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bronze bust of the Marathon Youth Ephebe
£425.00
A stunning bronze bust after the famous 4th C BCE bronze statue attributed to Praxiteles and currently in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens. Beautifully detailed, he will bring Classical elegance and tenderness wherever he is placed. Height on base: 25cm
Read more below about:
the original Ephebe statue
It's All Greek's bronze collection
quantity
about the Marathon Youth
This beautiful Youth, Ephebe, a masterpiece of late Classical bronze sculpture, is thought to have been the work of Praxiteles, dating to ca 340-330 BCE. The original full size bronze statue was caught in fishermen's nets in the Bay of Marathon in 1925.
He is now in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens. Some think that he may be Hermes, god of transitions.
The Ephebe stands in a fluid contrapposto, creating a graceful S-curve that shifts his weight dynamically. His form reflects the soft, slender proportions characteristic of Praxiteles - there is a similarity with the marble Hermes and Dionysos in the museum at ancient Olympia. His head turns with a gentle tilt, framed by meticulously detailed, stylized curls
secured with an ornate band. His vacant, inlaid glass eyes give him a dreamlike, introspective expression, capturing the fleeting innocence of transition from boy to man.
about the bronzes in this collection
Hephaistos would be amazed by the craftsmanship and quality of this wonderful collection!
These superb bronze pieces are cast in Greece using the traditional lost wax method. As nothing is mass-produced, there will inevitably be slight variations in texture, patina, and colour. No two pieces are ever the same. If mounted, the base is of black marble.
Please note that there may be a variation of some millimetres in the dimensions of the base from time to time, and that accessories such as spears, tridents or javelins may vary in length or height! If you need precise dimensions and weight, email me!
If you need a piece to fit a very specific space, or if you want me to take a photo of a couple of pieces so you can pick the one you want, I will do so with pleasure.
Every piece is deliciously tactile.
It's All Greek is so grateful and so proud to have been working closely with the Semitekolo family foundry since 1999. It has been a privilege and a joy to handle, live with, to photograph and describe these gorgeous pieces, before passing them on to passionate and grateful customers all over the world.
If you already own one of these pieces, cherish it!