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Psiax was an
Attic An attic (sometimes referred to as a ''loft'') is a space found directly below the pitched roof of a house or other building; an attic may also be called a ''sky parlor'' or a garret. Because attics fill the space between the ceiling of the ...
vase painter of the transitional period between the
black-figure Black-figure pottery painting, also known as the black-figure style or black-figure ceramic ( grc, , }), is one of the styles of painting on antique Greek vases. It was especially common between the 7th and 5th centuries BCE, although there are ...
and red-figure styles. His works date to ''circa'' 525 to 505 BC and comprise about 60 surviving vases, two of which bear his signature. Initially he was allocated the name "Menon Painter" by John Beazley. Only later was it realised that the artist was identical with the painters signing as "Psiax". Psiax collaborated with the potters Hilinos, Menon, Andokides and Nikosthenes. While he started as a painter in the black-figure technique, he played a major role in the early development of red-figure, which was invented in the workshop of Andokides. The black-figure
Antimenes Painter The Antimenes Painter was an Attic vase painter of the black-figure style, active between circa 530 and 510 BC. The real name of the Antimenes Painter is not known; his current name is an archaeological convention, derived from the Kalos in ...
, working for the same workshop, was stylistically close to Psiax; Beazley described the two as "brothers". Perhaps unsurprisingly, considering his chronological position, Psiax was a master of
bilingual vase painting Bilingual vase painting is a special form of ancient Greek vase painting. The term, derived from linguistics, is essentially a metaphorical one; it describes vases that are painted both in the black-figure and in the red-figure techniques. It also ...
. Formerly called the Menon Painter, after the potter’s signature on a red-figure amphora (Philadelphia, U. PA, Mus., 5349), he signed two red-figure ''
alabastra An alabastron or alabastrum (plural: ''alabastra'' or ''alabastrons''; from the Greek ) is a small type of pottery or glass vessel used for holding oil, especially perfume or massage oils. They originated around the 11th century BC in ancien ...
'' as painter, both of which bear the signature of the potter Hilinos arlsruhe, Bad. Landesmus., 242 (B 120) and Odessa, A. Mus. Psiax also knew the
white ground technique White-ground technique is a style of white ancient Greek pottery and the painting in which figures appear on a white background. It developed in the region of Attica, dated to about 500 BC. It was especially associated with vases made for ritu ...
, as well as coral red pottery techniques.The Getty Museum - Biography of Psiax
''A vase-painter working in Athens in the late 500s B.C., Psiax is known from his signature on several surviving vases. A versatile painter, Psiax worked in every pottery technique in use at that time: black-figure, red-figure, white-ground, coral red, and Six's technique. He decorated the complete range of Greek vase shapes, both large and small, favoring Dionysiac scenes and the myths of Herakles. Most importantly, Psiax was an innovator. Two of his vases were signed by the potter Andokides, showing that Psiax worked in the shop where the red-figure technique was probably invented. He is also the first vase-painter interested in showing the human body in complex poses, a trait subsequently developed by the so-called Pioneers, at least one of whom, Euphronios, appears to have been Psiax's pupil.'' His signature is only known from two red-figure ''alabastra'' at Karlsruhe and
Odessa Odesa (also spelled Odessa) is the third most populous city and municipality in Ukraine and a major seaport and transport hub located in the south-west of the country, on the northwestern shore of the Black Sea. The city is also the administrativ ...
, both also signed by the potter Hilinos. Three of the vases by him are signed by the potter Andokides. The fact that he painted '' kyathoi'' and used the Six's technique indicates that he also collaborated with Nikosthenes. In his early phase, Epiktetos imitated Psiax. The Pioneers Euphronios and Phintias were taught by Psiax. Psiax mostly painted smaller vessels, appropriate to his fine painting style. Nevertheless, larger vases by him are also known, such as amphorae, ''
hydria The hydria ( el, ὑδρία; plural hydriai) is a form of Greek pottery from between the late Geometric period (7th century BC) and the Hellenistic period (3rd century BC). The etymology of the word hydria was first noted when it was stamped o ...
i'' and
calyx krater A krater or crater ( grc-gre, , ''kratēr'', literally "mixing vessel") was a large two-handled shape of vase in Ancient Greek pottery and metalwork, mostly used for the mixing of wine with water. Form and function At a Greek symposium, k ...
s. On those, too, his figures are not so much powerful and lively but rather dignified and restrained. Although he experimented with the possibilities offered by the new technique (perspective), he concentrated more on the fine detail and decorative effect typical of Late Archaic art. He did not limit his activity to black-figure or red-figure but also experimented with black figures on white or coral-red ground and with the Six Technique. His choice of subjects is conventional; arguably with a preference for scenes with horses and archers.


Works (selection)

*
Brescia Brescia (, locally ; lmo, link=no, label=Eastern Lombard, Lombard, Brèsa ; lat, Brixia; vec, Bressa) is a city and ''comune'' in the region of Lombardy, Northern Italy. It is situated at the foot of the Alps, a few kilometers from the lakes ...
, Museo :black-figure belly amphora * Karlsruhe, Badisches Landesmuseum :B 120 red-figure ''
alabastron An alabastron or alabastrum (plural: ''alabastra'' or ''alabastrons''; from the Greek ) is a small type of pottery or glass vessel used for holding oil, especially perfume or massage oils. They originated around the 11th century BC in ancien ...
'' (signed; potter: Hilinos) * London,
British Museum The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It documen ...
:1980.10-29.1 (formerly
Castle Ashby Castle Ashby is the name of a civil parish, an estate village and an English country house in rural Northamptonshire. Historically the village was set up to service the needs of Castle Ashby House, the seat of the Marquess of Northampton. The v ...
) black-figure
neck amphora An amphora (; grc, ἀμφορεύς, ''amphoreús''; English plural: amphorae or amphoras) is a type of container with a pointed bottom and characteristic shape and size which fit tightly (and therefore safely) against each other in storag ...
(potter: Andokides) ::Neck front:
Dionysos In ancient Greek religion and myth, Dionysus (; grc, Διόνυσος ) is the god of the grape-harvest, winemaking, orchards and fruit, vegetation, fertility, insanity, ritual madness, religious ecstasy, festivity, and theatre. The Romans ...
between two
satyr In Greek mythology, a satyr ( grc-gre, σάτυρος, sátyros, ), also known as a silenus or ''silenos'' ( grc-gre, σειληνός ), is a male nature spirit with ears and a tail resembling those of a horse, as well as a permanent, exa ...
s, back: Warrior in chariot in frontal perspective between two youth

* Madrid,
National Archaeological Museum of Spain The National Archaeological Museum ( es, Museo Arqueológico Nacional; MAN) is a museum in Madrid, Spain. It is located on Calle de Serrano beside the Plaza de Colón, sharing its building with the National Library of Spain. History The museu ...
:11008 (L 63) bilingual belly amphora (potter: Andokides) ::Front:
Apollo Apollo, grc, Ἀπόλλωνος, Apóllōnos, label=genitive , ; , grc-dor, Ἀπέλλων, Apéllōn, ; grc, Ἀπείλων, Apeílōn, label=Arcadocypriot Greek, ; grc-aeo, Ἄπλουν, Áploun, la, Apollō, la, Apollinis, label= ...
with '' kithara'' between
Artemis In ancient Greek mythology and religion, Artemis (; grc-gre, Ἄρτεμις) is the goddess of the hunt, the wilderness, wild animals, nature, vegetation, childbirth, care of children, and chastity. She was heavily identified with Sel ...
, Leto and
Ares Ares (; grc, Ἄρης, ''Árēs'' ) is the Greek god of war and courage. He is one of the Twelve Olympians, and the son of Zeus and Hera. The Greeks were ambivalent towards him. He embodies the physical valor necessary for success in war b ...
; back: Dionysos with ''
kantharos A ''kantharos'' ( grc, κάνθαρος) or cantharus is a type of ancient Greek cup used for drinking. Although almost all surviving examples are in Greek pottery, the shape, like many Greek vessel types, probably originates in metalwork. In ...
'' between satyrs and maenad

* Malibu, California, Malibu,
J. Paul Getty Museum The J. Paul Getty Museum, commonly referred to as the Getty, is an art museum in Los Angeles, California housed on two campuses: the Getty Center and Getty Villa. The Getty Center is located in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles and fea ...
:86.AE.278 red-figure cu

:90.AE.122 black-figure '' mastos'

* New York City,
Metropolitan Museum The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, colloquially "the Met", is the largest art museum in the Americas. Its permanent collection contains over two million works, divided among 17 curatorial departments. The main building at 1000 ...
:63.11.6 red-figure belly amphora with black-figure lip ::Front: fight over the tripod, back: Dionysos with ''kantharos'' between maenad and satyr (Lip: Psiax, main images: Andokides Painter

*
Odessa Odesa (also spelled Odessa) is the third most populous city and municipality in Ukraine and a major seaport and transport hub located in the south-west of the country, on the northwestern shore of the Black Sea. The city is also the administrativ ...
, Archaeological Museum :266602 red-figure ''alabastron'' (signed; potter: Hilinos) * Philadelphia,
University Museum A university museum is a repository of collections run by a university, typically founded to aid teaching and research within the institution of higher learning. The Ashmolean Museum at the University of Oxford in England is an early example, o ...
:5349 red-figure belly amphora (potter: Menon)


Bibliography

* John Beazley: ''Attic Black-figure Vase-painters''. Oxford 1956, p. 292-295. 692. *John Beazley: ''Attic Red-Figure Vase-Painters'', 2nd. ed. Oxford 1963, p. 6-9. *John Beazley: ''Paralipomena. Additions to Attic black-figure vase-painters and to Attic red-figure vase-painters'', Oxford 1971, p. *S. Patitucci Uggeri: ''Kylix di Psiax in una collezione ticinese'', in: Numismatica e antichità classiche. Quaderni ticinesi 1, 1972, p. 33-60. *Beth Cohen: ''Attic Bilingual Vases and their Painters'', New York 1978, p. 194-239. 276-287. *Joan R. Mertens: ''Some new vases by Psiax'', in: Antike Kunst 22, 1979, p. 22-37. *B. Jeske, C. Stein: ''Eine frührotfigurige Hydria des Psiax'', in: Hefte des Archäologischen Seminars der Universität Bern 8, 1982, p. 5-20. *S. Bonomi: ''Un nuovo frammento a figure nere di Psiax del Museo di Adria'', in: Kotinos. Festschrift für Erika Simon, Mainz 1992, p. 162-164. *P. Pelletier-Hornby: ''Deux aspects de Psiax dans la Collection Dutuit du Petit Palais (Musée des beaux-arts de la ville de Paris)'', in: Revue du Louvre 50, 2000, No. 4, p. 27-37. *Beth Cohen: ''Psiax'', in: Künstlerlexikon der Antike, Vol. 2, 2004, p. 325-326.


References


Sources


The Getty Museum - Biography of Psiax


External links


Getty-Museum
{{Authority control 6th-century BC deaths Ancient Greek vase painters 6th-century BC Athenians Year of birth unknown