1. Pointed Amphora & Hydria
Kleophrades Painter
Pointed Amphora
&
Hydria

2. Pointed Amphora
Kleophrades Painter

3. Basic Facts Vase shape: pointed amphora
Function: storing wine, oils, olives etc.
Potter: Kleophrades
Painter: the Kleophrades Painter
Date: BC
Height: 56cm

4. 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.

5. 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)

6. 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

7. Subject – Main frieze side A
Dionysos in the centre with a maenad either side

8. Subject – Main frieze side B
A satyr playing an aulus with a maenad either side

9. Subject – Neck side A
three athletes including a javelin thrower, and a discus thrower (a pick is between the legs of the javelin thrower)

10. Subject – Neck side B
three athletes; a sponge bag and an aryballos hang on the wall

11. Composition - Overall main scene encircles the vase
neck set off sharply from the body, then tapers to a very small foot

12. 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

13. Composition - Neck some symmetry with the three athletes on each side
not encircling (friezes are separated by the handles)

14. Figurative Details – Dionysos, side A
dressed in a chiton and himation (with many 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

15. Figurative Details – Maenads, side A
both wear a chiton and himation (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

16. 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

17. Figurative Details – Maenads, side B
in ecstasy
as with the maenads on side A, they both wear himation and chitons

18. 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

19. 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

20. 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

21. Mood – Happy, carefree / ecstasy
eyes are 'trance-like‘
mouths are open as if 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

22. Drapery maenads wear chitons and himations
thickness of the material shown by 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