Praxiteles is a sculptor who lived in ancient Greece. The famous sculptor introduced elements of lyrics into art and succeeded in creating divine images. It is believed that it was he who was the first to praise the beauty of the naked body in his marble works. Researchers call the master a "singer of female beauty." What else can be said about him and his works?
Ancient Greek sculptor Praxiteles: biographical information
Unfortunately, there is little information about this talented person. Praxiteles is a sculptor who was 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.
Praxitel is a sculptor who managed to create about 70 works in his life, if you rely on the information of ancient and medievalsources. However, the researchers were able to confidently identify him as the author of only a small part of them.
Family
What is known about the family of this outstanding man? 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 student deserved. His most outstanding creation is a copper sculpture depicting the goddess Eirene with a baby in her arms.
Also, Praxiteles had two sons - Kefisodot and Timarchus. It is known that they followed in the footsteps of their father, but did not try to exactly copy his unique style. For example, Kefisodot succeeded most in the genre of portrait sculpture, created a portrait of the famous orator Lycurgus.
Love Story
Praxitel is a sculptor who has been in love with the beautiful hetaera Frina for many years. Some historians claim that it was the features of this woman that he conveyed by creating a statue of beautiful goddesses. For example, it is possible that this lady posed for him when he worked on his famous goddess of beauty, Aphrodite of Cnidus.
Two portrait statues of hetairas are also known, which have not survived to this day, the author of which he is.
Features of creativity
What topics did the genius Praxiteles prefer to cover in his works? The sculptor, whose biography is discussed in this article, loved to create images of goddesses and gods. Alsoinformation has been preserved about works depicting maenads, nymphs, caryatids, and so on. Mere mortals were of much less interest to him.
Praxiteles' skill was admired by his contemporaries and descendants, ancient writers compared the sculptor with other outstanding masters of that era, for example, with Polykleitos, Phidias. Especially favorable critics noted his ability to convey the beauty of the human body.
Aesthetic ideal
Praxiteles also had his own aesthetic ideal, he liked to ex alt 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 emphasize tenderness.
It is interesting that it was Praxiteles, the sculptor of Ancient Greece, who was the first to venture to create a statue of a naked Aphrodite. Of course, accusations of indiscretion rained down on the master, but he did not pay attention to them. His Eros and satires, having lost their muscles, turned into dreamy, melancholy youths. The faces of his statues shine with tenderness and peace.
The most famous sculpture
What is the most famous work 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 infant Dionysus. It is believed that this is the only worksculptor who has come down to us in the original. The sculpture was discovered during the excavations that were carried out in Olympia in 1877. However, some researchers are still convinced that the statue is just a first-class replica of the work of the creator, while the original has been lost forever.
The sculpture is made of marble and depicts the god Hermes leaning against a tree trunk. In his right hand is a bunch of grapes, to which the baby Dionysus pulls his hands. Unfortunately, the hand of Hermes has not been preserved.” Researchers believe that work on this work was completed around the 40s of the fourth century BC.
What exactly is so good about this statue? The work is filled with internal energy, which is emphasized by the relaxed pose of the hero. The sculptor endowed the impeccably beautiful face of the god with spirituality and tenderness. Praxiteles skillfully experiments with the shimmering play of chiaroscuro, draws attention to the finest 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 whose work can be seen in this article, created many works that extol the beauty of youth. The sculpture "Resting Satyr" is one of them. This work, unfortunately, was not preserved in the original, but quite good ones remained.replicas created centuries ago.
Praxitel emphasizes the grace of the young satyr, endowing him with a relaxed pose. The hero stands leaning on a tree trunk, shadows glide over the surface of the body, thanks to which the statue seems to be alive, moving. The warmth of the skin is accentuated by a heavy lynx skin draped over the shoulder. Satyr has a dreamy look, a soft smile plays on his lips. He holds a flute in his right hand, so it looks like he just got out of the game.
The sculpture "Satyr pouring wine" also deserves a mention. It is assumed that it refers to the early work of Praxiteles. The statue is made of bronze, only a copy has survived.
Aphrodite of Knidos
Of course, not all the amazing creations, authored by Praxiteles (sculptor), are described above. Aphrodite of Cnidus is one of his most outstanding works, the existence of which is known to our contemporaries. Unfortunately, the original creation of the master has not been preserved, but the inhabitants of the modern world have the opportunity to admire the numerous copies of this bright work.
The statue can be called unique, since before Praxiteles, not a single sculptor allowed himself to depict goddesses naked. His sculpture is a kind of reference to the history of the origin of Aphrodite - the beautiful goddess who emerged from the sea foam, according to the famous legend. His heroine is a woman who has already got rid of her clothes and is going to swim.
To the sculptorsuperbly succeeded in emphasizing the grace of the body of the beautiful goddess, endowing her with a rich inner world. No wonder his Aphrodite of Knidos 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 the first time this happened was when the sculptor was doing an order for Thespias. Historians believe that Aphrodite of Arles, which can be seen in the Louvre, goes back to this statue.
It was not possible to establish exactly what Praxiteles made the next two Aphrodites. The researchers found only information that one of these works was 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 flowing spectacularly over her shoulders. The woman's head was crowned with a wreath, and a necklace was located around her neck.
Goddess Artemis
The brave goddess of hunting and fertility was also noticed by the genius Praxiteles (sculptor). His works, glorifying Artemis, have come down to us only in the form of copies. For example, the statue of a huntress, which is the work of a sculptor, was located for a long time in her sanctuary, located near the city of Antikyra. Praxiteles dressed his heroine in a short chiton, and placed a torch in her hand.
Another statue of Artemis, which was kept in the sanctuary of the goddess, located in Athens, went down in history. It was found that this sculpture was created in 345 BC. Manyresearchers are convinced that Artemis from Gabia, which is kept in the Louvre, is a replica of this work.
The third Artemis of Praxiteles adorned Leto's sanctuary for a long time. Her neighborhood was made up of statues depicting Leto and Apollo. Unfortunately no replicas of this famous work have been found.
God Apollo
The famous Praxiteles (sculptor) is considered the creator of what other famous sculpture? His works, as already mentioned, for the most part have come down to us only in the form of excellent copies. It is not surprising that in many cases the author of the sculptor is put by researchers under a question mark. Suppose this also applies to the sculpture, which depicts the god Apollo killing a lizard.
An alleged copy of this work is currently on display at the Louvre, previously housed in the Villa Borghese in Rome. The young god is depicted naked, his figure is located next to a tree on 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, which was killed by this god, according to legend. This replica was created in the first centuries of our era, it happened during the existence of the Roman Empire. There are two other good copies that can be seen at the Cleveland Museum of Art and the Pius Clementine Museum.
It is known that the original sculpture of Praxiteles, which depicts the god Apollo, was made of bronze. A copy that reproduces the features of the original is createdmarble.
The date and cause of Praxiteles' death remain a mystery that research has not yet been able to solve.
