Achilles painter
Lekythos
NAME: Achilles painter Lekythos
MADE: 450-440BC
SIZE: 38cm
POTTER: not known
PAINTER: The Achilles painter
WE DON’T KNOW THE ACTUAL PAINTERS
NAME, because he never signed his work, he
was a student of the Berlin painter, many
other white ground techniques are attributed
to the Achilles painter.
SHAPE
VASE SHAPE: Lekythos
USE: for funeral settings where oil is
stored and perfume
WHY IS IT DIFFERENT TO OTHER
LEKYTHOS?
This Lekythos is unique in terms of its
shape, the belly is thinner than other
Lekythos
WHY IS THIS
VASE SHAPE
PERFECT FOR ITS
USE?
This vase shape
is perfect for oil
because it takes
up little space
and fills the
vases belly
INSCRIPTIONS
INSCRIPTIONS
WHAT TYPE OF INSCRIPTION IS THIS? It is
grafitti, a Kalos inscription
WHAT DOES IT SAY? Axiophates, the son of
Alkimachos, is handsome
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE INSCRIPTION
AND HOW DOES IT RELATE TO THE SCENE? It
was just a common way of graffiti with no
relation to the scene or use.
THE SCENE
A Non-funerary scene, of a Woman and her
Maidservant. Most likely visiting a tomb ???
ON THE SHOLDER: A schematic Palmette
pattern
TOP OF BELLY: above the scene is the Stopped
Meander border.
FROM LEFT: Maid servant holding grey
painted casket
TO RIGHT: Woman directing her servant
MAIDSERVANT
Located left on the vase, standing in profile
Holding a grey casket and offering it to her
mistress
The servants hair is styled the same way as
her mistress.
Clothing- Tunic has disappeared, the glazed
outline is what is left. It looks like she's
wearing a transparent dress.
Her face is elegant and calm, reflective of her
mistress.
WOMAN
Located to the right of the vase, stands with feet
frontal but looking at the maidservant
(foreshortening)
Directing her maid with a raised right hand.
Hair is curled on top with a few curls on her
forehead.
She is wearing a Yellow Chiton and reddishbrown Himation over the top.
Her face is Calm and elegant, expressionless.
PAINTING TECHNIQUE
White Ground. A majority of this technique was
Used for funerary vases.
 INFLUENCE: Athenian potters experimenting with
natural red clay that turned white when burned and
were limited to funerary uses only.
 Kaolin, the white slip painted over the clay
 The outline of the figures was painted in honey colored
dilute before firing
 Brighter colors that were used on clothing was added
after the firing, therefore it wasn’t very durable hence
the disappearance of the servant maids Chiton.
 COLORS: Mauve, green, pink
PAINTING STYLE
 BORDERS: Stopped Meander(above scene) and Schematic
Palmette chain, Tongue pattern
 EYES: are in profile, looking where their heads are turned.
 NECK: they have long necks
 GESTURES: they make few gestures with hands, woman
directing maid offering.
 FACES: are elegant with long noses, faces are sculptured.
 FIGURES: appear more realistic and slender as a woman
should look.
 INSPIRATION: They appear godlike and removed from the
human world, their own kind.
 FORESHORTENING: feet frontal
 DRAPERY: is very plain besides the bold colors of the
womans clothing, less detailed
COMPARISON
 SHAPE: Similar although the other vase has a handle at the base
of the shoulder and the Lekythos doesn’t. The Lekythos also
has a thinner shape.
 INSCRIPTIONS: Similar in a rectangle format above the central
scene, also a Kalos- love inscription with no relation to the
scene
 SCENE: Of two woman on one vase, doing different duties.
Playing music or serving a mistress.
 PAINTING TECH: White Ground and red figure. Same borders
the stopped Meander and Palmette Chain and Tongue pattern
 STYLE: Profile, realistic, props in the background bird or
Lekythos and mantle on the wall to demonstrate that the scene
in the Lekythos is indoors.
 OTHER DETAILS: These characteristics are how painters are
identified by the similarities especially seen in funerary
Lekythoi vases.