Description
Torso of Poseidon Statue attributed to Polykleitos. Original: State Museums Berlin – Prussian Cultural Heritage, Museum of Antiquities. Polykleitos, 1 Half of the 4th Century BC. Polykleitos (or Polyklitos, Polycleitus, Polyclitus; Greek ???????????); called the Elder,[1] was a Greek sculptor in bronze of the fifth and the early 4th century BCE. Next to Phidias, Myron and Kresilas, he is considered the most important sculptor of Classical antiquity: the 4th-century catalogue attributed to Xenocrates (the “Xenocratic catalogue”), which was Pliny’s guide in matters of art, ranked him between Phidias and Myron.[2] He was of the school of Argos and a contemporary of Phidias (possibly also taught by Ageladas). His figure of an Amazon for Ephesus was regarded as superior to those by Phidias and Kresilas at the same time[citation needed]; and his colossal gold and ivory statue of Hera which stood in her temple – the Heraion of Argos – was compared with the Zeus by Phidias. He also sculpted a famous bronze male nude known as the Doryphoros (“Spear-carrier”), which survives in the form of numerous Roman marble copies. Further sculptures attributed to Polykleitos[citation needed] are the Discophoros (“Discus-bearer”), Diadumenos (“Diadem-wearer”) and a Hermes at one time placed, according to Pliny, in Lysimachia (Thrace). Polykleitos’ Astragalizontes (“Boys Playing at Knuckle-bones”) was claimed by the Emperor Titus and set in a place of honour in his atrium.[3] Polykleitos, along with Phidias, created the Classical Greek style. Although none of his original works survive, literary sources identifying Roman marble copies of his work allow reconstructions to be made. Contrapposto was a posture in his statues in which the weight was placed on one leg, and was a source of his fame.
