Keywords: Beldam Painter - Herakles and Pholos - Walters 48229 - Right Detail.jpg The surface of this lekythos a vessel for holding liquids such as oil or perfume is covered with an assortment of lines and a meander pattern on red on the neck shoulder and base It likely depicts a scene from Herakles' life that was parallel to his main labors These side-adventures or parerga were entertaining and provocative narratives of interest to artists Here we see a draped male figure leaning against a rock who can be identified as Herakles by the quiver and the club above his head He looks to the left and as our eye moves around the side of the vase following his line of vision we encounter a centaur standing before a pithos and facing the hero This has been identified as the encounter of Herakles and Pholos a centaur who lived in the Peloponnese and dwelt in a cave on Mount Pholoe While Herakles was in search of the Erymanthian boar Pholos offered him hospitality Despite Pholos's warnings Herakles demanded wine When Pholos opened the wine container the other centaurs nearby became agitated and attacked causing Herakles to defend himself with his arrows In some versions of the story the wise centaur Cheiron was wounded in this incident whereas in other versions Herakles accidentally killed Pholos by dropping a poisoned arrow on his foot The scene depicted here shows the last moment of calm before the storm Pholos has his hand already above the pithos and is about to pour Herakles a drink ca 500 BC terracotta cm 24 7 6 accession number 48 229 36555 Joseph Brummer New York date and mode of acquisition unknown Henry Walters city Baltimore Walters Art Museum Henry Walters Acquired by Henry Walters 1924 Heroes Mortals and Myths in Ancient Greece The Walters Art Museum Baltimore; Frist Center for the Visual Arts Nashville; San Diego Museum Of Art San Diego; Alexander S Onassis Public Benefit Foundation USA New York 2009-2011 place of origin Attica Greece Walters Art Museum license Ancient Greek black-figure pottery in the Walters Art Museum Beldam Painter Heracles in ancient Greek pottery White-ground lekythoi Media contributed by the Walters Art Museum needs artist update |