Terracotta pelike (jar)

Somzée Painter

ca. 420–410 BCE · Terracotta · Greek and Roman Art

Obverse, Dionysos banqueting Reverse, three youths The scene presents an early form of the outdoor gathering—with or without repast—so favored in later Western art. Dionysos, the god of wine, reclines on a couch in a hilly setting with a spreading vine. A young man and an old satyr attend to the wine—worthy of notice is their calyx-krater (bowl for mixing wine and water) decorated with a satyr and maenad, followers of Dionysos. In front of the god is a surface with bread and fruit. The woman at right brings grapes in a flat basket. Although the drawing is facile, the figures are substantial and individually characterized.

Artist

Somzée Painter

Date

ca. 420–410 BCE

Medium

Terracotta

Culture

Greek, Attic

Department

Greek and Roman Art

Credit line

Gift of Samuel G. Ward, 1875