure
technique were also used in Laconia, Boeotia, East Greece, northern Greece, West Greece, and Etruria.
The Pistias Class denotes a group of Athenian black-figure painters active late 6th to early 5th c. BCE, sometimes using white-ground.
Several examples have been attributed to the Haimon Painter. Shapes include the footless skyphos (also termed a footed mastos),
other versions of the skyphos, cups, and the lekythos. Scenes are revelers (“komasts”), Dionysos and followers, youths, horsemen,
and Herakles. Findspots are Athens (Agora, Kerameikos), Rhitsona, Vrastina Kalyvia (Chalkidike), and Etruscan sites (Bologna,
Chiusi, Adria).
The Kleophrades Painter is the name given to the anonymous red-figure Athenian vase painter, who was active from approximately
510 – 470 BCE and whose work, considered amongst the finest of the red figure style, is identified by its stylistic traits.
Incised (or incision) refers to lines cut into the surface of a vessel using a sharp tool. It is primarily employed to create
details on human and animal figures in the black-figure technique (see Black-figure), but can also be used to make inscriptions.
Incisions are applied when the vase has reached its leather-hard stage prior to being fired, although sometimes lines were
re-incised afterward.
The Painter of the Birth of Athena is an Athenian red-figure painter active in the first half of the 5th c. BCE. The name
derives from a pelike found at Vulci (London, British Museum E410; BAPD 205560) showing the Birth of Athena. Shapes are the
pelike and the stamnos. Subjects include Dionysos and followers, gods and goddesses, and funerary scenes. Other findspots
are Cerveteri and the Athenian Agora.
The Boot Painter is an Athenian red figure painter active ca. 470-460 BCE. The name derives from several cups depicting naked
women putting on or holding boots. The main shape is the cup, but also the oinochoe. Subjects include men, women, boys, athletes,
satyrs, Theseus, and a pyrrhic dancer. Findspots are Etruria (Vulci, Tarquinia, Chiusi), sites in southern Italy, and Ampurias
(Spain).
The Gales Painter is an Athenian red-figure painter active ca. 520-500 BCE. The name derives from the signature as potter
(“epoiesen”) on several vessels. Shapes are the lekythos and cup. Scenes include the symposion, revelers (“komasts”), a maenad,
and a religious procession. Findspots are Gela and Vulci.
The Dish Painter is an Athenian red-figure painter active ca. 470-460 BCE. The name derives from the preference for decorating
stemmed dishes. Subjects are youths with lyres, a dancing girl, and a maenad. Findspots are Nola and Santa Maria di Capua.
Geometric denotes Greek vases and other arts produced ca. 900-700 BCE. It thus falls between the so-called “Dark Ages” (ca.
1100-900 BCE), a time of limited production in figure-decorated vases, and the Orientalizing stylistic period (ca. 700-600
BCE). The Geometric is usually divided into the following phases: Protogeometric (ca. 1050/1000-900 BCE); Early (ca. 900-850
BCE); Middle (ca. 850-750 BCE); and Late (ca. 750-700 BCE). The term Geometric derives from a discernible development in the
techniques and appearance of pottery, sculpture, and architecture. Chief stylistic trends in vase-painting include the use
of horror vacui (“fear of empty space”), Greek key patterns and other geometric motifs, compass-drawn concentric circles and
semi-circles, and limited representation of figural forms. It applies to the decorated vases of Athens and Attica, and of
other regions of ancient Greece such as Crete, Euboea, Boeotia, Corinth and the Argolid, and East Greece. The main vase-painting
technique in Athens and Attica is silhouette, and in the Late Geometric silhouette is sometimes combined with cross-hatching
and outline. Major Athenian painters include the Dipylon Master and the Hirschfeld Painter, both of whom specialized in decorating
large vessels associated with funerary rites.
The Foundry Painter is an Athenian red-figure painter active ca. 480-470 BCE. The name derives from a cup (Berlin, Antikensammlung
F2294; BAPD 204340) showing sculptors on the exterior and Hephaistos and Thetis on the interior (Arming of Achilles). The
cup is the main shape, and other shapes are the oinochoe and skyphos. Subjects include the symposion, athletes, horsemen,
centaurs, Theseus, and the Trojan War. Some findspots are Etruria (Cerveteri, Vulci, Tarquinia, Orvieto, Todi), Adria, sites
in southern Italy, and Tanagra.
The Cage Painter is an Athenian red-figure painter active ca. 490-480 BCE. The name derives from a cup from Orvieto (London,
British Museum 1901.5-14.1; BAPD 203642) showing a boy holding a bird-cage. Shapes are the cup and pyxis. Subjects include
athletes, the symposion, men, and youths. Findspots are Orvieto, Tarquinia, and Chiusi.
The Argos Painter is an Athenian red-figure painter active ca. 480-470 BCE. The name derives from a stamnos from Cerveteri
(Vienna, Kunsthistoriches Museum 3729; BAPD 202608) showing the Death of Argos. Shapes are the pelike and stamnos. Subjects
include Dionysos and followers, Triptolemos and Demeter, centaurs, athletes and musicians, and a man leading a camel. Other
findspots are Veii and Falerii.
The Dutuit Painter is an Athenian red-figure painter active ca. 500-480 BCE. The name denotes the former owner of an oinochoe
from Nola (Paris, Petit Palais 315; BAPD 203153) showing Artemis with a fawn. Shapes are the amphora, oinochoe, lekythos,
and hydria. Scenes include Dionysos and followers, winged goddesses, Herakles, and Hephaistos and Thetis (Arms of Achilles).
Findspots are Vulci, Cerveteri, Nola, Sicily, and Olbia.
The Bonn Painter is an Athenian red-figure painter active ca. 505-480 BCE. The name derives from a cup (Bonn, Akademisches
Kunstmuseum 1644; BAPD 203666) showing centaurs on the exterior and an archer on the interior. The primary shape is the cup.
Subjects include the symposion, warriors, Theseus, hunting, and satyrs. Findspots are Vulci, Taranto, Spina, Orvieto, and
possibly Chiusi.
