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Terracotta pelike (jar)

Attributed to the Somzée Painter
ca. 420–410 BCE
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 159
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.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Terracotta pelike (jar)
  • Artist: Attributed to the Somzée Painter
  • Period: Classical
  • Date: ca. 420–410 BCE
  • Culture: Greek, Attic
  • Medium: Terracotta; red-figure
  • Dimensions: H.: 14 1/2 x 11 1/16 in. (36.8 x 28.1 cm)
  • Classification: Vases
  • Credit Line: Gift of Samuel G. Ward, 1875
  • Object Number: 75.2.7
  • Curatorial Department: Greek and Roman Art

Audio

Cover Image for 1053. Terracotta pelike (jar)

1053. Terracotta pelike (jar)

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