An artwork on Galleree from Cleveland Museum of Art.
About the artwork
Red-Figure Calyx-Krater (Mixing Vessel): Medea in Chariot (A); Telephos with Baby Orestes (B)c. 400 BCE
Policoro Painter
The remarkable scene on the front of this vase relates to the famous tragedy <em>Medea</em>, written by Euripides and first produced in Athens in 431 BC. Framed in the center by a halo (recalling her sun god grandfather Helios), the sorceress Medea flies off in a dragon-drawn chariot. Seeking revenge against her husband Jason, leader of the Argonauts, Medea has just slain their two children. Two Furies flank her, while Jason and a distraught nurse and teacher approach the bodies on the altar below. <br><br>A different tragedy unfolds on the other side of the vase, from Euripides’s <em>Telephos</em> (438 BC). The wounded warrior Telephos holds the baby Orestes hostage at an altar, with Agamemnon and Clytemnestra rushing to save their son.
This vase includes scenes connected to two Athenian tragedies dealing with children—<em>Medea</em> and <em>Telephos</em>.
ceramic
Diameter of mouth: 49.9 cm (19 5/8 in.); Overall: 50.5 cm (19 7/8 in.); Diameter of foot: 22 cm (8 11/16 in.)
Leonard C. Hanna, Jr. Fund
In the dim light of an ancient Greek workshop, a vase emerges from the hands of a skilled artisan, its surface adorned with a tale as old as time itself. On one side, a scene unfolds, dark and haunting, yet undeniably powerful. It tells the tragic story of *Medea*, the work of Euripides, performed for the first time in Athens in 431 BC. The central figure, Medea, is enveloped by a resonant halo, a subtle nod to her divine ancestry, linked to her sun god grandfather, Helios.
In a kaleidoscope of emotions, she rises from the earth, a sorceress in her dragon-drawn chariot, her heart ablaze with vengeance against her husband, Jason. With every stroke of the artisan’s brush, one can almost feel the weight of her sorrow and rage. She has done the unthinkable—slain their two innocent children, a dagger of betrayal leaving a trail of blood on her soul. To either side of her, two Furies, fierce and relentless, embody her rage, while below, the broken figures of Jason, a warrior caught in his own destruction, and a distraught nurse and teacher approach the altar where grief lingers like a thick fog.
The atmosphere thickens as you turn the vase to reveal a different tragedy painted on its opposite side: from their own creator, Euripides’s *Telephos* (438 BC). Here stands a wounded warrior, Telephos, gripping the innocent Orestes. He clutches the baby tightly at the altar, a hostage caught in the chaotic storm of adult conflicts. From the shadows rush Agamemnon and Clytemnestra, their faces etched with desperation, striving to save their precious son from the clutches of despair.
This vase, a silent time capsule, whispers stories of love, rage, and desperation, inviting onlookers to reflect on the lengths we might go to for vengeance or love—a profound dance of emotion layered in rich hues, forever embedded in the very fabric of their tragic fates.
About the artist
Creating transformative experiences through art “for the benefit of all the people forever.”The Cleveland Museum of Art is renowned for the quality and breadth of its collection, which includes more than 66,500 artworks and spans 6,000 years of achievement in the arts. The artworks shared on this platform are sourced from the museum's Open Access data under the CC0 license. No endorsement is implied.Address: 11150 East Boulevard, Cleveland, OH, USA 44106
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