Bellerophon, Pegasus, and the Chimera
Black-figure kylix. Lakonia.Attributed to the Boreads Painter (Greek (Lakonian), active 575—550 BCE).
Terracotta.
Ca. 570—565 BCE.
Height 12.5, diam. 18.4 cm Inv. No. 85.AE.121.Los Angeles, John Paul Getty Museum, Getty Villa in Malibu
Bellerophon, Pegasus, and the Chimera.
Black-figure kylix. Lakonia.
Attributed to the Boreads Painter (Greek (Lakonian), active 575—550 BCE).
Terracotta.
Ca. 570—565 BCE.
Height 12.5, diam. 18.4 cm
Attributed to the Boreads Painter (Greek (Lakonian), active 575—550 BCE).
Terracotta.
Ca. 570—565 BCE.
Height 12.5, diam. 18.4 cm
Inv. No. 85.AE.121.
Los Angeles, John Paul Getty Museum, Getty Villa in Malibu.
Description:
On the interior of this Lakonian or Spartan black-figure kylix or cup, the Greek hero Bellerophon battles the monstrous Chimaera, a fire-breathing creature that combines elements of a lion, a snake, and a goat. In most depictions of this myth, a favorite among Greek artists in the 600s and early 500s B.C., Bellerophon rides Pegasos, his winged horse, but here he has dismounted, still holding the reins. While Pegasos strikes at the Chimaera with his hooves, Bellerophon spears the monster from underneath.
The unique, symmetrical arrangement of the rearing horse and monster framing the hero is the result of the artist’s attempt to find creative ways to fill the circular area of the interior of a cup. Three ornamental bands and palmettes at the handles decorate the cup’s exterior.
Lakonian vase-painters specialized in the decoration of cups; this example, with its high foot and slanting rim, fits the typical form. Both the interest in narrative and the use of the black-figure technique were new to Lakonian vase-painting when this vase was produced.
Credits:
(cc) 2020. Photo, text: The J. Paul Getty Museum (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Digital image courtesy of the Getty’s Open Content Program.
Digital image courtesy of the Getty’s Open Content Program.
Keywords: κεραμικά ceramics clay terracotta ceramica keramik céramique ελληνική μυθολογία mythologia graeca greek mythology mitologia greca griechische mythologie grecque ελλάδα grecia graecia hellas greece griechenland grèce πήγασος pegasos pegasus winged horse stallion cavallo alato pegaso geflügeltes pferd cheval ailé pégase χίμαιρα chimera chimaera chimära chimäre chimère βελλεροφῶν βελλεροφόντης bellerophon bellerophontes bellerofonte bellérophon technique tecnica vasenmalerei μελανόμορφη black-figure black-figured a figure nere schwarzfigurige schwarzfiguriger à figures noires cup bowl coppa κύλιξ kylix cylix laconia laconian laconica laconico lakonische lakonischer sparta spartan male footwear footgear calzatura maschile männerschuhe chaussures pour hommes ανδρικά παπούτσια endromis endromidis endromides cothurnus topboot boot boots stivali endromide stiefel stiefeln bottes ἐνδρομίς hasta spear lancia speer lance δόρυ boreads painter pittore di boreades boreas-maler inv no 85.ae.121
