Diadumenos

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As Diadumenos ( " Diadem carrier " ) or Anadumenos ( " The the headband umlegende " ) is a statue type referred to, which has been preserved in several marble copies of Roman times and in his most famous expression in the original of a bronze statue of Polykleitos, a sculptor of the 5th century back BC. The design as such was not invented by Polykleitos, but finds antecedents in early classical athletes images and also later sculptors and ore caster adapted it again and again.

Written sources

The Diadumenos counted in antiquity, in addition to the Doryphoros and Herastatue of Heraions of Argos, the most famous works of Polykleitos. Three times the Diadumenos of Polykleitos is mentioned in ancient literature, two of them. Combined with the Doryphoros The oldest witness is found in Seneca, which manifests itself in the following exposition of Aristotle's examples of art in the "causes". In the context of shape as the third cause he performs, " you would not call that well-known statue » Doryphoros "or" Diadumenos, " if you would not just this looks certain. " Lucian calls the Diadumenos - in a playful scene with night spooked Statues - a very beautiful work of Polykleitos. Pliny calls him by the enumeration polykletischer work before the Doryphoros and describes him - as opposed to the manly boy, who was shown in Doryphoros - as Moliter Iuvenis as " effeminate boy " who had become known, because he - probably in an auction - have achieved 100 talents: an incredible sum for that time. As with many writing surviving works of Greek art only the motif is also known for the Diadumenos, but not named the statue. Whom he presented, on which occasion he might have been created is literary not to tap.

Discovery history

The knowledge of the Polycleitos statues was lost in the course of Late Antiquity and during the Byzantine period a John Tzetzes could connect no concrete work more named Polykleitos. In the 18th century, Johann Joachim Winckelmann identified the Diadumenos in ancient monuments in hand, although he offers are initially based on the grave altar of Tiberius Octavius ​​Diadumenus, the one, the Taenia Umbindenden shows in allusion to his name. As to Polykleitan statue he believes the " Anadumenos Farnese " recognize. One hundred years later, Adolf Michaelis clear out the type and reconstructed it using three copies.

Since then, a large number of Roman copies, it should be entered, which can be harnessed times quite complete repetitions, sometimes only torsos, often are only heads, but overall a fairly reliable idea of ​​the original. Three of these copies from the 2nd century were by the way, together with copies of Doryphoros found. A replica of Delos has on its support on a coat and leaning against quiver. At least this repetition was obviously reinterpreted to Apollo. Additional copies give palm trunks as pillars, which may indicate both Apollo and on an athlete. Finally, a copy from the Museo Torlonia are on the palm trunk support, all of which are Kopistenzutaten and were the original alien, hanging jump weights that characterize the depicted as athletes.

Statue of Polykleitos

Also on Diadumenos, although not as dynamic as in Doryphorus shows the receding on Polyklet classical contrapposto. In contrast to the rather blocky appearance of the Doryphoros the Diadumenos characterized by more or less side -reaching arms up at head height raised hands that are about a ribbon to tie around the head. This expansive to the sides moment leads to a significant increase in complexity of kontrapostisch to be solved moving elements. And so is a stronger ponderation read in numerous details. The shoulder is the following stronger lowered the arm to Standbeinseit, the linea alba is more curved than the Doryphoros. The same applies to the resolute facing to the side and lowered head. Assigns the Doryphoros a composition scheme on which is characterized by clear front and side axes and to them kontrapostisch mirrored action items, as occur during Diadumenos now diagonal directions of motion with the position of the arms and the free leg added. The clear hair weaving, which are the hair design of Doryphoros, but also the Diskophoros and particularly of Heracles downright distinguished as a trademark of Polykleitos in its infancy, no longer to be found in the head replicas of Diadumenos, the ornamental character of the design was in favor of a freer, but softer and shape and composition abandoned.

Excelled the Doryphoros by a "standing walking" or a " continuous standing ", a pause in the movement, the state motif of Diadumenos seems unmotivated, even if his game leg is less back than is the case with Doryphoros. That's because his gesture of tying it embodied a real moment that would have to be reflected also in his movement motif and can not be reconciled with a pause in line. Or how Adolf Furtwängler states: " This falls in the pause does not match the illustrated story ."

All this indicates the Diadumenos as late work of Polykleitos, whose problematic acme of Pliny the 90th Olympiad, the year 420 BC indicated. Around this time, he must have also created its Diadumenos.

Also by the students of Polykleitos as Lysippos, Scopas and has survived this type. Mention should be made also of the Anadumenos Farnese in the British Museum, London, who again and again - albeit wrongly - is brought in connection with the name of Phidias, of which Pausanias mentions a corresponding statue in Olympia.

Diadumenos at the Metropolitan Museum, New York.

Torso of Diadumenos in the Louvre, Paris.

" Diadumenos Farnese ", British Museum, London.