The Piraeus Painter was one of the first Attic

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 painters. He was active between 630 and 600 BC.

The Piraeus Painter was a contempoary of the Nessos Painter

Nessos Painter

The Nessos Painter , was a pioneer of Attic black-figure vase painting...

, whose importance and artistic class he did not reach. His name vase

Name vase

In classical archaeology, a name vase is a specific "vase" whose painter's name is unknown but whose workshop style has been identified. The painter is conventionally named after the selected "name vase" that embodies his characteristic style, or for one of its distinctive painted subjects, or for...

, a neck amphora 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...

, National Archaeological Museum 353, was found at Piraeus

Piraeus

Piraeus is a city in the region of Attica, Greece. Piraeus is located within the Athens Urban Area, 12 km southwest from its city center , and lies along the east coast of the Saronic Gulf....

. The most noteworthy feature of that vase is the snout of the depicted lion, stylised into the shape of a volute

Volute

A volute is a spiral scroll-like ornament that forms the basis of the Ionic order, found in the capital of the Ionic column. It was later incorporated into Corinthian order and Composite column capitals...

. Images of lions were quite popular at the time, as in the works of the Lion Painter

Lion Painter

The Lion Painter was one of the earliest Athens black-figure vase painters. He was active between 630 and 600 BC.He was a contemporary of the Nessos Painter, but remained a less significant influence, in spite of his artistic achievements. All vases ascribed to him depict lions. His work is only...

 and the Gorgon Painter

Gorgon Painter

The Gorgon Painter was one of the first Attic black-figure vase painters. He was active between 600 and 580 BC.The Gorgon Painter is considered as the very productive successor of the Nessos Painter, whose fanciful style ha adopted, adapted and organised. His conventional name is based on his name...

. Except his animal figures, which display a safe intuition for design and proportions, his other figures appear very stiff and awkward.

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