Fidiy Ancient Greek sculptor. Country: Greece

1. Fidias: The Greatest Ancient Greek Sculptor
2. Early Works
3. The Statue of Zeus at Olympia
4. Fidias' Role in the Construction of the Parthenon
5. The Statue of Athena Parthenos
6. Fidias' Legacy

Fidias: The Greatest Ancient Greek Sculptor

Fidias, a native of Athens, is widely regarded as the greatest artist of antiquity. He was born to his father Harmid. Fidias studied sculpture in Athens under Gega and in Argos under Ageladas, possibly alongside Polyclitus. None of the surviving statues can be definitively attributed to Fidias. Our knowledge of his work is based on descriptions by ancient authors, the study of later copies, and the surviving works that are more or less reliably attributed to him.

Early Works

Among Fidias' early works created around 470-450 BC, the most notable is the cult statue of Athena Areia in Plataea, made of gilded wood (clothing) and Pentelic marble (face, hands, and feet). During the same period, around 460 BC, Fidias constructed a memorial complex in Delphi to commemorate the Athenians' victory over the Persians in the Battle of Marathon. In addition, he erected a colossal bronze statue of Athena Promachos (Defender) on the Acropolis in 456 BC, using funds from the spoils captured in the Battle of Marathon. Another bronze statue of Athena on the Acropolis, known as Athena Lemnia, holding a helmet in her hand, was created by Fidias around 450 BC upon the request of Attic colonists departing for the island of Lemnos. The statues currently in Dresden and the head of Athena from Bologna may be copies of this statue.

The Statue of Zeus at Olympia

The chryselephantine (gold and ivory) statue of Zeus at Olympia was considered Fidias' masterpiece in ancient times. According to Dio Chrysostom and Quintilian, Fidias' creation enriched the religion itself due to its unparalleled beauty and divine aura. Dion added that anyone who had the opportunity to see this statue would forget all their sorrows and hardships. A detailed description of the statue, considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World, is provided by Pausanias. Zeus was depicted as seated, with the goddess Nike standing on the palm of his right hand and an eagle perched on top of his scepter. Zeus had a beard and long hair, wearing a laurel wreath on his head. The seated figure almost touched the ceiling with its head, giving the impression that if Zeus were to stand up, he would blow the roof off the temple. The throne was adorned with gold, ivory, and precious stones. At the top of the throne, above the statue's head, there were figures of the three Graces on one side and the three seasons (Horae) on the other. Dancing Nikes were depicted on the legs of the throne. Statues representing the Olympic Games and the battle of Greeks (led by Heracles and Theseus) against the Amazons stood on the crossbars between the legs of the throne. The pedestal of the throne, made of black stone, was adorned with gold reliefs depicting gods, including Eros welcoming Aphrodite emerging from the sea waves and the goddess Peitho crowning her. The statue of Zeus Olympios or one of its heads appeared on coins minted in Elis. The exact date of the statue's creation was uncertain even in ancient times, but since the construction of the temple was completed around 456 BC, it is likely that the statue was erected no later than around 450 BC (recent attempts have been made to attribute Zeus at Olympia to a later period after Athena Parthenos).

Fidias' Role in the Construction of the Parthenon

When Pericles launched a large-scale construction project in Athens, Fidias was appointed to lead all the works on the Acropolis, including the construction of the Parthenon, which was carried out by architects Ictinus and Callicrates from 447-438 BC. The Parthenon, the temple of the city's patron goddess Athena, was one of the most celebrated creations of ancient architecture. It was a Doric peripteral temple. The extensive sculptural decoration of the temple was executed by a large group of sculptors working under the leadership of Fidias and likely based on his designs. The most famous of these sculptures are the friezes of the Parthenon, now housed in the British Museum, and the fragmentary surviving statues from the pediments.

The Statue of Athena Parthenos

Fidias himself sculpted the chryselephantine cult statue of Athena Parthenos, which was completed in 438 BC. The description by Pausanias and numerous copies provide a clear picture of the statue. Athena was depicted standing in full height, wearing a long chiton with heavy folds. The winged goddess Nike stood on the palm of Athena's right hand, and Athena had the aegis with the head of Medusa on her chest. In her left hand, the goddess held a spear, and a sacred serpent (Erichthonius, according to Pausanias) was leaning against her feet. The pedestal of the statue depicted the birth of Pandora (the first woman). As Pliny the Elder writes, the outer side of the shield was embossed with a battle with the Amazons, while the inner side depicted the battle of the gods with the giants. The sandals of Athena featured a representation of the Centauromachy. Athena wore a helmet on her head, adorned with three crests, with a sphinx in the middle and griffins on the sides. Athena had various accessories, including necklaces, earrings, and bracelets. The style of the statues of Demeter (copies in Berlin and Cherchell, Algeria) and Kore (copy in Villa Albani) closely resembles the style of the drapery of the standing statue of Zeus, a copy of which is preserved in Dresden, and the torso, possibly a fragment of the original, at Olympia. The frieze of the Parthenon is stylistically close to Fidias' statues, and the relief Anadumene (young man tying a fillet around his head) is possibly a response to Polyclitus' Diadumenus. Fidias' statue is much more natural in terms of posture and gesture but somewhat rougher. Alongside Polyclitus and Cresilas, Fidias competed for the statue of a wounded Amazon for the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus and placed second after Polyclitus. The Amazon Mattei (Vatican) is considered a copy of Fidias' statue. The wounded Amazon, with a thigh wound, tucks her chiton into her waistband. To alleviate the pain, she leans on a spear, gripping it with both hands, with her right hand raised above her head. Like the Athena Parthenos and the reliefs of the Parthenon, this statue contains rich content in a simple form.

Fidias' Legacy

Fidias' creations are grand, majestic, and harmonious, with form and content in perfect balance. His students, Alcamenes and Agoracritus, continued to work in his style in the last quarter of the 5th century BC, and many other sculptors, including Cephisodotus, worked in his style in the first quarter of the 4th century BC.