Konnakis Painter

Greek vase painter from Apulia, ca. 375-350 BCE.

In the period from about 375 to 350 B.C., the Konnakis Painter decorated vases in one of the Greek colonies in the region of Apulia in South Italy. He appears to have been one of the creators of the type of pottery that scholars call Gnathian ware. In this technique, the artisan glazed the entire surface of the vase black, then painted on figures in added colors. The use of a single figure against the black background is typical of the work of the Konnakis Painter.

As with most ancient artists, the true name of the Konnakis Painter is unknown; he is identified only by the stylistic traits of his work. Scholars named him after an inscription on a vase he painted, now in the Taranto Museum.