# Lydos

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6th-century BC Greek vase painter

For other uses, see [Lydus (disambiguation)](/source/Lydus_(disambiguation)).

Lydos Warrior departure, hydria by Lydos, dated about 570/560 BC, located in Paris, the Louvre, E 804 Born Unknown. Lydos is an ethnic name. Before 560 BC. Lydia or Athens. Died About 540 BC Known for Vase painting Notable work He preferred to work on Kraters and Amphorae Movement Black-figure style, leader of the Lydos Group

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**Lydos** ([Greek](/source/Greek_language): Λυδός, *the Lydian*) was an [Attic](/source/Attica) vase painter in the [black-figure style](/source/Black-figure_pottery). Active between about 560 and 540 BC, he was the main representative of the "Lydos Group". His signature, ό Λυδός, ho Lydos ("the Lydian"), inscribed on two vases, is informative regarding the cultural background of the artist. Either he immigrated to [Athens](/source/Athens) from the [Lydian Empire](/source/Lydia) of King [Kroisos](/source/Croesus), or he was born in Athens as the son of Lydian parents.[1] In any case, he learned his trade in Athens.

## Style

It is difficult to definitely recognise his work, since he was the centre and main artist of a highly productive Attic pottery workshop. For that reason, many vases are simply described as "in the style of Lydos". Several other individual artists within his circle can be identified, including the [Painter of Vatican 309](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Painter_of_Vatican_309&action=edit&redlink=1) and [Painter of Louvre F 6](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Painter_of_Louvre_F_6&action=edit&redlink=1). These works are quite homogeneous in style, but differ considerably in terms of quality.

The style of Lydos strongly resembles that of older artists, such as the painters of [Siana cups](/source/Siana_cup), of which he himself painted many. He was the last Attic painter to decorate large vases entirely with polychrome animal friezes in the [Corinthian style](/source/Black-figure_pottery#Corinth). His human figures resemble the works of [Klitias](/source/Kleitias), and later painters, whose humans appear "wrapped" in cloth. Sometimes they have dotted garments, such as preferred by the [Amasis Painter](/source/Amasis_Painter). His figures exude a dignity nearly akin to those by [Exekias](/source/Exekias).[2] The Lydos Group did not only paint large vases, but also known for miniature work. For example, they painted [Little-Master cup](/source/Little-Master_cup) and [eye-cups](/source/Eye-cup). Ascribed to Lydos himself is a [band cup](/source/Band_cup) potted by [Nikosthenes](/source/Nikosthenes).

His early works show a tendency to use colour, which decreased throughout his career. Similarly, at an early stage he paid much attention to certain details, such as the hairy backs of cat-like animals, whereas later he concentrated more on gesture. His animal figures appear somewhat stiff, but are usually highly decorative.[3] Lydos painted vases by a variety of potters, including [Nikosthenes](/source/Nikosthenes), [Kolchos](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kolchos_(potter)&action=edit&redlink=1), [Epitimos](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Epitimos&action=edit&redlink=1) and [Amasis](/source/Amasis_Painter).

His workshop's style can be described as out-of-date but was used well into the 520s BC. It is not clear why that is the case; perhaps the material was aimed at older or poorer customers.[3] The last artist to resemble Lydos in style was the [Ready Painter](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ready_Painter&action=edit&redlink=1).

## Themes

Lydos frequently painted [mythological](/source/Greek_mythology) scenes and newly introduced several specific motifs of that genre to Attic vase painting. The quality of his paintings varies. He often painted so-called "penguin women", wearing a cloak held together by the chest, probably by a kind of sash, and terminating in a tail-like feature at the back. His men often wore a *[himation](/source/Himation)*, painted in diagonal stripes, so that they appear as if bandaged. An *[oinochoe](/source/Oenochoe)*, the vessel itself made by the potter [Kolchos](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kolchos_(potter)&action=edit&redlink=1) ([Berlin, Antikensammlung](/source/Antikensammlung_Berlin), F 1732) depicts mannerist figures.[3] [Athena](/source/Athena) (supporting [Heracles](/source/Heracles), who is fighting [Kyknos](/source/Cycnus)) is rendered as a silhouette figure in the style of the Amasis Painter, while the figures of [Ares](/source/Ares) and [Zeus](/source/Zeus) (who joins the fighting) represent an attempt to utilise the new three-dimensional drawing style, developed around 540 BC. Lydos's [palmettes](/source/Palmette), placed on neck and handles of the vessel are stylistically transitional: they can be seen as a late form of the earlier black-figure style, but also as the beginning of the decorative styles that were to flourish in [red-figure vase painting](/source/Red-figure_pottery). His best works also include several plates decorated with flying or running figures. One of his plates is decorated with a [gorgoneion](/source/Gorgoneion) covering the entire surface.

## Works

Works ascribed to Lydos can be found on all types of vase shape then produced in the [Athenian potters' quarter](/source/Kerameikos), including a series of grave *[pinakes](/source/Pinax)*.

One of his two signed vases is a *[dinos](/source/Dinos)*, preserved only in fragments and found on the [Athenian Acropolis](/source/Acropolis_of_Athens).[4] In style it resembles the works of the [Painter of Acropolis 606](/source/Painter_of_Acropolis_606) and [Nearchos](/source/Nearchos_(painter)). The main frieze depicts a very carefully designed [Gigantomachy](/source/Gigantomachy). Subsidiary friezes show a procession a hunt and various animals. Especially striking aspects of the work are a number of details and the colouring. Lydos painted a wasp as a shield emblazonment and dangerous-looking knives in the procession scene. These martial aspects are balanced by the high-quality animal friezes.

Another well-known work by him is a [column *krater*](/source/Krater#Column_krater_(kelébe)), now in the [Metropolitan Museum](/source/Metropolitan_Museum_of_Art), [New York City](/source/New_York_City).[5] It is nearly as large as the [François Vase](/source/Fran%C3%A7ois_Vase), but is decorated only with a single frieze, so that the figures reach a height of nearly 25 cm. The painter focused not so much on the depicted narrative (return of [Hephaistos](/source/Hephaestus)), but on the gestures of the figures [Dionysos](/source/Dionysus) and Hephaistos, and even more so of the accompanying [satyrs](/source/Satyr) and [maenads](/source/Maenad). He omitted circumstantial detail, as used e.g. by Klitias, and failed to present the satyrs genitals as the [Amasis Painter](/source/Amasis_Painter) would have. Instead, his satyrs are depicted as “gentlemen”.[2]

Some particular works are as follows.

- Malibu, J. Paul Getty Museum

- [Amphora 86.AE.60](http://www.getty.edu/art/gettyguide/artObjectDetails?artobj=13773)

- New York, Metropolitan Museum

- [Column Krater 31.11.11](http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/vase/hod_31.11.11.htm)

- Paris, Louvre

- [five vases](http://cartelfr.louvre.fr/cartelfr/visite?srv=rs_display_res&langue=fr&critere=Lydos&operator=AND&nbToDisplay=5)

## See also

- [National Archaeological Museum of Athens](/source/National_Archaeological_Museum%2C_Athens)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Andrew J Clark; Maya Elston; Mary Louise Hart (2001). "Lydos". *Understanding Greek Vases: a guide to terms, styles, and techniques*. Los Angeles: J. Paul Getty Museum. p. 47.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-BSV58_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-BSV58_2-1) Boardman: Schwarzfigurige Vasenmalerei, p. 58

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-BSV59_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-BSV59_3-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-BSV59_3-2) Boardman: Schwarzfigurige Vasenmalerei, p. 59

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Athens, National Museum Acr. 607

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Inventory 31.11.11

## Bibliography

- [John Beazley](/source/John_Beazley): *Attic Black-Figure Vase-Painters*, Oxford 1956, p. 107-120.

- Michael A. Tiverios: *Ο Λυδός και το έργο του. Συμβολή στην έρευνα της αττικής μελανόμορφης αγγειογραφίας*, Athen 1976

- [John Boardman](/source/John_Boardman_(art_historian)): *Schwarzfigurige Vasen aus Athen. Ein Handbuch*, Mainz 1977, [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [3-8053-0233-9](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/3-8053-0233-9), p. 57-59.

- Bettina Kreuzer: *Lydos*, in: Künstlerlexikon der Antike Vol. 2, 2004, p. 23-24.

## External links

- ["Attributed to Lydos: Column-krater (31.11.11)". In Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/vase/hod_31.11.11.htm (October 2006)](http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/vase/hod_31.11.11.htm)

v t e Ancient Greek vase painters Geometric Dipylon Master Orientalizing Analatos Painter Honolulu Painter Mesogeia Painter Polyphemos Painter Black-figure Painter of Acropolis 606 Affecter Amasis Painter Anagyrus Painter Anakles Arkesilas Painter Antimenes Painter Athena Painter Beldam Painter Bellerophon Painter Painter of Berlin A 34 Painter of Berlin 1686 BMN Painter Burgon Group C Painter Castellani Painter Cerameicus Painter Chimera Painter Class of Cabinet des Médailles 218 Columbus Painter Daybreak Painter Diosphos Painter Dodwell Painter Duel Painter Edinburgh Painter Elbows Out Euphiletos Painter Gela Painter Goltyr Painter Gorgon Painter Haimon Painter Heidelberg Painter Horse-bird Painter Hypobibazon Class Kabiria Group Kassandra Painter Kleitias Lion Painter Lydos Lysippides Painter Madrid Painter Mastos Painter Painter of Munich 1410 N Painter Naucratis Painter Nearchos Nessos Painter Painter of Nicosia Olpe Nikoxenos Painter Northampton Group Oxford Palmette Class Painter of Palermo 489 Panther Painter Perizoma Group Pholoe Painter Phrynos Painter Piraeus Painter Polos Painter Pontic Group Priam Painter Princeton Painter Psiax Ptoon Painter Rider Painter Rycroft Painter Sappho Painter Sophilos Swing Painter Taleides Painter Theseus Painter Three Line Group Tityos Painter Tydeus Painter Xenokles Painter Comast Group KX Painter KY Painter Group E Exekias Gorgoneion Group Cavalcade Painter Leagros Group Acheloos Painter Chiusi Painter Little Masters Group of Rhodes 12264 Red-figure Achilles Painter Aison Altamura Painter Amykos Painter Andokides painter Antiphon Painter Apollodoros Aristophanes Asteas Baltimore Painter Berlin Painter Painter of the Berlin Dancing Girl Brygos Painter Bryn Mawr Painter Chrysis Painter Codrus Painter Darius Painter Dinos Painter Dokimasia Painter Douris Eretria Painter Eucharides Painter Foundry Painter Harrow Painter Hasselmann Painter Hermonax Ilioupersis Painter Jena Painter Kerch style Kleophon Painter Kleophrades Painter Makron Marsyas Painter Meidias Painter Meleager Painter Niobid Painter Onesimos Oreithyia Painter Pamphaios Penthesilea Painter Persephone Painter Phiale Painter Pisticci Painter Pistoxenos Painter Polygnotos Providence Painter Reed Painter Shuvalov Painter Siren Painter Sisyphus Painter Skythes Snub-nose Painter Tarporley Painter Tarquinia Painter Tithonos Painter Triptolemos Painter Underworld Painter Varrese Painter Painter of the Vatican Mourner Villa Giulia Painter Wedding Painter YZ Group Pioneer Group Epiktetos Euphronios Euthymides Oltos Phintias Smikros Mannerists Pan Painter

Authority control databases International ISNI VIAF 2 3 4 5 GND FAST WorldCat National United States Artists ULAN People Deutsche Biographie DDB Other IdRef

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Lydos](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lydos) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lydos?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.