The Ni o bi d Painter

The Niobid Painter

The Niobid Painter Basic Info• 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

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•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

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.

• 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 AA) Herakles: We know this from

his lion skin that hangs from his

left shoulder and his club and

bow.

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)

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 BHere a little boy runs from Apollo though he's already been hit in the rib by one of Apollo’s arrows

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

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.

Behind Artemis a young boy wrapped in a cloak runs in terror but has already been hit .

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.