Terracotta hydria (water jar)

Meidias Painter

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

Thamyris and the Muses Vases associated with the Meidias Painter are often exceptionally interesting iconographically and very poorly preserved. Thamyris was a mythological musician who boasted that he could sing more beautifully than the Muses. He was blinded for his arrogance. While some representations reflect his fate, this hydria is among those that do not. Thamyris appears in an outdoor setting among music-making women and Erotes. Particularly noteworthy is a small platform beneath his feet with three figures of diminishing size. They are identified as representations of the Muses, making the location of the scene a sanctuary devoted to them.

Artist

Meidias Painter

Date

ca. 420–410 BCE

Medium

Terracotta

Culture

Greek, Attic

Department

Greek and Roman Art

Credit line

Gift of John Marshall, 1916