Terracotta neck-amphora (jar) with twisted handles

Kleophrades Painter

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Obverse, Apollo; reverse, Herakles: the struggle for the Delphic tripod In the Archaic tradition, depictions of the struggle for the Delphic tripod emphasize the narrative: Herakles comes to Delphi to carry off the tripod, which is central to the sanctuary's prophetic activity; Apollo, the presiding deity, keeps firm hold of it. By contrast, the Kleophrades Painter emphasizes the protagonists rather than the action: Apollo moves purposefully, asserting himself simply by raising his right hand; Herakles has possession of the tripod, which he appears to defend with his club. The outcome is conveyed by the characterization of the figures.

Greek and Roman Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Museum's collection of Greek and Roman art comprises more than thirty thousand works ranging in date from the Neolithic period (ca. 4500 B.C.) to the time of the Roman emperor Constantine's conversion to Christianity in A.D. 312. It includes the art of many cultures and is among the most comprehensive in North America. The geographic regions represented are Greece and Italy, but not as delimited by modern political frontiers: Greek colonies were established around the Mediterranean basin and on the shores of the Black Sea, and Cyprus became increasingly Hellenized. For Roman art, the geographical limits coincide with the expansion of the Roman Empire. The department also exhibits the art of prehistoric Greece (Helladic, Cycladic, and Minoan) and pre-Roman art of Italic peoples, notably the Etruscans.

Metropolitan Museum of Art