Eucheir

(Εὔχειρ), is one of those names of Grecian artists, which are first used in the mythological period, on account of their significancy, but which were afterwards given to real persons. [Cheirisophus.]

1. Eucheir, a relation of Daedalus, and the inventor of painting in Greece, according to Aristotle, is no doubt only a mythical personage. (Plin. Nat. 7.56.)

2. Euecheir, of Corinth, who, with Eugrammus, followed Demaratus into Italy (B. C. 664), and introduced the plastic art into Italy, should probably be considered also a mythical personage, designatiing the period of Etruscan art to which the earliest painted vases belong. (Plin. Nat. 35.12. s. 43, comp. 35.5; Thiersch, Epochen, pp. 16.5, 166; Müller, Arch. d. Kunst, § 75.) At all events, there appear to have been families of artists, both at Corinth and at Athens, in which the name was hereditary. The following are known.

3. Eucheirus (Εὔχειρος, for so Pausanias gives the name) of Corinth, a statuary, was the pupil of Syadras and Chartas, of Sparta, and the teacher of Clearchus of Rhegium. (Paus. 6.4.2.) He must therefore have flourished about the 65th or 66th Olympiad, B. C. 520 or 516. [Chartas, Pythagoras OF Rhegium.] This is probably the Euchir whom Pliny mentions among those who made statues of athletes, &c. (H. N. 34.8. s. 19.34.)

4. Eucheir, the son of Eubulides, of Athens, a sculptor, made the marble statue of Hermes, in his temple at Pheneus in Arcadia. (Paus. 8.14.7.) Something more is known of him through inscriptions discovered at Athens, in reference to which see Eubulides. [P.S]

(Εὔχειρ). (1) A painter related, as was said, to Daedalus, and who, according to Theophrastus (ap. Pliny , Pliny H. N. vii. 56), introduced painting into Greece. The name, in truth, however, is merely a figurative one for a skilful artist generally (εὔχειρ, “skilful,” “dexterous”).

(2) A modeller, styled also Euchīrus (Pausan. vi. 4. 2), and one of the most ancient. He and Eugrammus are said to have accompanied Demaratus in his flight from Corinth to Etruria. Here again both names are figurative.

(3) An Athenian sculptor. He made a statue of Hermes, which was placed at Phenea (Pausan. viii. 14. 7). Pliny ranks him among those artists who excelled in forming brazen statues of combatants at the public games, armed men, huntsmen, etc.