Euthymides

Who is Euthymides?

Euthymides was an ancient Athenian potter and painter of vases, primarily active between 515 and 500 BC. He was a member of the Greek art movement later to be known as "The Pioneers" for their exploration of the new decorative style known as red-figure pottery. Euthymides was the teacher of another Athenian red-figure vase painter, the Kleophrades Painter.

Euthymides was admired for his portrayal of human movement and studies of perspective, his painted figures being amongst the first to show foreshortened limbs. He was more minimalist than others in the movement, and his tendency was to draw relatively few figures, and only rarely overlap them.

His works were normally inscribed "Euthymides painted me". Euthymides was a rival of his fellow Athenian Euphronios, and one of his amphorae is additionally marked with the playful taunt "hos oudepote Euphronios", words which have been variously interpreted as "as never Euphronios [could do]", or "this wasn't one of Euphronios".

Only eight vessels signed by Euthymides survive, six signed as painter, and two as potter. His most famous work is probably The Revelers Vase, an amphora depicting three men partying. They are presumably drunk; one of them is holding a kantharos, a large drinking vessel.