The sculpture of ancient Greece from 800 to 300 BCE took inspiration from Egyptian and Near Eastern monumental art, and evolved into a uniquely Greek vision of the art form. Greek artists captured the human form in a way never before seen where sculptors were particularly concerned with proportion, poise, and the idealised perfection of the human body.
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Definition
Timeline
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c. 700 BCEParos begins to export its Parian marble across the Greek world and it is widely used in temples and sculpture.
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c. 580 BCEThe kouroi of Argos, thought to represent Cleobis & Biton, are sculpted.
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c. 560 BCENaxos dedicates a large column and sphinx to the oracle of Apollo at Delphi.
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c. 550 BCEOldest surviving sculpture of a winged Nike found on Delos.
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c. 525 BCEThe Treasury of the Siphnians is built at Delphi which included Caryatid architecture.
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510 BCE - 370 BCEGreeks fighting Amazons becomes a popular subject of architectural sculpture across Greece.
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490 BCE - 480 BCEA 1.4 m (4 ft 7 in) tall Iris or Nike sculpture is erected on the Acropolis of Athens in memory of the general Kallimachos, killed in the Battle of Marathon.
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480 BCE - 460 BCEThe bronze charioteer of Delphi is sculpted.
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c. 460 BCE - 457 BCETemple of Zeus is built at Olympia with a statue of Apollo dominating the west pediment and containing the cult statue of Zeus by Phidias.
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c. 460 BCEThe west pediment of the Temple of Zeus at Olympia is decorated with a Centauromachy of centaurs fighting Lapiths at the wedding of Peirithoos.
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c. 460 BCEThe bronze Poseidon or Zeus statue (of Cape Artemesium) is sculpted.
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460 BCE - 450 BCETwo bronze Greek warriors are sculpted, the 'Bronzi Riace'.
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c. 457 BCEMetopes on the Temple of Zeus at Olympia depict the twelve labours of Hercules.
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450 BCE - 440 BCEThe bronze statue of the discus thrower (Diskobolos) by Myron is sculpted.
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438 BCEThe cult statue of Athena Parthenos is dedicated in the Parthenon of Athens.
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c. 430 BCEThe cult statue of Zeus by Phidias is dedicated in the Temple of Zeus, Olympia. It is one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
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c. 425 BCEKresilas sculpts the idealised portrait statue of Pericles which in antiquity was much copied as a bust.
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424 BCE - 420 BCEThe Nike of Paionios is erected at Olympia to commemorate the Messenian and Naupaktian victory over Sparta at the battle of Sphakteria.
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421 BCE - 406 BCEThe Erechtheion of Athens acropolis is constructed with six Caryatids in the south porch.
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340 BCEPraxiteles sculpts his Aphrodite, the first full female nude in Greek sculpture.
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c. 330 BCEStatue of Hermes sculpted by Praxiteles.
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460 CE - 450 CEMost likely date of production of the Riace Bronzes.