Arkesilas Painter

His conventional name is derived from his name vase, the so-called Arkesilas Cup, a kylix now on display at the Cabinet des médailles of the Bibliothèque nationale de France.

The vessel, found at Vulci, depicts Arkesilaos II, King of Cyrene, watching his subjects packing and weighing trade goods.

It is a singular motif in ancient Greek art, and one of very few vase painting depicting recognisable historical figures.

Along with a further painting by the artist which depicts the nymph Kyrene wrestling a lion, it led to the original suggestion that the artist was active in North Africa, but later excavations in Laconia proved that notion to be false.

This technique, typical of Corinthian and Attic vase painting, is not otherwise known from Laconian workshops.