Pisticci Painter

With the Notnamen Pisticci Painter a Lukan vase painter is referred to in archaeological research, which was BC active in the last third of the 5th century.

The Pisticci Painter is at the beginning of Luke's Ceramics. It owes its Notnamen the city Pisticci which is located about 20 km west of Metapontum. Together with the Cyclops Painter and the Amykos - painter he seems to have operated a workshop in which he held the lead. They decorated all mostly unscheinbarere vase forms, such as bell- krater. The spectrum of the representations included topics from the Dionysian area, everyday scenes like warriors or athletes and chase scenes in which mythological figures readjust women.

The Pisticci painter has probably taken his vessel forms, pictorial themes and ornaments directly from the simultaneous Attic vase painters. Above all, the Christie Painter, the Achilleus Painter, Barclay painter and the painter of the Centauromachy in the Louvre exerted strong influence. His early works are often difficult to distinguish from Attic work. He quickly developed a personal style which was particularly evident in the depiction of drapery and the draped youths. It is also striking that the black varnish loses its typical for Attic vases luster and appears less intense, blunt. Rarely shows the Pisticci painter more than two or three characters on his favorite form, the bell crater. Draped youths can be found on almost all vases backs. His ornaments usually have a common format. So found mostly below the rim and above the picture with a laurel wreath with round and occasionally rimmed leaves. Under the picture, there is often a meandering band with cross plates. Be found especially in his early work hydriai, mostly running or standing women show. In his later phase, he shows usually three or even four figures on his bell craters. An unusual vase from this period shows a rare mythological theme: Laocoon in Troy, his wife attacks the snake that has wrapped around the statue of Apollo, one of the sons is already killed.

The workshop in Metapontum had a long time stock. In the second generation, it was coined by Anabates Painter, the Creusa Painter and the Dolon Painter.