Sophilos

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Sophilos
Attic black-figure amphora. Late work of the vase-painter, Sophilos, ca. 580 B.C. On the neck is Hermes, between Sphinxes. On the body are zones decorated with a winged Artemis, animals, florals, sphinxes, and geese. Found at Marathon, in the tumulus of the Athenians (490 B.C.).
Born	Sophilos Before 590 BC Probably Athens
Died	Around 570 BC
Nationality	Athenian
Known for	Ceramics manufacturer and painter
Notable work	37 vessels are ascribed to him, mostly amphorae, '’dinoi’’, kraters, as well as three pinakes
Movement	Black-figure style

Sophilos (

He was one of the first painters to use additional colours at a grand scale, thus increasing the optical and artistic distinction between Corinthian and Attic vase painting. While he was conservative and traditionalist in terms of the

In spite of his innovative pictorial compositions and his talent to constantly invent new scenes; his drawing style was usually not very accurate. The overall impact of his works is hardly diminished by that.

Works (selection)

• Athens, National Archaeological Museum’’’

Neck amphora 991 • Chalice krater 995 • Neck amphora 1036 • Fragment of a '’dinos’’ 15499

• formerly Berlin, Antikensammlung

Belly amphora F 1683 (lost 1945)

• Boston,
  Museum of Fine Arts

Tripod kothon98.915

• Jena,
  Friedrich-Schiller-Universität

Amphora

• London, British Museum

’’Dinos’’ 1971.11-11

Bibliography

• John Beazley: Attic Black-Figure Vase-Painters, Oxford 1956, p. 37-42.
• Güven Bakır: Sophilos. Ein Beitrag zu seinem Stil. Mainz 1981.
  ISBN 3-8053-0446-3
• Künstlerlexikon der Antike II (2004) p. 407-408 s.v. Sophilos (I) (Bettina Kreuzer)

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