Polykleitos
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Polykleitos (or Polycletus, Polycleitus, Polyclitus) was a Greek sculptor of the 5th century BC an the early 4th century BC. Next to famous Phidias, Myron and Kresilas he is the most important scultor the the Classical antiquity.
He was of the school of Argos, a contemporary of Pheidias and in the opinion of the Greeks his equal. He made a figure of an Amazon for Ephesus which was regarded as superior to the Amazon of Pheidias and Kresilas made at the same time; and his colossal Hera of gold and ivory which stood in the temple near Argos was considered as worthy to rank with the Zeus of Pheidias. He also sculpted a famous bronze figure of a nude man known as the Doryphoros, or spear-carrier, which survives through numerous Roman copies. Furthermore they are Polyclitus descripted statues known as the Discophoros, Diadumenos and Hermes. Skopas and Lysippus are successors of this sculptor. One of the most important characteristics is the Ponderation or the so called Classical Contrapost.
References
- Polyclitus, 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica; [1] (http://35.1911encyclopedia.org/P/PO/POLYCLITUS.htm)
Greek works mentioning Polykleitos include:
- Pausanias, Description of Greece
- Pliny the Elder, Naturalis Historia