Praxiteles is a sculptor who lived in ancient Greece. The famous sculptor brought elements of lyrics into the art, succeeded in creating divine images. It is believed that he was the person who first began to praise the beauty of the naked body in his marble works. Researchers call the master "female beauty singer." What else can you tell about him and his works?
Ancient Greek sculptor Praxiteles: curriculum vitae
Unfortunately, little information has been preserved about this talented person. Praxiteles is a sculptor born in Athens. Historians have not been able to establish the exact date of his birth, it is believed that he was born around 390 BC. The most recent mention of the master dates back to 334 BC, it refers to his work in Ephesus.
Praxiteles is a sculptor who managed to create about 70 works in his life, if you rely on information from ancient and medieval sources. Nevertheless, the researchers were able to confidently call him the author of only a small part of them.
A family
What is known about the family of this outstanding person? He learned how to cast bronze statues and work with marble in the workshop of his father, the Athenian sculptor Kefisodot. It is worth mentioning that the father did not receive the glory that his son and pupil deserved. His most outstanding creation is a copper sculpture depicting the goddess Eiren with a baby in her arms.
Praxiteles also had two sons - Kefisodot and Timarch. It is known that they followed in the footsteps of their father, but did not try to accurately copy his unique style. For example, Kefisodot most succeeded in the genre of portrait sculpture, created a portrait of the famous speaker Lycurgus.
Love story
Praxiteles is a sculptor who has been in love with the beautiful hetero Frina for many years . Some historians claim that he conveyed the features of this woman, creating a statue of beautiful goddesses. For example, it is possible that it was this lady who posed for him when he worked on his famous beauty goddess Aphrodite of Cnidus.
Two portrait statues of getters are also known, which have not survived to the present, of which he is the author.
Features of creativity
What topics did the brilliant Praxiteil prefer to touch upon in his works? The sculptor, whose biography is considered in this article, loved to create images of goddesses and gods. Information on works depicting maenads, nymphs, caryatids and so on was also preserved. Ordinary mortals were of much less interest to him.
The workmanship of Praxitel was admired by his contemporaries and descendants, ancient writers compared the sculptor with other outstanding masters of that era, for example, with Polycletes, Phidias. Particularly supportive critics noted his ability to convey the beauty of the human body.
Aesthetic ideal
Praxiteles also had his own aesthetic ideal, he liked to extol the beauty of youth, which is still devoid of impulsive passion. The sculptor rarely worked with large compositions, preferring to focus on sculpting individual images. The sculptor never emphasized the muscles of the body, preferring to focus on tenderness.
It is interesting that Praxiteles is the sculptor of Ancient Greece, who was the first to venture to create a statue of naked Aphrodite. Of course, accusations of immodesty rained down on the master, but he did not pay attention to them. His Eros and satyrs, having lost muscles, turned into dreamy young men prone to melancholy. The faces of his statues are sacred by tenderness and tranquility.
The most famous sculpture
What work is the most famous of those created by the talented Praxiteles? The sculptor, whose brief biography is described in this article, is the author of a work depicting the god Hermes with the baby Dionysus. It is believed that this is the only work of the sculptor, which came to us in the original. The sculpture was discovered during excavations that were carried out at Olympia in 1877. However, some researchers are still convinced that the statue is just a first-class replica of the creator’s work, while the original is lost forever.
The sculpture is made of marble, it depicts the god Hermes, leaning on a tree trunk. In his right hand is a bunch of grapes, to which the baby Dionysus pulls the handles. Unfortunately, Hermes’s hand did not survive. ” Researchers believe that work on this work was completed around the 40s of the fourth century BC.
Why is this statue so good? The work is filled with internal energy, which emphasizes the relaxed pose of the hero. The immaculately beautiful face of God the sculptor endowed with spirituality, tenderness. The practitioner skillfully experiments with the flickering game of chiaroscuro, draws attention to the subtle nuances of texture. He managed to emphasize the nobility and strength of Hermes, the flexibility of his muscles. You can also note the shining eyes of the statue.
Young satyr
As already mentioned, the unobtrusive beauty of youth is a theme that the great creator Praxiteles especially loved. The sculptor, a photo of the works of which can be seen in this article, created many works that extol the charm of youth. The sculpture "Resting Satyr" belongs to their number. This work, unfortunately, was not preserved in the original, but there were quite good replicas created many centuries ago.
Praxiteles emphasizes the grace of a young satyr, giving him a laid-back pose. The hero stands, leaning on a tree trunk, shadows glide over the surface of the body, thanks to which the statue seems alive, moving. The warmth of the skin is emphasized by the heavy lynx skin thrown over the shoulder. Satyr has a dreamy look, a soft smile plays on his lips. In his right hand he holds a flute, so it seems that he has just come off the game.
The sculpture Satyr Pouring Wine is also worth mentioning. It is assumed that it refers to the early work of Praxiteles. The statue is made of bronze, preserved only in the form of a copy.
Aphrodite of Cnidus
Of course, far not all amazing creations are described above, the author of which is Praxiteles (sculptor). Aphrodite of Knidos is one of his most outstanding works, the existence of which is known to our contemporaries. Unfortunately, the original work of the master was not preserved, however, the inhabitants of the modern world have the opportunity to admire the numerous copies of this vibrant work.
The statue can be called unique, since prior to Praxiteles, not a single sculptor allowed himself to depict the goddesses naked. His sculpture is a kind of reference to the history of the origin of Aphrodite - a beautiful goddess who emerged from the foam of the sea, according to a famous legend. His heroine is a woman who has already got rid of her clothes and is going to swim.
The sculptor perfectly managed to emphasize the grace of the body of the beautiful goddess, to endow her with a rich inner world. Not surprisingly, his Aphrodite of Cnidus is on the list of the most outstanding statues of all time.
Other Aphrodite Praxiteles
It is known that the ancient Greek sculptor Praxiteles managed to create several statues of the goddess Aphrodite. Researchers believe that for the first time this happened when the sculptor was completing an order for Thespius. Historians believe that it is to this statue that Aphrodite ascends from Arles, which can be seen in the Louvre.
It was not possible to establish exactly what Praxiteel made the next two Aphrodites. Researchers found only information that one of these works is made of bronze. Much more famous was Aphrodite of Kos, whose image was preserved on ancient coins. This goddess was depicted dressed, her long hair effectively fell on her shoulders. A woman was crowned with a wreath, a necklace was placed on her neck.
Goddess Artemis
The brave goddess of hunting and fertility also did not ignore the brilliant Praxiteles (sculptor). His works glorifying Artemis, came to us only in the form of copies. For example, the statue of the huntress, which is the creation of the sculptor, for a long time was in her sanctuary, located near the city of Antikira. Praxiteles dressed his heroine in a short tunic, and a torch was placed in her hand.
Another statue of Artemis, which was stored in the sanctuary of the goddess located in Athens, also went down in history. It was found that this sculpture was created in 345 BC. Many researchers are convinced that Artemis of Gabius, which is stored in the Louvre, is a replica of this work.
The third Artemis of Praxiteles for a long time adorned the sanctuary of Summer. Neighborhood was her statues, which depicted Summer and Apollo. Unfortunately, no replicas of this famous work were discovered.
God apollo
What other famous sculpture is the creator of the famous Praxiteel (sculptor)? His works, as already mentioned, for the most part came to us only in the form of excellent copies. Not surprisingly, in many cases, the authorship of the sculptor is placed by researchers as a question mark. Suppose this applies to the sculpture, which depicts the god Apollo, killing a lizard.
The alleged copy of this work is currently among the exhibits of the Louvre, previously it was located in the Villa Borghese, located in Rome. The young god is depicted naked, his figure is located next to a tree along which a lizard climbs. Researchers believe that the lizard in this case symbolizes the fire-breathing Python. This is a dragon from ancient Greek mythology, whom this god killed, according to legend. This replica was created in the first centuries of our era, it happened back in the days of the Roman Empire. There are two more good copies that can be seen in the Cleveland Museum of Art and the Pius Clement Museum.
It is known that the original sculpture of Praxiteles, which depicts the god Apollo, was made of bronze. A copy, reproducing the features of the original, is made of marble.
The date and cause of the Praxiteles death remains puzzles that research has not yet been able to solve.