Artemision Zeus [or Poseidon?], three-quarter front view.
Title
Artemision Zeus [or Poseidon?] , three-quarter front view .
Alternative Title
Zeus [or Poseidon?] of Artemision .
Creator
Kalamis (Greek sculptor, active ca. 470-ca. 440 BCE)
Date
460 BCE?
Cultural Context
Aegean Ancient Greek Greek European Western European
Style/Period
Greek (ancient) Classical Early Classical
Subject
Statues Myths Legends Men Gods Supernatural beings Fictitious characters Nudes Muscles Genitals Hairstyles Beards
Description
"With a serene expression in the eyes and the body of an athlete , the father of the gods hurls a thunderbolt . The statue , an original bronze by a great sculptor , dates from about 460 BC. " (Caption , p . 350) ; "Bronze statue of Zeus or Poseidon . Inv . No . X15161 . Found at the bottom of the sea off Cape Artemision in north Euboea ; the arm in 1926 and the rest of the statue in 1928 . […] The god is depicted moving , with a wide stride . He stands firmly on the heel of the left foot while the right leg , drawn boldly backwards , rests on the toes . The left arm is extended dynamically forward . In his right hand he held a trident or a thunderbolt . The long hair , carefully combed in two braids , is tied around the head and hangs in waves on the forehead . The gluteal muscles and the back are finely modeled , with the teres major and deltoids clearly indicated . At the front , the transversus and rectus abdominis muscles are also strongly modeled and expanded . Views differ as to whether the statue depicts Zeus or Poseidon . The former seems more likely , since the stance is more commonly associated with Zeus . One of the finest of the few surviving original bronze statues of the Classical period . The powerful modeling of the body and the superb movement probably come from the hand of the famous bronze sculptor Kalamis . The facial expression is serious and radiates divine beauty and majesty. " (Entry from Kaltsas,p . 93)
People Pictured
Zeus (Greek deity) Poseidon (Greek deity)
Material
Bronze (metal) Metal
Measurements
H: 2.09 m; arm span: 2.10 m
Technique
Sculpting Casting (process) Metalworking
Work Type
Sculpture Statues Bronzes (objects) Metalwork
Repository
National Archaeological Museum (Athens, Greece)
Source
Valavanis, Panos. Great Moments in Greek Archaeology. Los Angeles: J. Paul Getty Museum, 2007. (p.351, fig.19). Additional cataloging information from: Kaltsas, Nikolaos. Sculpture in the National Archaeological Museum, Athens. Trans. David Hardy. Los Angeles: J. Paul Getty Museum, 2002. (p.93).
Rights
© 2007 Kapon Editions, Athens, Greece. Source of illustration: Archaeological Receipts Fund (Athens).
Digital Publisher
University of Louisville Department of Fine Arts/Allen R. Hite Art Institute Visual Resources Center
Format
image/jpeg
Digital File Name
VRC 758-37.jpg
Rating
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