The Artist and Other Works by this Artist
The Athena Painter, who specialized in lekythoi, may have worked solely with the white ground technique. However, it has been suggested that he may be the red-figure artist the Bowdoin
Painter (Haspels, p. 157-60). His work tends to be lively although mannered in detail (Boardman,
p. 148). Although he has an affinity for depicting the goddess Athena (hence his name), his
subjects tend to stray from the narrow path of stock subjects that are chosen by lesser painters. A few
artists, such as the Athena Painter, continued to work in the black figure style after the red figure
technique had gained supremacy. However, Boardman observes that "the use of white ground and
the techniques on black figure lekythoi bring these vases very close to the spirit and technique of
red figure" (Boardman, p. 114).
For more information about the Athena Painter:
Beazley, J.D. (1956). Attic Black-figure Vase-painters. Oxford: Clarendon Press,
p.522-524, 533, 704.
Boardman, J. (1974). Athenian Black Figure Vases. London: Thames and Hudson, p.
113-114, 147-149, figs. 250-255..
Haspels, C.H.E. (1936). Attic Black-figured Lekythoi. Cambridge: University Press, p.
249-262.
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