Artwork of the day

The Diadoumenos, 1^st c. AD Roman copy of a c 430 Greek original. Marble, National Archaeological Museum, Athens     

‘The Diadoumenos’ belongs to the so-called High Classical period of the 5^th century BC and demonstrates all the ‘qualities’ of the style: it shows the beauty of the ideal male nude, it has clear boundaries, a main frontal viewpoint, while its surfaces have been polished similarly to give the eye a sense of a homogeneous effect.

It is believed that the original Greek bronze was a work of the sculptor Polykleitos -one of the few artists whose name has survived in modern time- who was greatly admired for his skill. His statues have been prototypes for many other classical works both Greek and Roman and he is credited with the creation of basic characteristics of the so called Canon with the ideals for symmetry and beauty.

The Diadoumenos represents a young athlete just after his victory. Originally, the bronze, would probably be placed in a sanctuary, most likely to commemorate a victory.

Sources used for this post:

Statue of Diadoumenos [Roman copy of a Greek bronze statue by Polykleitos] (25.78.56) | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art