ILLUSTRATION C
chryselephantine Zeus of Olympia
erected 432 BC for the temple of Zeus at Olympia; largest statue in the Greek world, taking 12 years to make; 13 meters high (larger than both Athenas Phidias had made earlier); the god’s skin was made of ivory to simulate the whiteness, the clothes, beard & hair were of gold; the god wears a silver olive wreath on his head, in his right hand he held a figure of Nike (goddess of victory) and in his left a sceptre made with various metals, with an eagle perched on top. His robe & sandals were made of gold, his garments were engraved with animals & lilies. The throne was decorated with gold, ivory, ebony and other precious stones. Contemporary critics acclaimed Phidias's sculpture for its aesthetic values. He may have employed the Golden Ratio in his proportions, this is an irrational number, approximately 1.6180, which has special mathematical properties.
reconstruction
Coin from Elis district in southern Greece illustrating the Olympian Zeus statue
Victorious Youth
Greek bronze sculpture possibly part of the crowd of sculptures of victorious athletes at PanHellenic Greek sanctuaries (Delphi or Olympia). His right hand reaches to touch the winner's olive wreath on his head, cast separately from the lithe body & possibly a portrait. The eyes were once inlaid, probably with bone; the nipples are in contrasting copper. The style & proportions are consistent with Lysippus (his new canon of proportions used a 1:8 scale for the head: height of the body), whose work is described as naturalistic with slender & often lengthened proportions, often with exaggerated facial features.
