Six Greek sculptors / by Ernest A. Gardner.

  • Ernest Arthur Gardner
Date:
1910
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Six Greek sculptors / by Ernest A. Gardner. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    collection now in the British Museum. This is a far more pleasing work, and has the same exquisite finish of surface, the same appearance of life and warmth of modelling which we see in the Hermes. The expres¬ sion is indeed more alert and less dreamy, and there is more indication of physical strength about the Aberdeen head ; these characteristics have led to the suggestion that it represents a young Heracles. But in addition to the Praxitelean qualities in the head there are others of a different kind. The whole build of the skull, with its thick-set, compact shape, and above all the form of the brow, is in constrast with the usual Praxitelean proportions and the easy sweep of line from front to side which we usually find in Praxitelean figures. The way in which the brow projects at the sides, and the cushion of flesh swells over it to shadow and almost hide the outer corners of the eyes, reminds us irresistibly of the work of Scopas. There is perhaps nothing impossible in one great sculptor adopting a device which is peculiarly characteristic of his con¬ temporary ; but it is, perhaps, more likely that where we see the qualities of the two combined, as we do here, we should rather assign the work to a colleague or pupil who fell under the influence of both. The head is certainly an original of fourth-century workmanship. It would be easy to multiply examples of sculpture
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