Nearchos

Who is Nearchos?

Nearchos was an Attic potter and vase painter of the black figure style, active in Athens circa 570 to 555 BC. In some stylistic terms, especially his fine drawings, Nearchos seems closely connected to the Painter of Acropolis 606. Unlike his contemporaries, he achieved figures with a striking sense of dignity, comparable to those painted much later by Exekias. Especially striking is a kantharos, probably both shaped and painted by Nearchos, which depicts Achilles harnessing his horses. Kantharoi were one of his favourite shapes. He signed them as both potter and painter. He also introduced some innovations, such as the attempt to render a horse’s body in white paint. Not all his experiments can be considered successful. A further vessel that exemplifies his artistic mastery is an aryballos ij the Corinthian style, decorated with a frieze of pygmies and cranes along the rim. Strikingly, the vessel is less than 8 cm tall and the frieze only covers a fraction of its surface. Nerachos also produced Little-master cups.