Nearchos (painter)

Nearchos (Greek: Νέαρχος) was an Attic potter and vase painter of the black figure style, active in Athens c. 570 to 555 BC.

In some stylistic terms, particularly his fine drawings, Nearchos seems closely connected to the Painter of Acropolis 606.

Unlike his contemporaries, he achieved figures with a striking sense of dignity, comparable to those painted much later by Exekias.

Especially striking is a kantharos, probably both shaped and painted by Nearchos, which depicts Achilles harnessing his horses.

A further vessel that exemplifies his artistic mastery is an aryballos in the Corinthian style, decorated with a frieze of pygmies and cranes along the rim.