The Niobid Painter, most likely inspired by the large frescoes that were produced in Athens and Delphi, decorates a beautiful wine krater that depicts two scenes in which the many figures rise in tiers on lines of ground that evoke an undulating landscape. On one side of the krater, one can see Artemis and Apollo decimating the children of Niobe with their arrows. On the other side, the illustration shows Hercules surrounded by Athena and heroes in arms. The composition of the piece is classical and iconic to the pieces of antiquity, although its meaning remains an enigma. Personally, I like the Niobid Krater because it reminded me of Disney’s motion picture Hercules because similar images were present there, and such an association evokes good memories. Besides that, the contrasting colors of the krater with the stark black background and the orange-gold hues of the figures.
Because there are different scenes depicted on the krater, such as the death of children or the scene with Athena and Hercules, they are located on different levels to suggest that the scenes are separate and should not be interpreted together. The landscape setting is also suggested, even though Athena and Heracles seem to be standing on hilly terrain. An interesting fact about the piece of art is that the Niobid Painter deliberately attempted to express space and depth in the piece, thus making it three-dimensional.