Phidias Analysis

Located in front of the Telfair Museum in Savannah, Georgia is a statue of the Greek architect-sculptor Phidias. The statue of Phidias fits in well with its surroundings. It is centered by four other statues. The surrounding statues are also iconic artists: Michelangelo, Rubens, Rembrandt, and Raphael. The artists’ statues are purposefully placed in front of the Telfair Museum because the Telfair is an art museum. All of the statues are lifted on pedestals. The Phidias statue is about four and a half feet tall and the pedestal is approximately three feet tall. The surrounding statues are roughly the same size and height. The Phidias statue is located in front of the entrance. The statue is about four feet back from the entrance gate …show more content…
It is surrounded by four other statues of famous artists. The Phidias statue and its pedestal are about seven and a half feet tall altogether. When viewing the exterior of the museum, the Phidias statue is the central figure. The statue is likely made of limestone, which is a gray-colored rock. The statue has indentations and dimples due to years of weather exposure. Phidias is portrayed as remarkably muscular. The statue is positioned in contraposto, which is a realistic anatomic stance. Phidias is curly-haired with a beard and mustache. He wears a tunic, a cap, and sandals. In his right hand Phidias holds a mallet, and in his left hand he holds a long cloth. The platform below him is inscripted with his …show more content…
Limestone has been known to last thousands of years in some cases. The limestone’s gray coloring helps communicate a moment frozen in time. Like old movies, the Phidias statue is also in grayscale. Although the artist’s rendering of the Phidias statue is exquisite, I do not believe his clothing is historically accurate. Phidias’s tunic does not appear to be traditional ancient Greek garb. Also, his hat looks like a sleeping cap. I am also unsure as to whether or not Phidias worked with a mallet when creating art. The Phidias statue gives off a commanding tone. Phidias’s facial expression is grave and assertive. His head is held high, and his eyes seem to stare intently at what is in front of him. His gaze draws viewers to the statue. The viewer gets the sense they are being looked down upon. This expression gives the Phidias statue a god-like quality. In my opinion, the artist made the Phidias statue too muscular. I have trouble believing Phidias had the muscles of a Greek god or a present day bodybuilder. The muscular build certainly fits with the ancient Greek aesthetic. The artist probably chose to make Phidias extra muscular on purpose. I assume the artist wanted Phidias to seem god-like so that Phidias could become immortalized in