The statue was set up at Delphi, Greece [2] to commemorate one of two victories of the tyrant Polyzalus of Gela in Sicily and his chariot in the Pythian Games of either 478 or 474 BC, which were held at Delphi in honor of Pythean Apollo. It has also been suggested that the complex was actually commemorating the victory of Polyzalos' brother, Hieron, at the same games in analogy to his ex voto after his victory at the Olympic Games.
It was originally part of a larger group of statuary, including the chariot, at least four horses and possibly two grooms. Some fragments of the horses were found with the statue. The masterpiece has been associated with the sculptor Pythagoras of Samos who lived and worked in Sicily, as well as with the sculptor Calamis. The Sicilian cities were very wealthy compared with most of the cities of mainland Greece and their rulers could afford the most magnificent offerings to the gods, also the best horses and drivers. It is unlikely, however, the statue itself comes from Sicily. The name of the sculptor is unknown, but for stylistic reasons it is believed that the statue was cast in Athens. It has certain similarities of detail to the statue known as the Piraeus Apollo, which is known to be of Athenian origin.
An inscription on the limestone base of the statue shows that it was dedicated by Polyzalus,[2] the tyrant of Gela, a Greek colony in Sicily, as a tribute to Apollo for helping him win the chariot race. The inscription, that is written in hexameters, reads: [...Π]ολύζαλος μ'ἀνέθηκ[ε... τ]ὸν ἄεξ εὐόνυμ'Ἀπόλλ[ον], which is reconstructed to read "Polyzalus dedicated me. ... Make him prosper, honoured Apollo."[3]
Most bronze statues from ancient times have long been melted down for their raw materials or were naturally corroded, but the Charioteer survived because it was buried under a rock-fall at Delphi, which probably destroyed the site in 373 B.C..[2] Some freestanding bronze statues, however, including the charioteer, have been rediscovered in the 20th century.[4] On discovery the figure exhibited a bluish appearance which correlates with Plutarch's description of the Spartan Monument from Delphi having an "unusual blue and glossy patina, due to peculiarities of the air inside the sanctuary." After a century of indoor exposure the Charioteer has turned greenish, although the lower torso still preserves a bluish coloration.[5] The statue is almost intact except that his left forearm and some details on the head are missing including the copper inlays on the lips and most of the silver eyelashes and headband.[2] The statue is one of the few Greek bronzes to preserve the inlaid glass eyes. Greek bronzes were cast in sections and then assembled. When discovered, the statue was in three pieces—head and upper torso, lower torso, and right arm.
The figure is of a very young man, as is shown by his soft side-curls. Like modern jockeys, chariot racers were chosen for their lightness, but also needed to be tall, so they were frequently teenagers. It seems that it represents a teenager from a noble family of his time; aristocratic chariot racers selected their drivers from glorious noble families in the Panhellenic Games. The Charioteer wears the customary long tunic, (the xystís), reaching down to his ankles. A wide belt tightens the tunic high above the waist, while two other bands pass as suspenders over the shoulders, under the arms and criss-cross in the back. This is the analavos which keeps the garment from billowing in the wind during the race. The deep vertical pleats in the lower part of the tunic emphasize the Charioteer’s solid posture, resembling also the fluting of an Ionic column. On the upper part of the body, however, the pleats are wavy, diagonal or curved. This contrast in the garment representation is also followed by the body’s contrapuntal posture, so that the statue does not show any rigidity, but looks perfectly mobile and almost real. The entire statue is as if it is animated by a gradual shift to the right starting from the solid stance of the feet and progressing sequentially through the body passing the hips, chest and head to end up at its gaze. The hands are spread out holding the reins, with the long and thin fingers tightening – together with the reins – a cylindrical object, the riding crop.[6]
The Charioteer is not portrayed during the race, as in this case his movement would be more intense, but in the end of the race, after his victory, when – being calm and full of happiness – he makes the victory lap in the hippodrome. His attractive gemstone eyes evoke what Classical period Greeks called ethos and greatness. His motion is instantaneous, but also eternal. In spite of the great victory, there are no shouts, but a inner power. The face and the body do not have any instability, those have a great self-confidence.[6]
Unusually for this era, the Charioteer is clothed head to foot. Most athletes at this time would have competed, and been depicted nude. The young man would certainly have been of a lower status than his master Polyzalos, and Honour and Fleming have speculated that he may have been a household slave whom it was not appropriate to depict in the nude.[2]
Style
Stylistically, the Charioteer is classed as "Early Classical" or "Severe"[7] (see Greek art). The statue is more naturalistic than the kouroi of the Archaic period, but the pose is still very rigid when compared with later works of the Classical period. One departure from the Archaic style is that the head is inclined slightly to one side. The naturalistic rendering of his feet was greatly admired in ancient times.[citation needed] The introverted expression does away with the old 'Archaic smile'.
The Delphos gown
In about 1907, some ten years after the discovery of the Charioteer, Mariano Fortuny y Madrazo, a Spanish artist-designer based in Venice, created a finely pleated silk dress that he named the Delphos gown after the statue, whose robes it closely resembled.[8][9] These gowns are considered important pieces of early 20th century fashion and art objects in their own right. A Delphos gown was, in 2003, the only fashion garment in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art, New York.[10]
Gallery
Detail of the statue's head, showing the inlaid eyes
^ abcdefHonour, H. and J. Fleming, (2009) A World History of Art. 7th edn. London: Laurence King Publishing, pp. 132-135. ISBN9781856695848; Dafas, K. A., 2019. Greek Large-Scale Bronze Statuary: The Late Archaic and Classical Periods, Institute of Classical Studies, School of Advanced Study, University of London, Bulletin of the Institute of Classical Studies, Monograph, BICS Supplement 138 (London), pp. 24-35, pls 16-30.
^Arena, Renato (1998). Iscrizioni Greche Arcaiche di Sicilia e Magna Grecia (in Italian). Alessandria: Edizioni dell'Orso. pp. 124–5.
^"Western Sculpture". Britannica Academic. October 11, 2015.
^Mircea, Magda, Frank, Walter A. (Summer 2005). "Plutarch's Report on the Blue Patina of Bronze Statues at Delphi: A Scientific Explanation". Journal of the American Institute for Conservation.
^ abΡοζίνα Κολώνια, Το Αρχαιολογικό Μουσείο Δελφών, Κοινωφελές Ίδρυμα Ιωάννη Σ. Λάτση, Ολκός, 2006, σελ. 256 -257. 2015-04-08 at the Wayback Machine
^Martin, Richard; Selkirk, Harold Koda; photographs by Neil (1993). Infra-apparel. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art. ISBN9780870996764.
^Cumming, Valerie; Cunnington, C.W.; Cunnington, P.E. (2010). The dictionary of fashion history. Oxford: Berg. p. 64. ISBN9781847887382.
^Antonelli, Paola (2003). Objects of design from the Museum of Modern Art. New York: Museum of Modern Art. ISBN0870706969.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Charioteer of Delphi.
Charioteer of Delphi. Ancient Greece.
Charioteer of Delphi. University of Saskatchewan.
Michael Scott. Delphi: The Bellybutton of the Ancient World. BBC 4. 21:42 minutes in. Retrieved 23 Nov 2010.
January 30, 2023
charioteer, delphi, also, known, heniokhos, greek, Ἡνίοχος, rein, holder, statue, surviving, from, ancient, greece, example, ancient, bronze, sculpture, life, size, statue, chariot, driver, found, 1896, sanctuary, apollo, delphi, delphi, archaeological, museum. The Charioteer of Delphi also known as Heniokhos Greek Ἡnioxos the rein holder is a statue surviving from Ancient Greece and an example of ancient bronze sculpture The life size 1 8m 1 statue of a chariot driver was found in 1896 at the Sanctuary of Apollo in Delphi 2 It is now in the Delphi Archaeological Museum The Charioteer of Delphi Delphi Museum Charioteer of Delphi head Contents 1 Background 2 Design and completeness 3 Style 4 The Delphos gown 5 Gallery 6 References 7 External linksBackground EditFurther information Sculpture and Bronze sculpture The statue was set up at Delphi Greece 2 to commemorate one of two victories of the tyrant Polyzalus of Gela in Sicily and his chariot in the Pythian Games of either 478 or 474 BC which were held at Delphi in honor of Pythean Apollo It has also been suggested that the complex was actually commemorating the victory of Polyzalos brother Hieron at the same games in analogy to his ex voto after his victory at the Olympic Games It was originally part of a larger group of statuary including the chariot at least four horses and possibly two grooms Some fragments of the horses were found with the statue The masterpiece has been associated with the sculptor Pythagoras of Samos who lived and worked in Sicily as well as with the sculptor Calamis The Sicilian cities were very wealthy compared with most of the cities of mainland Greece and their rulers could afford the most magnificent offerings to the gods also the best horses and drivers It is unlikely however the statue itself comes from Sicily The name of the sculptor is unknown but for stylistic reasons it is believed that the statue was cast in Athens It has certain similarities of detail to the statue known as the Piraeus Apollo which is known to be of Athenian origin An inscription on the limestone base of the statue shows that it was dedicated by Polyzalus 2 the tyrant of Gela a Greek colony in Sicily as a tribute to Apollo for helping him win the chariot race The inscription that is written in hexameters reads P olyzalos m ἀne8hk e t ὸn ἄe3 eὐonym Ἀpoll on which is reconstructed to read Polyzalus dedicated me Make him prosper honoured Apollo 3 Design and completeness EditExternal video Charioteer of Delphi 3 38 SmarthistoryMost bronze statues from ancient times have long been melted down for their raw materials or were naturally corroded but the Charioteer survived because it was buried under a rock fall at Delphi which probably destroyed the site in 373 B C 2 Some freestanding bronze statues however including the charioteer have been rediscovered in the 20th century 4 On discovery the figure exhibited a bluish appearance which correlates with Plutarch s description of the Spartan Monument from Delphi having an unusual blue and glossy patina due to peculiarities of the air inside the sanctuary After a century of indoor exposure the Charioteer has turned greenish although the lower torso still preserves a bluish coloration 5 The statue is almost intact except that his left forearm and some details on the head are missing including the copper inlays on the lips and most of the silver eyelashes and headband 2 The statue is one of the few Greek bronzes to preserve the inlaid glass eyes Greek bronzes were cast in sections and then assembled When discovered the statue was in three pieces head and upper torso lower torso and right arm The figure is of a very young man as is shown by his soft side curls Like modern jockeys chariot racers were chosen for their lightness but also needed to be tall so they were frequently teenagers It seems that it represents a teenager from a noble family of his time aristocratic chariot racers selected their drivers from glorious noble families in the Panhellenic Games The Charioteer wears the customary long tunic the xystis reaching down to his ankles A wide belt tightens the tunic high above the waist while two other bands pass as suspenders over the shoulders under the arms and criss cross in the back This is the analavos which keeps the garment from billowing in the wind during the race The deep vertical pleats in the lower part of the tunic emphasize the Charioteer s solid posture resembling also the fluting of an Ionic column On the upper part of the body however the pleats are wavy diagonal or curved This contrast in the garment representation is also followed by the body s contrapuntal posture so that the statue does not show any rigidity but looks perfectly mobile and almost real The entire statue is as if it is animated by a gradual shift to the right starting from the solid stance of the feet and progressing sequentially through the body passing the hips chest and head to end up at its gaze The hands are spread out holding the reins with the long and thin fingers tightening together with the reins a cylindrical object the riding crop 6 The Charioteer is not portrayed during the race as in this case his movement would be more intense but in the end of the race after his victory when being calm and full of happiness he makes the victory lap in the hippodrome His attractive gemstone eyes evoke what Classical period Greeks called ethos and greatness His motion is instantaneous but also eternal In spite of the great victory there are no shouts but a inner power The face and the body do not have any instability those have a great self confidence 6 Unusually for this era the Charioteer is clothed head to foot Most athletes at this time would have competed and been depicted nude The young man would certainly have been of a lower status than his master Polyzalos and Honour and Fleming have speculated that he may have been a household slave whom it was not appropriate to depict in the nude 2 Style EditStylistically the Charioteer is classed as Early Classical or Severe 7 see Greek art The statue is more naturalistic than the kouroi of the Archaic period but the pose is still very rigid when compared with later works of the Classical period One departure from the Archaic style is that the head is inclined slightly to one side The naturalistic rendering of his feet was greatly admired in ancient times citation needed The introverted expression does away with the old Archaic smile The Delphos gown EditIn about 1907 some ten years after the discovery of the Charioteer Mariano Fortuny y Madrazo a Spanish artist designer based in Venice created a finely pleated silk dress that he named the Delphos gown after the statue whose robes it closely resembled 8 9 These gowns are considered important pieces of early 20th century fashion and art objects in their own right A Delphos gown was in 2003 the only fashion garment in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art New York 10 Gallery Edit Detail of the statue s head showing the inlaid eyes Fragments and drawing of Charioteer Detail of the statue s head and arm Back view of the Charioteer Position in the museumReferences Edit Janson H W 1995 History of Art 5th edn Revised and expanded by Anthony F Janson London Thames amp Hudson p 142 ISBN 0500237018 a b c d e f Honour H and J Fleming 2009 A World History of Art 7th edn London Laurence King Publishing pp 132 135 ISBN 9781856695848 Dafas K A 2019 Greek Large Scale Bronze Statuary The Late Archaic and Classical Periods Institute of Classical Studies School of Advanced Study University of London Bulletin of the Institute of Classical Studies Monograph BICS Supplement 138 London pp 24 35 pls 16 30 Arena Renato 1998 Iscrizioni Greche Arcaiche di Sicilia e Magna Grecia in Italian Alessandria Edizioni dell Orso pp 124 5 Western Sculpture Britannica Academic October 11 2015 Mircea Magda Frank Walter A Summer 2005 Plutarch s Report on the Blue Patina of Bronze Statues at Delphi A Scientific Explanation Journal of the American Institute for Conservation a b Rozina Kolwnia To Arxaiologiko Moyseio Delfwn Koinwfeles Idryma Iwannh S Latsh Olkos 2006 sel 256 257 Archived 2015 04 08 at the Wayback Machine Baggelh Pentazoy Marias Sarla Delfoi B Giannikos B Kaldhs O E 1984 p 144 Martin Richard Selkirk Harold Koda photographs by Neil 1993 Infra apparel New York Metropolitan Museum of Art ISBN 9780870996764 Cumming Valerie Cunnington C W Cunnington P E 2010 The dictionary of fashion history Oxford Berg p 64 ISBN 9781847887382 Antonelli Paola 2003 Objects of design from the Museum of Modern Art New York Museum of Modern Art ISBN 0870706969 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Charioteer of Delphi Charioteer of Delphi Ancient Greece Charioteer of Delphi University of Saskatchewan Michael Scott Delphi The Bellybutton of the Ancient World BBC 4 21 42 minutes in Retrieved 23 Nov 2010 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Charioteer of Delphi amp oldid 1125373563, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
