The Brygos Painter was an ancient Greek Attic red-figure vase painter of the Late Archaic period. Together with Onesimos , Douris and Makron , he is among the most important cup painters of his time. He was active in the first third of the 5th century BCE, especially in the 480s and 470s BCE. He was a prolific artist to whom over two hundred vases have been attributed, but he is perhaps best known for the Brygos Cup, a red-figure kylix in the Louvre which depicts the "iliupersis" or sack of Troy.
39-437: The artist’s name is derived from several cups painted in a distinctive style and bearing the signature “Brygos.” This inscription, currently present on sixteen vessels (some complete pieces and some fragments), is often accompanied by the word epoiesen. This suggests that the name refers to the potter or maker, rather than the painter, whose name would likely be followed by the word egrapsen. Some scholars persist in believing that
78-480: A calathus -like vessel with a pouring spout and a number of lekythoi . By far the majority of his works were kylikes of the types B and C. The latter were often executed without maeander base lines ; the former frequently stood on conical bases. The meanders around his tondo paintings are rarely continuous, most are interrupted by sets or rows of crosses. Apart from his red-figure work, the Brygos Painter
117-559: A decline in the later years of his career, characterized by weaker work. This argument, however, assumes that “weaker work” is the product of old age rather than inexperience or even another painter. Indeed, Beazley notes that it is often difficult to determine if a piece is late-Brygan or a simply school piece of another artist emulating his style. * The Getty Museum - Biography of the Brygos Painter Working in Athens in
156-453: A drunken scandal, by encouraging moderation and lowering alcohol content. Thus the shape of the kylix may have been an ideal shape for not only displaying art, but also for the reclined positions that men would sit or lay in while drinking at symposiums. The short broad shape allowed for reclined drinking with minimal risk of spilling. The handles allowed the guests to play kottabos , where a guest would put their right index finger into one of
195-437: A non- Indo-European language. Kylix appears to in antiquity refer to the characteristic wide and short shape of the vessel and may have referred to many types of drinking vessels. Some types of kylikes have their own names with their own etymology. One such variety is komast cups , where komast refers to the name of the type of drunken figures painted on them, which is characteristic of the style. Another uniquely named type
234-450: A solid color without adornment. If present, the tondo contains either black-figure or red-figure styles of the 6th and 5th century BC, and the outside was also often painted; an example of a tondo can be seen to the left. Black glaze type B kylikes appear to have been a popular export to Etruscan settlements and are not as commonly found in the Athens area, where it is believed they developed. This may suggest that these were made with
273-403: A terminus ante quem of 480 BCE. Otherwise, the majority of vases attributed to the painter have emerged on the international art market without archaeological context. The Brygos Painter was one of the most productive painters of his generation; more than 200 vases have been attributed to him. Apart from kylikes , he also painted other vase shapes, such as skyphoi , kantharoi , rhyta ,
312-481: A young man a rooster as a sign of love. It is debated if this is the reasoning behind the presence of roosters as cock fighting was also a common form of entertainment at the time, many other common symbols seen in the art of kylikes are similarly debated in meaning. At other times the meaning is less debated, as in some kylikes there are sexually explicit images portrayed as were scenes of parties. Many kylikes also drew from mythological stories in their art. A few of
351-599: Is a Siana cup , which is named after a site in Rhodes where it was originally found. The last major variety that has a specific name is the Little-Master cup , which is translated from German which references the small scale of the adornments on the cup. Kylikes are most famous for their association with symposiums and wine, where the set of kylikes could match the kraters , which are the mixing vessels for diluting wine. These symposiums included various vessels for
390-617: Is beautiful"). The beloved is most often a male youth, but a few times girls or women were spoken of as kalē ( καλή ). In one early cataloging of the inscriptions, among the individuals labeled as beautiful were 30 women and girls, and 528 youths. Male names outnumber female by more than twenty to one. At least some of the women labeled kalē were hetairai , courtesans or prostitutes. The names designated as kalos are characteristic of aristocratic Athenian citizens. Some kalos inscriptions are associated with certain vase painters or pottery workshops. The Antimenes Painter , for instance,
429-533: Is known to have produced some white-ground vases. The Brygos Painter seems to be one of the earliest red-figure artists who were not in direct contact with the so-called Pioneers. His teacher appears to have been Onesimos, as his style is derived from the earlier work of that master, and their periods of production run parallel. Typical subjects are symposium and palaistra scenes, and his figures are characterized by their flat-topped heads, long noses, and narrow eyes with high, arching eyebrows. While his drawing
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#1732772307055468-537: Is named for the kalos inscription to Antimenes on his pots, and the Leagros Group pottery workshop is named for the youth Leagros, a widely popular object of kalos praise. These associations suggest a cult of celebrity or a concerted effort by a given youth's family to increase their son's public standing. The purpose of these inscriptions remains uncertain, and many examples may be declarations of love as part of same-sex courtship in Athens . In some cases,
507-432: Is not always of the utmost precision, the postures of his figures and the expressiveness of their faces are remarkable. He is also one of the first, and very few, painters who managed to paint a child to look truly like a child, and not like a small adult. Many of his figures also clearly display the effects of age. Stubbly beards or stubbly hair (on old men), as well as signs of balding, are also typical. His skill in painting
546-427: Is the most common type of cup in the period, usually associated with the drinking of wine . The cup often consists of a rounded base and a thin stem under a basin. The cup is accompanied by two handles on opposite sides. The inner basin is often adorned in the bottom so that as the liquid is consumed an image is revealed; this adornment is usually in a circular frame and called a tondo . There are many variations of
585-403: Is typically found on vessels used for a symposium . The scenes that accompany the inscription vary, and include athletic exercises and myths . Some inscriptions are generic, reading only " the boy is beautiful" ( Ancient Greek : ὁ παῖς καλός , ho pais kalos ). The inscription more often took the form of the beloved's name, in the nominative singular, followed by "kalos" ( X kalos , i.e. "X
624-482: The tondo . For the stylistic and locational types continue to be definitions based on the presence of an offset lip as well as the types of decorations present on the cups. One such type is the komast cup developed in Athens and inspired by Corinthian pottery; it is defined by a narrow lip and sharp offset paired with a short, flared stem. This type is also defined with a decoration of drunken parties portrayed on
663-460: The Classical period from 550 to 450 BC. The word kalos ( καλός ), meaning 'handsome' or 'beautiful', was often accompanied by the name of a certain man, or sometimes simply by the word pais ( παῖς ), meaning the 'boy' or 'youth', without naming a particular person. The female version was kalē ( καλή ). The kalos inscriptions typically had an erotic connotation. The kalos inscription
702-858: The Brygos Painter are rare. The Brygos Painter was associated with a broader circle of artists who were influenced by him or may even have worked with him at the studio of the potter Brygos. These include the Foundry Painter , the Briseis Painter , the Dokimasia Painter , the Painter of Louvre G 265 and the Painter of the Paris Gigantomachy. While the Brygos Painter's work spans only a period of approximately twenty years, it has been said to demonstrate what many describe as an exciting, innovative, and spirited beginning with
741-587: The Brygos Painter was discovered in a 5th-century BCE tomb in Capua, leading John Beazley to dub the tomb (Tomb II) the “Brygos Tomb." A fragment of a plate depicting a reveler, painted by the Brygos Painter, was found on the Athenian Acropolis. Its burned exterior and excavation alongside remnants of marble architecture indicate it was part of the debris from the Persian destruction of the site, giving it
780-511: The Brygos designation suggests that the painter and potter are one and the same; however, this seems problematic given the presence of the signature on a handful of vessels that were not painted by the Brygos Painter, but rather were decorated by other contemporary artists. This would imply that indeed the name of Brygos most likely belongs to the potter who fashioned the matrices on which the unnamed painter created his masterpieces. More likely, there
819-546: The body of Hector and other scenes from the Trojan War . Dionysiac scenes are common as well. A famous kylix depicts satyrs attacking the goddesses Iris and Hera . While Iris attempts to flee, Hera is protected by Heracles and Hermes . Dionysos is present, but apparently uninvolved. As on many of the Brygos Painter's vases, the figures are named by inscription; at times he even indicates what they say. In spite of his frequent use of writing, kalos inscriptions by
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#1732772307055858-442: The cup on a flat surface the lip would be parallel to the surface the cup is set on rather than angled in some way. Of the majorly chronological types there are types A, B and C. Type A developed in the late 6th century BCE and fade out of production by the early 5th century. This type is characterized by a smooth profile, lack of an offset lip and a wide, short stem. These cups also featured both red and black figure art, sometimes on
897-418: The cup. Band cups on the other hand are mostly black save for a band of decoration all around the cup often containing images of people. Stemless cups are known for their lack of stem and most surviving examples are plain black and lacking decoration. Kylikes are most famous for their adornments; adorned kylikes were part of a set used for special occasions such as a symposium , the most common kylikes were of
936-580: The early 400s B.C., the Brygos Painter was a prolific decorator of red-figure cups. Over two hundred vases have been attributed to him, including a limited number of shapes other than cups and some vessels in the white-ground technique. Having learned his craft from Onesimos, the Brygos Painter was himself quite influential and was the center of a large circle of painters. The Brygos Painter painted both genre and mythological scenes, being especially fond of depictions of symposia, athletes, and Achilles. His treatments of mythological scenes were often innovative, and he
975-426: The handles and attempt to fling the last of their wine into a target, often a container on a pedestal or floating in a pool, in order to win a prize. There are many types of kylix that have been defined by archaeologists, often denoting a regional variance or chronological difference. One of the major features of early cups is if they have an offset lip or not, the lack of an offset lip means that if one were to place
1014-416: The human mouth is exceptional: his figures are shown whistling, singing, playing the flute or clenching their lips with a high degree of anatomical accuracy. All this indicates the Brygos Painter was a skilled observer of human emotion, expression, and interaction. His renderings of mythological scenes are frequently original. Thus, he depicts the body of Ajax being covered by Tekmessa , the handing-over of
1053-500: The inscriptions or vessels may have been made to order. Kalos names are also found as graffiti on walls, the most abundant example being the find on Thassos of 60 kalos inscriptions carved on rock dating from the 4th century. The non-epigraphic literary evidence consists of two references in Aristophanes . Both of these instances, however, praise the demos (the citizenry as a whole) rather than any individual, and suggest
1092-426: The intention of exporting these kylikes. Some of the earliest designs found on kylix include spiked flower designs and whorled shells. These designs could be paired with chevrons or dot designs between the whorls or spiked flowers to fill space, although this was more common with whorled designs. Later designs included the presence of roosters, which is believed to be reminiscent of the fact that an older man may gift
1131-547: The kylikes, other cups available in the era include the skyphos , or the kantharoi . Kylikes were also popular exports, being the most common pottery import from Attica found in Etruscan settlements. The Greek word kylix , meaning 'cup', could refer to both a drinking vessel as well as the cup shape of a flower. It is possibly related to the Latin word calix , also meaning 'cup', and may have originally been borrowed from
1170-407: The liquid they contained. Most kylikes were made of ceramics however, but it is believed they were modeled after metal drinking vessels of the elite. Individual kylikes with articles include: [REDACTED] Media related to Kylixes at Wikimedia Commons Kalos inscription A kalos inscription is a form of epigraph found on Attic vases and graffiti in antiquity, mainly during
1209-497: The more famous painters of the time were Onesimos , Makron , and Douris . Ridged varieties of kylix have much more variety in shape and appear to have less consistent qualities of craftsmanship than those with smooth profiles. This may be due to smooth profiled kylikes being intended for more elite consumers who could pay for more carefully made and decorated pieces. Kylikes that had been polished or had their pores filled with slip made better drinking vessels as they did not absorb
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1248-486: The outside of the cup which grants this style its name. Another type is the Siana cup ; this style is known for its tall feet and lips when compared to the komast cups. They are also defined with a decorated tondo and are decorated in a style reminiscent of eastern Greek traditions. Their decorations can be large when compared to those of other types, often covering from foot to lip, or having layers of decoration to cover
1287-416: The outside of the cup. When compared to Little-Master cup , their basins are deeper and have a less defined lip. Little-Master cups are named for the small details in their decorative elements, they are characterized by half globe basins and tall thin stems. They can often be divided into two more specific styles, lip cups and band cups. Lip cups have a more offset lip, often focusing on the lower parts of
1326-417: The painter and potter may be one and the same person. Kylix (drinking cup) In the pottery of ancient Greece , a kylix ( / ˈ k aɪ l ɪ k s / KY -liks , / ˈ k ɪ l ɪ k s / KIL -iks ; Ancient Greek : κύλιξ, pl. κύλικες ; also spelled cylix ; pl. : kylikes / ˈ k aɪ l ɪ k iː z / KY -lih-keez , / ˈ k ɪ l ɪ k iː z / KIL -ih-keez )
1365-436: The preparation and drinking of wine and often were adorned with images of Dionysus and his worshippers. However, the images in the tondo contained a variety of themes meant to surprise and amuse the party guest. One such theme is that of sailing, often adorning mixing vessels in the late 6th century, ships and other maritime scenes were popular, as there were comparisons made between symposiums and sailing in literature of
1404-539: The same cup called bilingual kylix. Type B is very reminiscent of Type A, except the stems are thinner and has a more curved joining from the basin to the stem of the cup. This type is the most common found in Etruscan tombs. Type C is less common than types A and B and sometimes has an offset lip and can have carving or molding on the base of the stem. However, they are less decorative than previous types and are often solid black in color and may only be decorated in
1443-486: The time. Other themes would include humorous designs, including on the base of the cup, such as the male genitals on the Bomford cup, a late 6th century kylix. At symposiums the process of mixing the wine was completed by a master of ceremonies then passed around by a young male slave. The mixing of the wine and small drinking vessels are believed to possibly be an effort to allow a guest to enjoy his wine, but also avoid
1482-416: Was a partnership in place that resulted in Brygos forming the vessels with the Brygos Painter providing the illustrations. Nevertheless, the name “Brygos Painter” has been used by scholars since P. Hartwig as a means to outline a single master’s style and artistic production. In the 19th century CE, a magnificent red-figure kylix bearing the Brygos signature and painted in the style of the artist now known as
1521-458: Was also rather stylistically experimental. He had a greater interest in spatial effects and setting than did his contemporaries. By using dilute glaze washes to show three-dimensionality, his painting technique comes close to shading. As with most Greek vase-painters, the real name of the Brygos Painter is unknown, and he is identified only by the stylistic traits of his work. He is named after the potter Brygos, with whom he worked. Some scholars think
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