Amphora. Apulia, Magna Graecia. Baltimore Painter. 330-320 BC

Orpheus in the Underworld
The man reclining beside a funerary stela is the deceased, an initiate of the Orphic Mysteries and the intended recipient of the message conveyed by the scene above: Orpheus has reached the palace of the underworld deities, Hades and Persephone, who listen raptly to his transformational song. The Thracian poet is the human mediator who reveals the path that souls must follow in order to receive the gift of blissful eternal life.

Exhibited in the Madrid National Archaeological Museum, Madrid, Spain.

Tags:
Amphora Art Ceramics Classical Clay Egg-and-dart Funerary Krater Madrid Madrid National Archaeological Museum Music Original Photo Pottery Spain