1908.3
Attic Red-Figure Hydria with the Abduction of Oreithyia by Boreas
Artist
Niobid Painter
Title
Attic Red-Figure Hydria with the Abduction of Oreithyia by Boreas
Creation Date
460 BCE- 450 BCE
Century
5th century BCE
Dimensions
15 7/8 in. (40.4 cm.)
Object Type
ceramic
Creation Place
Europe, Greece
Medium and Support
terracotta
Credit Line
Gift of Edward Perry Warren, Esq., Honorary Degree, 1926
Copyright
Public Domain
Accession Number
1908.3
This hydria, a water carrying vessel, depicts the myth recounting the abduction of princess Oreithyia, daughter of Erechtheus, king of Athens, by Boreas, the North Wind. The Niobid Painter and his associates, probably inspired by wall frescoes, excelled in composing scenes with large detailed figures that were painted around the curvilinear surface of the vase. Undaunted by this challenging canvas of the hydria, the painter illustrates the moment of Oreithyia’s capture and the reactions of those in attendance. As the goddess Athena looks on, Boreas wings in and seizes the princess. Female attendants scatter in fright, while an old man (King Erechtheus) frets the loss of his daughter.
The connection between this myth and history lies in a fortuitous turn for the Athenians in their war against the Persians. According to the historian Herodotus, a Persian fleet poised off Cape Artemisium in 480 BCE was destroyed by a northern gale, interpreted as an intervention of Boreas, the North Wind. For the Athenians the coincidence was clear. Boreas, who had married Oreithyia after the illustrated encounter, had also intervened on behalf of the Athenians in their most dire hour. As unexpected as was Oreithyia’s abduction, so was Boreas’ arrival and dispatch of the Persian fleet at Artemisium. The Bowdoin Hydria’s incorporation of a myth to represent a moment in history reflects an artist’s pride in the accomplishments and fortune of his city.
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