Greeks in Italy – XVI: The Sisyphos Painter
The upper frieze shows the wedding of Laertes and Anticlea, daughter of Autolycus. An Ionic column splits the scene into two parts. To the left, Laertes, naked with a cloak hanging from his arms, is leaning with his right hand on a long spear, while his left takes the hand of Anticlea. The bride is depicted standing, wearing chiton, cloak and veil on her head adorned with a diadem. To the right of Laertes, the artist has depicted a naked man with cloak hanging from his left shoulder and spear in his left hand; his right hand performs the typical gesture of someone speaking. Three other male characters close the scene.
On the right of the Ionic column, near a large hydria, Autolycus, father of Anticlea, is standing. The mature man is represented as bearded, half naked with a cloak covering the lower body and the left shoulder; in his left hand he holds the scepter. He is going to receive a leaf from a naked warrior with spear in his left hand. The name of Sisyphus, ΣΙΣΥΦΟΣ, is painted on the leaf. This detail alludes to the expedient devised by Sysiphus for detecting the cattle that the future Laertes step- father stole to him. On the right, there are two standing women, richly dressed with chiton, cloak, veil and tiara on their heads. Probably they belong to Autolycus' court.
The frieze is very much in the late-fifth-century style that the first generation of Athenian vase-painters brought with them to South Italy. It is a style unfortunately characterized by exceedingly languid young men (and women).
Apulian red figured volute krater
Attributed to The Sisyphus Painter
ca 420 BC
From Canosa di Puglia
Munich, Antikensammlungen.
Greeks in Italy – XVI: The Sisyphos Painter
The upper frieze shows the wedding of Laertes and Anticlea, daughter of Autolycus. An Ionic column splits the scene into two parts. To the left, Laertes, naked with a cloak hanging from his arms, is leaning with his right hand on a long spear, while his left takes the hand of Anticlea. The bride is depicted standing, wearing chiton, cloak and veil on her head adorned with a diadem. To the right of Laertes, the artist has depicted a naked man with cloak hanging from his left shoulder and spear in his left hand; his right hand performs the typical gesture of someone speaking. Three other male characters close the scene.
On the right of the Ionic column, near a large hydria, Autolycus, father of Anticlea, is standing. The mature man is represented as bearded, half naked with a cloak covering the lower body and the left shoulder; in his left hand he holds the scepter. He is going to receive a leaf from a naked warrior with spear in his left hand. The name of Sisyphus, ΣΙΣΥΦΟΣ, is painted on the leaf. This detail alludes to the expedient devised by Sysiphus for detecting the cattle that the future Laertes step- father stole to him. On the right, there are two standing women, richly dressed with chiton, cloak, veil and tiara on their heads. Probably they belong to Autolycus' court.
The frieze is very much in the late-fifth-century style that the first generation of Athenian vase-painters brought with them to South Italy. It is a style unfortunately characterized by exceedingly languid young men (and women).
Apulian red figured volute krater
Attributed to The Sisyphus Painter
ca 420 BC
From Canosa di Puglia
Munich, Antikensammlungen.