Unterwelt-Maler

Biografia:

The Unterwelt-Maler was an apulian vase painter and a significant representative of the rich style of the underitalian vase painting. His works are dated to the second half of the 4th century BC. The Unterwelt-Maler is considered a follower of the Dareios-Maler, in whose workshop he began his career and which he either later took over or at least significantly influenced as an influential craftsman. He received his nickname from a name vase on which he depicted Hades and Persephone in their palace in the underworld. The stylistic proximity to the Dareios-Maler is shown by three very large lekythoi (about 95 cm in height), which are considered the early work of the painter. The picture compositions and the mythological content are close to those of the Dareios-Maler, and the representation of clothing and faces also reminds of him. All three vases show the same theme, abductions: Hades abducts Persephone, Eos abducts Cephalus and the Dioscuri Castor and Pollux abduct the daughters of Leucippus. In the first two vases, the painter is quite free in his representation, distributing the figures on different levels and separating them with tendril friezes. The third vase has an additional thematically appropriate picture, which is unique in vase painting: the Dioscuri fight against the sons of Aphareus. The early work of the Unterwelt-Maler also shows influences of the painter of Louvre MNB 1148. The Unterwelt-Maler often overdoes it with the decoration, so that the vases appear overloaded. He also has problems with the representation of faces, as can be seen in some of his works. The Unterwelt-Maler is regarded as one of the most important representatives of the rich style of the underitalian vase painting, which was characterized by a strong influence of Greek art. His works are among the most beautiful and most famous of this style.