Surely complementary, the pictures may refer to the apotheosis of Herakles. To the left, Hermes, the messenger god, turns away from Pan, his son, while Eros plays with a bird below. The reverse, in an outdoor setting, shows Herakles’ staunch protectress, Athena, seated in conversation with one of the Dioskouroi. ![]() Above, Zeus, ruler of the gods, and Nike, personification of victory, preside as Herakles himself ambles in from the right to survey his image. To the left, a Black African youth tends the brazier on which rods are heating that will spread the tinted wax. ![]() The painter, characterized by his cap and his garment worn to leave his upper body bare, applies a mixture of pigment and wax with a spatula to Herakles’ lion-skin. In the foreground stands a statue of Herakles with his club, bow, and lion-skin. ![]() The column and phiale (libation bowl) at the far left indicate an interior space, probably a sanctuary. This vase illustrates a craft for which virtually no evidence survives, that of applying pigment to stone sculpture using the technique of encaustic. Obverse, artist painting a statue of Herakles Reverse, Athena with deities Representations of artists at work are exceedingly rare.
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