Terracotta amphora (jar)
On the lip, obverse and reverse, Herakles and the Nemean Lion
The introduction of the red-figure technique is attributed to the workshop of Andokides. While we think of red-figure mainly in terms of drawing, it differs from black-figure also in the very different apportionment of glazed and unglazed surfaces on a vase. The preparation of these surfaces was probably the responsibility of the potter, and for this reason, the new technique is associated with a potter rather than a painter. On some works combining red-figure and black-figure, a single painter seems to have done both; here, however, two different artists are likely. The scene on the obverse depicts the hero Herakles with his club and the god Apollo with bow and arrows, struggling over the Delphic tripod, which Herakles sought to carry off.
Artwork Details
- Title: Terracotta amphora (jar)
- Artist: Signed by Andokides as potter
- Artist: Attributed to the Andokides Painter for red-figure decoration
- Artist: Attributed to the Lysippides Painter for black-figure decoration
- Period: Archaic
- Date: ca. 530 BCE
- Culture: Greek, Attic
- Medium: Terracotta; red-figure/bilingual
- Dimensions: H. 22 5/8 in. (57.5 cm)
- Classification: Vases
- Credit Line: Purchase, Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, 1963
- Object Number: 63.11.6
- Curatorial Department: Greek and Roman Art
Audio
1025. Terracotta amphora (jar)
The painter of this vase is anonymous, but he has been called the Andokides Painter, after the potter with whom he worked. We know that the potter's name was Andokides—his incised signature appears on the foot of the vessel.
At the center of the main scene is a bowl on three long legs. The tripod is the symbol of Delphi, one of the greatest sanctuaries of the Greek world. Delphi was the site of an oracle, a place people visited to put questions to the god Apollo and receive prophetic answers. In the image, Apollo holds the right side of the tripod in one hand and his characteristic bow and arrow in the other.
The powerful nude figure on the other side of the tripod is Herakles, the heroic strongman, holding his club above his head. The exploits of Herakles included encounters with human adversaries and monstrous animals; on the white lip of the vase, you see him strangling the invincible lion of Nemea.
In the myth depicted on the body of the vase, Herakles killed a man and was struck with a disease as punishment. He went to Delphi to find out how to atone for his crime, but the oracle refused to answer. In a rage, he seized the tripod and stole it to set up his own oracle. Behind Apollo is his sister Artemis, smelling a flower and also holding a bow. In front of Herakles is his divine protector, Athena. This is the moment when either the god or the hero might win, and the tripod stands upright between them. In the end, Apollo wins out, and the tripod remains in Delphi.
This amphora marks a turning point in Athenian vase-painting. It is one of the earliest executed in the red-figure technique.
Listen to more about this artwork
More Artwork
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Related Content
Timeline of Art History
Entries from The Met's art encyclopedia.
Publications
Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please contact us using the form below. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.