Phiale Painter

The Phiale Painter, also known as Boston Phiale Painter, was a painter of the Attic red-figure style. He was active around 460 to 430 BC. The Phiale Painter is assumed to have been a pupil of the Achilles Painter. In contrast to his master, he liked to depict narrative scenes. He painted several large calyx kraters, often with two registers of figures; unlike his master, he seems to have preferred larger vessels in general. This is shown by his white-ground works, which are not well known, but more expressive than those of the Achilles Painter. Apart from a number of lekythoi, he painted two chalice kraters in white-ground technique, a rarity at the time. His themes may be partially influenced by contemporary theatre. His preferred name for kalos inscriptions is that of Euaion, son of Aeschylus.

Red-figure phiale by the Phiale Painter, ca. 430 B.C. (Museum of Fine Arts, Boston)

The Phiale Painter was named by John Beazley for a red-figure phiale with scenes of men entertained by a group of women, now in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.^[1]