White-ground
calyx-kraterFiche: Obverse, Hermes, the infant Dionysos; reverse, a seated Muse playing the lyre, between two standing Muses
Material: potter's clay, with red figures
Dimensions: height=0.328m
Museo Gregoriano Etrusco, Inv. no. 16586
Provenience: Attic; attributed to the Phiale Painter
Date: c. 440-430 B.C.
Commentary
This splendid krater, painted in polychromy on a white engobe (or slip), is the work of the Phiale painter- the pupil of the Achilles painter. Like his teacher, he did much work on lekythoi, continuing the tradition of his master.
Hermes (397K) brings the infant Dionysos to Papposilenos (410K); a nymph (377K ) follows him. The scene of the presentation (319K ) of Dionysos is exquisite.
The krater is bordered (160K) with floral and geometric (327K) patterns.
Dionysos was raised by the nymphs of Nysa and his schooling began very early, as we learn from a neck-amphora by the Eucharides painter, on which Zeus himself carries his infant son to a nymph, who is shown with lyre, flute case and writing tablet.
Bibliography
J.D. Beazley, Attic Red-figure Vase-painters, Oxford, 1963, p1017.
J.D. Beazley, Paralipomena, Oxford, 1971, p440.
Votive
head of a manFiche: Votive head of a man
Material: terracotta
Dimensions: height overall=0.26m; height of head=0.19m
Museo Gregoriano Etrusco, Inv. no. 13852
Provenience: Cerveteri
Date: second half of the 4th century B.C.
Commentary
The youthful head is rather rigidly placed on an overly long and wide neck. The face is triangular and the hair thick. Flame-like locks radiate from the top of the head, separate over the forehead and fall in front of the ears.
This model is based upon a type of Polyclitan youth present in numerous bronze and terracotta versions between the fourth and the third century B.C.
Bibliography
T. Dohrn, in W.Helbig, Fuehrer durch die oeffentlichen Sammlungen klassischer Altertuemer in Rom; Die Paepstlichen Sammlungen im Vatikan und Lateran, I, Tuebingen, 1963, p. 587.
M.F. Kilmer, The Shoulder Bust in Sicily and South and Central Italy: A Catalog and Materials for Dating, Goeteborg, 1977, pp.226-27.
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