Greek
Temple of Zeus at Olympia: Bearded Head of Zeus from East Pediment
Description:
THE TEMPLE OF ZEUS AT OLYMPIA: This temple underwent construction most likely around 470 B.C. The exact date of its completion is not certain, but it must have been in a fairly finished state in 457 B.C., as we read of the Spartans placing a golden shield on the apex of the eastern pediment after the battle of Tanagra, which took place in that year. The temple was excavated first on a small scale by the French, in 1829, and later by the Germans in 1857-81.
EASTERN PEDIMENT: The subject of this group is the preparation for the chariot-race between Pelops and Oinomaos, for the possession of the latter’s daughter, Hippodameia. Both contestants appear before Zeus to take the oath for fair play, such as was required of all competitors at Olympia before they entered the games. In the center stands Zeus, his head slightly turned towards Pelops, whom he favored in the contest. At the side of Pelops is Hippodameia, and on the other side of Zeus are Oinomaos and his wife Sterope. Beyond the contestants, on each side, are their two chariots, with their charioteers, and minor figures which have not been identified, though Pausanias tells us that the reclining figure on the extreme left was a personification of the river Alpheios, and the corresponding one on the right the river Kladeos, the two streams which bounded the sacred enclosure of Olympia. According to Pausanias, this group was the work of sculptor Paionios, of Mende in Thrace, but his attribution has been disputed by modern investigators.
The pediments were built at Olympia, one of the most sacred places to the Greeks, probably around 460 BC. The figures are known to be far less skillfully crafted than those at the Parthenon. The architecture erected at Olympia was, for the most part, in honor of the god Zeus. The cast is of the torso and bearded head of an oversized man with draping on the right arm.
Met. Cast 468
Period of Original: Greek
Origin of Original: Greece
Location of the Cast: 20 W. 44 St. New York, NY USA
Provenance: Metropolitan Museum of Art
Condition: Damage to both the left and right arms, and cracking where the head was reattached to the torso.
Additional Information:
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