Psiax

Psiax (formerly the Menon Painter)
Dionysos holding out a kantharos, black-figured plate by Psiax, ca. 520-500 BC, British Museum (B 589).
Born	Psiax Before 525 BC Attica
Died	About 505 BC
Nationality	Athenian
Known for	Vase painting
Movement	Black-figure and Red-figure styles

Psiax was an Attic vase painter of the transitional period between the black-figure and red-figure styles. His works date to circa 525 to 505 BC and comprise about 60 surviving vases, two of which bear his signature. Initially he was allocated the name Menon Painter by John Beazley. Only later was it realised that the artist was identical with the painters signing as Psiax.

Psiax collaborated with the potters Hilinos, Menon, Andokides and Nikosthenes. While he started as a painter in the black-figure technique, he played a major role in the early development of red-figure, which was invented in the workshop of Andokides. The black-figure Antimenes Painter, working for the same workshop, was stylistically close to Psiax; Beazley described the two as brothers. Perhaps unsurprisingly, considering his chronological position, Psiax was a master of bilingual vase painting. Formerly called the Menon Painter, after the potter’s signature on a red-figure amphora (Philadelphia, U. PA, Mus., 5349), he signed two red-figure alabastra as painter, both of which bear the signature of the potter Hilinos [Karlsruhe, Bad. Landesmus., 242 (B 120) and Odessa, A. Mus.]. Psiax also knew white-ground pottery techniques, as well as coral red pottery techniques.

His signature is only known from two red-figure alabastra at Karlsruhe and Odessa, both also signed by the potter Hilinos. Three of the vases by him are signed by the potter Andokides. The fact that he painted kyathoi and used the Six technique indicates that he also collaborated with Nikosthenes. In his early phase, Epiktetos imitated Psiax. The Pioneers Euphornios and Phintias were taught by Psiax.