Phintias (painter)

The rape ofLetobyTityos,side A from anamphoraby Phintias, ca. 515 BC,Louvre.

Phintiaswas anancient Greekvase painter; along withEuphroniosandEuthymides,he was one of the most important representatives of thePioneer Groupof Athenianred-figurevase painters. Ten works from the period between 525 BC and 510 BC bearing his signature survive: seven vase paintings and three pottery works. Since his career began before the time of the Pioneer Group, his paintings look somewhat more old-fashioned than those of the other Pioneers; and the influence of earlier red-figure painters such asPsiaxorOltosis strong. Even during the Pioneer Group period he continued to use certain techniques of theblack-figurestyle, e.g. outlines reinforced by scratching and black-figure ornamental borders.

His paintings have been called clear, concise, and exact, but also static and somewhat stiff. Phintias' repertoire, however, is rich. He drew everyday scenes such ashetaerae,symposiaand music lessons, but also mythological scenes. Like the other major members of the Pioneer group, he frequently wrote on his vases, and depicted some of his "colleagues".

Sources

• Irma Wehgartner.Phintias [2].In:Der Neue Pauly,Vol. 9, (2000).