Kleophrades Painter
POINTED AMPHORA
&
HYDRIA
Pointed Amphora
KLEOPHRADES PAINTER
Basic Facts
 Vase shape:
 Function:
 Potter:
 Painter:
 Date:
 Height:
pointed amphora
storing wine, oils, olives etc.
Kleophrades
the Kleophrades Painter
500-490BC
56cm
Shape of the Vase
 The foot tapers to a very
small foot and would not
actually be able to stand
by itself!
 It was very unusual for
artists to paint this
shape because of their
awkward shape.
Painter
 did not sign this vessel
 attributed to this painter due to artistic
similarities to a cup in the Louvre which is signed
by the potter Kleophrades
 was a student of Euthymides (thus has same
interest in foreshortening, dramatic intensity,
elegant lines and attention to detail)
 uses incision (mostly on hair details but also on
other features)
Innovations
 paints the eye more
accurately – with the
pupil at the inner
corner, i.e. in profile
with the body (rather
than the previous
frontal eyes)
 a full 'S' shape is used
for nostrils
 outlining of lips to make
them appear fuller
Subject – Main frieze side A
 Dionysos in the centre with a maenad either side
Subject – Main frieze side B
 A satyr playing an aulus with a maenad either side
Subject – Neck side A
 three athletes including a javelin thrower, and a
discus thrower (a pick is between the
javelin thrower)
legs of the
Subject – Neck side B
 three athletes; a sponge bag and an aryballos hang
on the wall
Composition - Overall
 main scene encircles the vase
 neck set off sharply from the body, then tapers to a
very small foot
Composition – Main frieze
 figures fill the height of the frieze
(two smaller satyrs under the
handles)
 single groundline
 each figure in its own space
except for some overlapping of
hands/legs etc.
 some symmetry – central male
figure on each side; each side
separated by satyr under the
handle; two maenads on either
side of central figure
Composition - Neck
 some symmetry with the three athletes on each side
 not encircling (friezes are separated by the handles)
Figurative Details – Dionysos, side A
 dressed in a chiton and himation (with many
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folds)
wears a purple ivy leave crown
over his shoulders is a knotted leopard skin
grasps an ivy vine above his head
carries a kantharos cup in a careless manner
(it's tilted)
he is turned to look behind him
his hair fans out in ringlets
his back heel is raised to indicate he is walking
all his body is in profile except for his frontal
left arm & hand
identified by his accompanying maenads &
satyrs, the vines, the cup and the animal skins
Figurative Details – Maenads, side A
 both wear a chiton and himation
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(with detailed folds that fall to
zigzags)
they also wear a sakkos (cloth
hairnet)
both carry the thyrsos (staff made of
fennel stalk with a cap of ivy leaves –
to fend off the satyrs)
the maenad to the left of Dionysos
wears a deer skin over her clothing
the left maenad also carries a snake
hissing at the satyr
the maenad on the right fends off the
satyr with her left arm and attempts
to attack him with her thyrsos
Figurative Details – Central Satyr, side B
 plays a aulus (double
flute)
 wears a deer skin around
his shoulders
 frontal torso & head;
profile tail & legs
 comical-looking because
of his wild hair & beard
and snubbed nose
Figurative Details – Maenads, side B
 in ecstasy
 as with the
maenads on
side A, they
both wear
himation and
chitons
Figurative Details – under the handles
 two satyrs
advancing on
maenads
 also wear deer skins
around their
shoulders – all the
satyrs are
deliberately
contrasted with the
maenads' elegance
Non-Figurative Details
 main frieze bordered above by stylised tongues and below by
labyrinth meanders with saltires (crosses in squares)
 below frieze – series of bands – black, red, ray band, red line
and black base
Painting Technique
 red-figure (i.e. figures
painted with relief line,
background painted with
black slip, details such as
eyes, facial features, drapery
added with black slip)
 added dilute honey-coloured
used on hair of one of the
maenads, the snake with
spotted skin, the deer hide
on the maenad, the leopard
skin on Dionysos and the
kantharos Dionysos holds
 purple added to the wreaths
and the snake markings
Mood – Happy, carefree / ecstasy
 eyes are 'trance-like‘
 mouths are open as if
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singing or yelling
one maenad has a thyrsos
thrown over her shoulder in
a relaxed manner
head of another maenad is
thrown back as if in ecstasy
most of the arms of the
figures are away from the
body as if swinging/dancing
next to two maenads –
'kalos' and 'kale' (masculine
and feminine forms of
'beautiful') are written as if
they are calling them out
Drapery
 maenads wear chitons and himations
 thickness of the material shown by
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closeness of the lines (i.e. the chiton is
much thicker so the lines are close
together)
zigzag folds at the bottom of the cloth have
realistic quality about them
the himations flow behind three of the
maenad suggesting movement and then
falls to realistic points in the fabric
the chitons move with the maenads' bodies
the chitons also end in zigzag folds
the chitons are almost transparent so that
you can see the outlines of legs underneath