Gorgon Painter

Gorgon Painter
Black-figure plate attributed to the Gorgon Painter, ca. 600 BC
Born
Unknown. Named from the theme of his name vase.
DiedUnknown
NationalityGreek
Known forBlack-figure vase painting, pottery manufacture
Notable workDinos of the Gorgon Painter
MovementBlack-figure painting

The Gorgon Painter was one of the early Attic black-figure vase painters.[1] He was active between 600 and 580 BC. His name vase, Dinos of the Gorgon Painter, is currently on display in the Louvre and depicts Perseus fleeing the Gorgons.

The Gorgon Painter is considered as a very productive successor of the Nessos Painter.[2] Additionally, in accordance with other Geometric style artists, he arranged his subjects in symmetric patterns. Characteristic of his paintings are flat representations of humans or gods and animals painted in sections around the pottery. Rather than filling blank spaces with geometric patterns, the Gorgon Painter uses the Animal style; depicting real and fantastical animals in friezes around the vases which is considered to be a Corinthian tradition.[3]

The better recorded artist Sophilos is said to be influenced by the Gorgon Painter,[2] continuing work in the black-figure style and zoomorphic decoration.

  1. ^ Shapiro, H.A. (1990). "Old and New Heroes: Narrative, Composition, and Subject in Attic Black-Figure". Classical Antiquity. 9 (1): 114–148. doi:10.2307/25010923. JSTOR 25010923.
  2. ^ a b Beazley, J.D. (1994). "Hesperia". Groups of Early Attic Black-Figure.
  3. ^ Rasmussen, Tom (1991). Looking at Greek Vases. Cambridge University. pp. 72, 74.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)