Phiale Painter

The 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 chalice "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. His conventional name is based on the fact that a painted "phiale", a vase shape rarely equipped with figural depictions, is known from him.