1. Βiography – Work

Painter from Colophon. It is said that he was a contemporary of painters Polygnotus and Micon (second quarter of 5th c. BC). According to a preserved epigram of Simonides (c. 556-466 BC), he worked together with Cimon (or Micon) in the painted decoration of a monumental door, where each of them painted a door panel.¹ The suggested correction of Dionysius’ associate –from Cimon to Micon– is based on the fact that the former reached his prime before 500 BC, while Micon was contemporary with Polygnotus and possibly Dionysius. This "anagram" is not secure given that the evidenced imitation of Polygnotus by Dionysius presupposes that the two painters were almost contemporary. However, Dionysius could have been older and could have worked, as a young and promising painter, with the accomplished painter Cimon toward the end of the latter’s career. Besides, the two door panels may have been painted in different periods.

Information about Dionysius comes from various ancient writers. Nevertheless, it should be noted in advance that his identification with Dionysius of Colophon in undated references may only be presumed, as there are several ancient painters called Dionysius. According to Aelianus, he closely imitated Polygnotus in the precision of drawing, in the rendering of gestures and the fine execution of clothes as well as in internal states, such as passion and the virtues of his characters. Size must have been the only difference from Polygnotus.²

However, "size" should not be taken literally. It could either refer to the artistic magnitude of the two specific painters or the moral magnitude of their figures. Aristotle refers to Dionysius as an example of an artist depicting everyday people of trivial standing, unlike Polygnotus, who idolised them, and Pausias, who debased them.³ This approach of Polygnotus and Dionysius had its parallel in the idealist Sophocles and the realist Euripides respectively in drama. As regards the passionate figures of Dionysius, Plutarch notes that they looked violent and tiring to look at in spite of their power and fieriness.⁴

Dionysius’ palette was rather dark, judging from a comment made by Fronto, who said that it would have been unnatural for Dionysius to paint with light colours, just like polychromy for Parrhasius and monochromy for Apelles. Pliny reports that Dionysius was called “anthropographos” (painter of humans) because he only painted human figures.⁵ As a result, he probably excluded gods and heroes, or even landscapes, from his paintings. The comparison between Dionysius and pioneering painter Polygnotus may indicate the importance and impact of Dionysius’ painting.