Affecter
Encyclopedia
Attica
Attica is a historical region of Greece, containing Athens, the current capital of Greece. The historical region is centered on the Attic peninsula, which projects into the Aegean Sea...
black-figure vase painter, active in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
around 550 to 530 BCE..
His conventional name (his real name being unknown today, as none of his works are signed) is derived from his artificial affected style of figural painting, on the basis of which about 135 vases can be ascribed to him. He was active as both potter and painter. His speciality were amphora
Amphora
An amphora is a type of vase-shaped, usually ceramic container with two handles and a long neck narrower than the body...
e. He mainly painted ovoid amphorae and belly amphorae, of the then newly introduced type C. Most of the 132 vases associated with him were found in Etruscan
Etruscan civilization
Etruscan civilization is the modern English name given to a civilization of ancient Italy in the area corresponding roughly to Tuscany. The ancient Romans called its creators the Tusci or Etrusci...
tombs and as such are usually well preserved.
He was interested particularly in the decorative effect of his imges, composed of stylised figures in long cloaks or with affected gestures; narrative content was secondary. In his tendency to formulaic figures and multiple details, the Affecter is a successor to the Amasis Painter
Amasis Painter
The Amasis Painter was an ancient Greek vase painter of the black figure style. He owes his name to the fact that eight of the potter Amasis's manufactured marked work are painted by the same painter, who is therefore called the Amasis painter...
, from whom he may have learnt his trade, but whose artistic talent he did not however reach. Together with the painter Elbows Out
Elbows Out
Elbows Out is the name given to an Attic black-figure vase painter, active in Athens around 550/540 to 520 BC..His conventional name is derived from the strongly exaggerated gestures and odd anatomy of his dancing figures. Together with the Affecter, he is considered one of the mannerists of the...
, he is considered to be a mannerist of the black-figure style.
His images often seem to reflect a surreal world. His figures usually have small heads and seemingly upholstered bodies, when clothed, or angular pointed ones, when naked. His ornaments are very carefully drawn. He often decorated garments with coloured dots. His ornaments seem closely related to those of East Greek workshops, such as the Klazomenai Group or the Northampton Group
Northampton Group
The Northampton Group was a stylistic group of ancient Greek amphorae in the black-figure style.With the exception of a single belly amphora, the vases of the Northampton Group are exclusively neck amphorae. Stylistically, they are very close to North Ionian vase painting. However, they were...
, indicating regular cultural exchange between Attica and Ionia
Ionia
Ionia is an ancient region of central coastal Anatolia in present-day Turkey, the region nearest İzmir, which was historically Smyrna. It consisted of the northernmost territories of the Ionian League of Greek settlements...
. A special feature of his amphorae is the replacement of the usual figural decoration on the neck by vegetal ornaments.