Polykleitos biography

Famous Statues

One of Polykleitos’ major works, his Amazon figure for Ephesus, was regarded as superior to those by contemporary sculptors Phidias and Kresilas.

Polykleitos biography

Another of his works, which was praised in classical times and compared favourably with Phidias' Zeus, was his colossal gold and ivory statue of Hera made for a temple at Argos. Today we only have a description by Pausanias and a rough representation on Roman coins as to the look and pose of the statue.

Other art works attributed to Polykleitos include Hermes, at one time placed in Lysimachia (Thrace) and Atragalizontes (Boys Playing a Knuckle-bones) which was bought by the Emperor Titus and set in a place of honour in his atrium.

Note About Sculpture Appreciation
To learn how to judge Greek classical sculptors like Polykleitos, see: How to Appreciate Sculpture.

See also our review: Venus de Milo.

Legacy

Polykleitos, along with his contempora