Oreithyia painter

Boreas abducting Oreithyia; Herse (left) trying to help her sister. Attic red-figure pointed amphora, 470–460 BC. Oreithyia Painter (name vase)

The Oreithyia Painter, was an ancient Greek red-figure vase painter working from 500-450 BCE. He is one of the many painters of the Red Figure Classical Period, but his work is not considered the finest or well-known. The name Oreithyia Painter was assigned by accomplished archaeologiest Otto Jahn off the pointed neck amphora vase held at the Antikensammlung in Madrid (number 2345) depicting the rape of Oreithyia by Boreas. The vase ca 470-460 is incribed with the names Kekros, Erechsus, Boras, and Oreithya, hence its name. 23 vases in total have been attributed directly, perhaps, or compared to the Oreithyia Painter predominatly by John Beazley and Otto Jahn. The majority of his work is on larger vases such as lekythoi, amphoras, hydrias, klyxs, stamnos, as well as various fragments. The provenances of his vases are predonminatly from Italy and Sicily, which most likely denote that the Oreithyia Painter exported his vases through trade.

The Oreithyia Painter is typically viewed as an independent vase painter during the early 5th century. His works are limited in number and popularity. Earlier in the painter's work, his vases are only one-sided, and tyically have limited meander pattern to frame the subjects depicted. Later in his career, the Oreithyia Painter switched to painting both sides and adding more designs around the scenes. He often gives the figures large eyes, strong chins, and longer noses. With simple designs and mediocre details in the figures, the Oreithyia Painter may have been a new painter during the transition from black-figure to red-figure.

See also

• Pottery of Ancient Greece
• Ancient Greek vase painters

References

• Beazley Archive entries-Oreithyia Painter
• Beazley, J.D., Attic Red-Figure Vase-Painters, 2nd edition (Oxford, 1963). Print.