Praxitel is the founder of the depiction of a nude female body in sculpture

Praxiteles (Greek Πραξιτέλης; about 395 BC – about 330 BC) is a famous ancient Greek sculptor of the 4th century BC. e., one of the greatest masters of the late classicism of the ancient era. In the work of Praxiteles, the central theme of the works is the image of the naked human body, and the heroes of his works were anthropomorphic deities. Many facts from the artist’s biography are irretrievably lost, like most of the masterpieces known to modern art connoisseurs only from numerous Roman copies.

Praxitel was the first sculptor in world history to create a life-size sculptural representation of a nude woman. His statue of Aphrodite of Cnidus in ancient times was unconditionally recognized as the greatest example of sculptural art; none of the ancient artists managed to achieve such a level of skill in conveying the harmony of the human spirit and body.

Biography of Praxiteles

Praxiteles was born around 395 BC. e. in Athens in the family of the sculptor Kephisodotus the Elder (Κηφισόδοτος). Probably, it was the father who was the only teacher of the future artist, although reliable information about this has not survived to this day.

The main material for making the statues of the sculptor was marble, and many of his works were painted by the painter Nikias (Νικίας) to give them a brighter and more memorable appearance. According to historical sources, Praxiteles repeatedly created sculptures of two ancient Greek goddesses – Artemis and Aphrodite for the Athenian sanctuaries. These sculptural images were subsequently immortalized in Greek coins found by modern archaeologists.

The sculptor had a close relationship with the hetero Phryne (Φρύνη) for many years. She was not only the main model, but also the beloved of the master, and Praxitel captured her ideal figure many times in his famous masterpieces.

Most of his life Praxiteles lived in his native Athens, although between 364 and 350 BC. e. he made a long trip to the Greek cities located in the territory of modern Turkey. It is reliably known that at the invitation of the authorities of the cities of Cnidus and Ephesus, the master worked for several years on the creation of sculptures for local temples.

Having achieved wide recognition, Praxitel founded his own sculptural school in Athens, but none of his students subsequently became a famous artist or surpassed his teacher, including his grandson Praxitel the Younger. In addition to volumetric sculptures, the master also repeatedly created relief images of Greek deities and heroes of ancient myths. However, most historians are sure that these works were made by the master’s students, and he himself only made sketches for the works.

The exact year and cause of Praxiteles’ death are not known; the last mention of the artist’s work on the next order dates back to 334 BC. e. Almost no original work of the master has survived to this day, but in museums in different countries there are numerous Roman copies created several centuries after the death of the genius.

The most famous works of Praxiteles

Many works of the great sculptor today are recognized as the greatest masterpieces of ancient art. And yet, the most famous works of Praxiteles include:

• “Aphrodite of Cnidus” is the first depiction of a completely nude female body in ancient sculptural art. According to a beautiful legend, the master created two versions of the work – images of a naked and dressed goddess for customers from the island of Kos. But they did not dare to install a naked Aphrodite in the temple, unlike the inhabitants of the Cnidus polis, who subsequently received huge financial benefits thanks to the crowds of pilgrims who came to the city to admire the masterpiece.
• “Hermes with the Child Dionysus” is a statue with limbs partially lost to date. In ancient times, this work was far from the most famous work of the master, but today it is considered one of his most famous works.
• Apollo Killing the Lizard is one of the few statues that the sculptor made of bronze according to reliable historical sources. Modern audiences can see only a skilful Roman copy of this work in the Louvre in Paris.
• The Resting Satyr is the most numerous cycle of sculptures attributed to Praxiteles. More than a hundred versions of this work have survived to this day, most of which are now in the best museums in the world.

Praxitel is the greatest sculptor of antiquity, who gave mankind many unique masterpieces. His works of genius are still admired by connoisseurs of ancient art from different parts of our planet.