Boreads Painter

The Boreads Painter oversaw one of Sparta's most prominent pottery workshops between 575 and 550 B.C. He specialized in decorating vases using the black-figure technique and may have also been a potter. Like most ancient vase-painters, his real name is unknown and he is recognized solely by the distinctive style of his work—specifically, his unique way of depicting eyes, ears, knees, and hips, as well as his characteristic practice of encircling the interior of his cups with a band of pomegranates.

The name Boreads Painter comes from a depiction of the winged sons of Boreas, the god of the north wind, chasing the Harpies on a cup now housed in the Museo del Villa Giulia in Rome. Although scholars have attributed only a handful of works to this painter, it is believed that he exclusively decorated cups, rather than larger vessels.