The Niobid Painter
The Niobid Painter Basic Info
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Potter: Unknown
Painter: The Niobid Painter
Vase Shape: Calyx Krater
Function: Bowl to mix wine and water
Technique: Red figure technique
Date: 470 – 450 BC
Height: 54cm
Diameter of mouth: 55cm
The Niobid Painter Basic Info
•There are no inscriptions on this
vase so the potter and the painter
also the figures shown on the
vase cannot be identified.
•How many handles? This vase
has two handles
• Main difference between the
Niobid painter and the
Euphronios: The main difference
between the Niobid painter and
the Euphronios is its size. And
the shape. The body of the
Niobid is larger then the body of
the Euphronios vase
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The Niobid Painter- Basic Info
•
What makes this vase shape
perfect for its use: It has a wide
mouth and a deep body that makes
it easy to mix the water and wine
together and the wide mouth
enables the drinkers to gather the
wine from the krater with their
drinking cups.
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Where do the handles join: the
handles are attached at the top o
the lower part of the body which is
termed the “cull”, and the handles
curve upwards. The idea behind
this is that it forms a reminiscent of
a calyx of a flower, hence it’s name.
The Niobid Painter - Name
• The Niobid Painter was
named after the scene on
side B of the vase. This
was based on the myth
where Apollo and his
sister killed the children
of Queen Niobe, which
were called the Niobids.
The Niobid Painter Side A
Side A – The Interpretations
•
The Niobid painter did not name any of the figures on this side of the vase
so art historians has a few interpretations for the scene of side A. Some of
the interpretations include :
- Seven against Thebes
This is referring to the myth of the seven champions who were killed fighting
against Thebes after the fall of Oedipus who was the king of that city.
-The gathering of the Argonauts
A group of hero’s who accompanied Jason (the son of Aeson, who was the king
of Lolcus in Thessaly) to Colchis which is known today as west of Georgia,
in his quest to find the Golden Fleece – Gold haired, winged ram.
- Heracles’ voyage to the Underworld to rescue Theseus
The Niobid Painter- The myth
• The interpretation that is used a lot for this scene is the myth of Herakles’
journey into the underworld to rescue Theseus.
• The Myth:
Having successfully completed the first eleven labours, Eurystheus ordered
Hercules to bring back Cerberus, the guardian of the infernal gates of the
Underworld. First learning the Iinfernal Mysteries at Eleusis, and with
Hermes as a guide, he descended into the Underworld where he first rescued
Theseus who had earlier ventured there. Defeating Menoetes, herdsman of
Hades, he went on to wound Hades and was granted permission to carry off
Cerberus if he could defeat him with only his bare hands. Successful in this,
he dragged Cerberus before Eurystheus and then released him back to Hades.
Having completed all twelve labours, Hercules was released from servitude and
went on to many more adventures and great deeds. One can see that the
labours occurred over diverse parts of the Greek world. As a result, he was
widely worshipped and his cult remained popular well into the Roman era.
Representations of his labours can be found throughout Greek art, including
on a wide variety of Greek and Roman coins.
The Scene – Side A
B) Athena :
She’s wearing a
Chition and a Attic
helmet on top of her
head. She is also
armed a spear. We
know that this is her
because of her Aegis
(which is a goatskin
with a gorgon clasp
D) Theseus? He is pulling
himself up using his
spear. His sword is slung
around his neck and he’s
wearing a travelling hat
(petassos)
A) Herakles: We
know this from
his lion skin that
hangs from his
left shoulder and
his club and
bow.
Peirthoos? He
sits to the right of
Herakles with his
sword slung
round his neck.
The Scene – Side A
There are three warriors
behind Athena. One is
armed with a corselet, a
helmet without a crest, a
shield and a spear.
He stands half hidden
behind a rock.
The third figure is
suggested t be castor or
Pullox.
The Niobid Painter- Side B
The Niobid Painter- Side B
• There were many
interpretation of the
scene on side B, but the
most preferred scene is
the myth of Apollo and
his sister Artemis
murdering the children
of Niobids.
The Niobid Painter- The Myth
• Niobe was the queen of Thebes and Married King
Amphion who was the son of Zeus and was a great
musician. He bore to her six sons who were very
handsome and six daughters who were very beautiful
(Though some myths say there were seven
daughters). One day the people of Thebes were
celebrating a feast dedicated to goddess Leto, who
was the mother of Apollo and Artemis and Niobe
boasted about her children and how she has more
children then Leto and also boasted about her beauty
and her high lineage and requested that she should
be honoured instead of Leto. The gods heard her
boasting on a distant mountain, Mt Olympus and
resolved to punish her. Leto’s children Apollo (god of
prophecy and a master with arrows) and Artemis
(goddess of hunt) fired there arrows and killed all
Niobe’s children. Niobe herself was turned in to a
marble where tears forever ran in a form of a spring.
The Niobid Painter- Side B
•
Apollo stands in the centre of this frieze,
his legs are apart and he is firing an
arrow. His quiver is empty and hangs
beside him. He is naked apart from a
piece of cloth that hangs from his arms
•
Airtimes like her brother is also in the
centre of the frieze. She’s in the process
of taking a arrow from her quiver. She’s
wearing a a peplos which is a Greek
garment worn by women before 500BC.
She is also wearing a piece of ornament
hanging off a string around her neck.
Airtimes is also wearing a sakkos which
is a hairnet worn by women.
•
Next to Apollo shows a small tree
growing on a hill. This is the only
indication of any sort of landscape
The Niobid Painter- Side B
Here a little
boy runs
from Apollo
though he's
already
been hit in
the rib by
one of
Apollo’s
arrows
Behind Artemis a
young boy
wrapped in a
cloak runs in
terror but has
already been hit .
A young girl lies in front
of Artemis with an arrow
sticking out of her back.
Her face is shown in
frontal view and her
eyes a closed. She is
wearing a diadem
which reflects her royal
status.
This boy lies dying
after been hit by an
arrow on his back, his
face is ¾ in view and
his eyes are closed
Another arrow is shown but
no body is present. Apollo’s
never miss it’s target so this is
suggesting another body is
hidden behind a rock
Composition
• The lines were painted in
purple slips but have faded
so some of the figures look
like they are floating.
• In both side the central figure
is being framed. In side A
Herakles is being framed by
spears and in Side b Apollo is
being framed by the bodies of
Niobe’s children.
• The angles of the spears in
side A mirrors the shape of
the vase.
• Some attempts of
foreshortening.
Style and Painting Techniques
• Other innovations in this vase is overlapping creates illusion of
depth
• Drapery begins to fall more realistically, and it follows the shape of
the figures body.
• Eyes painted in True Profile.
• The Niobid painter is an example of a group of painters called the
“Mannerist Group”.
• Black Glaze was used to colour in Herakles hair, also outline of
muscles made it look more realistic.
Narrative Techniques
1) There were many different poses –
development of skills in portraying the human
form.
2) Painter has command an understanding of
anatomy which enables him to convey
accuracy and graceful movement.
3) On side A, Herakles stands on a piece of
raised ground, one hip and one knee higher
than the other. All his weight is on his left leg.
4) Herakles looks towards another figure.
The Niobid Painter- Innovations
– Figures are seen in profile of ¾ views.
– The drapery worn by figures look more realistic, the zigzags are less sharp and
the folds appear more smother.
– The eyes of the figures are painted in true profile of the viewer can actually follow
what the figures are looking at. The major benefit of this is that it helps us identify
the figures and they look more realistic.
– The use of honey glaze makes the drapery look more realistic, and allows the
folds to look smoother. It also helps with shading e.g. upper parts of Apollo’s
body.
– Major compositional innovation seen in most of the figures is the use of multiple
ground lines. The main influence for this innovation was wall painting. This
innovation was used to show the freedom of figures and also the multiple ground
lines helps form a landscape background.