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Lot Essay
PUBLISHED:
E. Simon, 'Theseus und Hekale', in Perspektiven der Philosophie, 13, 1987, pp. 409-416, pl. 1.2.
E. Simon, 'Hekale', Lexicon Iconographicum Mythologiae Classicae: IV, 1988, p. 481, pl. 283.
S. B. Matheson, Polygnotos and vase Painting in Classical Athens, Madison, 1995, p. 223.
S. Lewis, The Athenian Woman: An Iconographic Handbook, Oxford, 2002, p. 54.
C. Servadei, La figura di Theseus nella ceramica Attica, Iconografia e iconologia del mito nell' Atene arcaica e classica, Bologna, 2005, p. 71, fig. 24 (BD).
The Cretan bull (sire of the Minotaur) had been caught and released by Herakles as one of the twelve labours, and after being released had made its way to mainland Greece, settled in Marathon, and been re-named the Marathonian Bull. The Greek hero Theseus had set out to catch the bull a second time, but being caught in a storm, had been taken in and given shelter by a poor old lady - Hekale. When Theseus had returned after his victory over the bull, he found Hekale had died, so in her name he founded an Attic deme and established the cult of Zeus Hekaleios in her honour. The story is known from a 3rd Century B.C. poem Hekale by Callimachos and the 2nd Century A.D. story by Plutarch, The Life of Theseus. This vase is an extremely rare representation of Hekale and pre-dates the Callimachos poem by over 200 years.
The Pan Painter takes his name from a bell-krater in Boston depicting Pan chasing a boy. Beazley (Attic Red-figure Vase-painters, p. 550) considered him a pupil of Myson, "a mannerist, and connected with the earlier members of the Mannerist Group, but far above them: an exquisite artist."
E. Simon, 'Theseus und Hekale', in Perspektiven der Philosophie, 13, 1987, pp. 409-416, pl. 1.2.
E. Simon, 'Hekale', Lexicon Iconographicum Mythologiae Classicae: IV, 1988, p. 481, pl. 283.
S. B. Matheson, Polygnotos and vase Painting in Classical Athens, Madison, 1995, p. 223.
S. Lewis, The Athenian Woman: An Iconographic Handbook, Oxford, 2002, p. 54.
C. Servadei, La figura di Theseus nella ceramica Attica, Iconografia e iconologia del mito nell' Atene arcaica e classica, Bologna, 2005, p. 71, fig. 24 (BD).
The Cretan bull (sire of the Minotaur) had been caught and released by Herakles as one of the twelve labours, and after being released had made its way to mainland Greece, settled in Marathon, and been re-named the Marathonian Bull. The Greek hero Theseus had set out to catch the bull a second time, but being caught in a storm, had been taken in and given shelter by a poor old lady - Hekale. When Theseus had returned after his victory over the bull, he found Hekale had died, so in her name he founded an Attic deme and established the cult of Zeus Hekaleios in her honour. The story is known from a 3rd Century B.C. poem Hekale by Callimachos and the 2nd Century A.D. story by Plutarch, The Life of Theseus. This vase is an extremely rare representation of Hekale and pre-dates the Callimachos poem by over 200 years.
The Pan Painter takes his name from a bell-krater in Boston depicting Pan chasing a boy. Beazley (Attic Red-figure Vase-painters, p. 550) considered him a pupil of Myson, "a mannerist, and connected with the earlier members of the Mannerist Group, but far above them: an exquisite artist."