Ancient Greek sculptor in the context of "Monumental sculpture"

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⭐ Core Definition: Ancient Greek sculptor

The sculpture of ancient Greece is the main surviving type of fine ancient Greek art as, with the exception of painted ancient Greek pottery, almost no ancient Greek painting survives. Modern scholarship identifies three major stages in monumental sculpture in bronze and stone: Archaic Greek sculpture (from about 650 to 480 BC), Classical (480–323 BC) and Hellenistic thereafter. At all periods there were great numbers of Greek terracotta figurines and small sculptures in metal and other materials.

The Greeks decided very early on that the human form was the most important subject for artistic endeavour. Since they pictured their gods as having human form, there was little distinction between the sacred and the secular in art—the human body was both secular and sacred. A male nude of Apollo or Heracles shows only slight differences in treatment from a sculpture of that year's Olympic boxing champion. The statue (originally single, but by the Hellenistic period often in groups) was the dominant form, although reliefs, often so "high" that they were almost free-standing, were also important.

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Ancient Greek sculptor in the context of Phidias

Phidias or Pheidias (/ˈfɪdiəs/; Ancient Greek: Φειδίας, Pheidias; c. 480 – c. 430 BC) was an Ancient Greek sculptor, painter, and architect, active in the 5th century BC. His Statue of Zeus at Olympia was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Phidias also designed the statues of the goddess Athena on the Athenian Acropolis, namely the Athena Parthenos inside the Parthenon, and the Athena Promachos, a colossal bronze which stood between it and the Propylaea, a monumental gateway that served as the entrance to the Acropolis in Athens. Phidias was the son of Charmides of Athens. The ancients believed that his masters were Hegias and Ageladas.

Plutarch discusses Phidias's friendship with the Greek statesman Pericles, recording that enemies of Pericles tried to attack him through Phidias – who was accused of stealing gold intended for the Parthenon's statue of Athena, and of impiously portraying himself and Pericles on the shield of the statue. The historical value of this account, as well as the legend about accusations against the 'Periclean circle', is debatable, but Aristophanes mentions an incident with Phidias around that time.

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Ancient Greek sculptor in the context of Scopas

Scopas (Ancient Greek: Σκόπας; born in Paros, fl. 4th century BC) was an ancient Greek sculptor and architect, most famous for his statue of Meleager, the copper statue of Aphrodite, and the head of goddess Hygieia, daughter of Asclepius.

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Ancient Greek sculptor in the context of Polykleitos

Polykleitos (/ˌpɔːliˈklts/; Ancient Greek: Πολύκλειτος) was an ancient Greek sculptor, active in the 5th century BCE. Alongside the Athenian sculptors Pheidias, Myron and Praxiteles, he is considered as one of the most important sculptors of classical antiquity. The 4th century BCE catalogue attributed to Xenocrates (the "Xenocratic catalogue"), which was Pliny's guide in matters of art, ranked him between Pheidias and Myron. He is particularly known for his lost treatise, the Canon of Polykleitos (a canon of body proportions), which set out his mathematical basis of an idealised male body shape.

None of his original sculptures are known to survive, but many marble works, mostly Roman, are believed to be later copies.

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Ancient Greek sculptor in the context of Leochares

Leochares /lˈɒkərz/ (Greek: Λεοχάρης or Λεωχάρης) was an ancient Greek sculptor from Athens, who lived in the 4th century BC.

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Ancient Greek sculptor in the context of Polykleitos the Younger

Polykleitos the Younger (Ancient Greek: Πολύκλειτος; fl. c. 4th century BC) was an Ancient Greek sculptor of athletes. His greatest achievements, however, were as an architect. Polykleitos the Younger was the architect of the Theatre and Tholos at Epidaurus. Started around 360 BC, the Tholos exhibited elaborate detailing, especially on the Corinthian capitals of its interior columns. These columns would influence most later designs for that order. He was the son of the Classical Greek sculptor Polykleitos, the Elder. Later in his life, Polykleitos built many other works of art, most of his work on athletes.

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