Antiphon Painter

The Antiphon Painter was an Athenian vase painter of the early 5th century BC. He owes his name to a double Kalos inscription of Antiphon on the dinos stand in the Antique collection of Berlin (Inventory number F 2325). He was active between 500 and 475 BC in Athens as a painter of the red-figure style in the largest workshop of the 5th century. He learned his handicraft in the workshop of Euphronios and Onesimos. There he worked closely with them, the Kalmarer Painter and other painters.

Young athlete, red-figure kylix by the Antiphon Painter, ca. 490 BC, Staatliche Antikensammlungen (Inv. 2635)

There are about 100 drinking containers of his (primarily kylikes) known to us. They almost exclusively depict the life of the aristocratic youth of Athens. They are shown as athletes, in symposia, in komos scenes, and with their horses or in arms. Representations of women – in particular Hetairai – are rare, as are mythological topics. When he depicts mythological subjects, they are usually the heroic acts of Herakles or Theseus. One of his bowls possibly refers to the Battle of Marathon (Orvieto, Collection Faina).

A special speciality of the painter were his red-figure Eye-cups. The Antiphon Painter was the last artist to create these.