Visual Art
Artist: Myron
Title: Discobolus (Discus Thrower)
Medium: Bronze
Size: 152 cm
Date of Creation: Dated to around 450 BCE (Original Greek sculpture)
Description: The Discobolus, or Discus Thrower, is an iconic ancient Greek sculpture renowned for its portrayal of athletic prowess and the idealized human shape. Created by the sculptor Myron for the duration of the Classical length (around 450 BCE), this masterpiece captures a second frozen in time as an athlete prepares to launch a discus in a sporting opposition.
Artist: Unknown
Title: Riace Bronzes
Medium: Bronze
Size: Approximately life-size
Date of Creation: Dated to around 460-450 BCE.
Description: These life-size bronze statues, discovered within the Mediterranean Sea, exhibit the mastery of Greek sculptors in capturing the human form with anatomical accuracy and dynamic poses. The bronzes are now in the Museo Nazionale della Magna Grecia in the nearby city of Reggio Calabria. They are two of the few surviving full-size ancient Greek bronzes (which were usually melted down in later times), and as such demonstrate the superb technical craftsmanship and exquisite artistic features that were achieved at this time.
Artist: Unknown
Title: Mask of Agamemnon
Medium: Gold leaf on a funeral mask
Size: 25.5 cm
Date of Creation: Dated to approximately 1550–1500 BCE.
Located at: National Archaeological Museum, Athens
Description: The Mask of Agamemnon is a gold funerary mask discovered at the Bronze Age site of Mycenae in southern Greece. The mask, displayed in the National Archaeological Museum of Athens. Discovered by archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann at the historical site of Mycenae, the Mask of Agamemnon is an iconic illustration of historic funerary practices. Despite its name, the mask is not absolutely believed to depict Agamemnon, the mythical king of Mycenae, however rather a noble individual from the Late Bronze Age.
Artist: Unknown (Believed to be a Roman artist)
Title: Alexander Mosaic
Medium: Mosaic
Size: Approximately 8 feet by 16 feet
Date of Creation: Dated to the 2nd or 3rd century BCE.
Location: Naples National Archaeological Museum
Description: The Alexander Mosaic is an enchanting piece that depicts a warfare scene between Alexander the Great and Persian King Darius III at the Battle of Issus. This historic mosaic, believed to be a Roman reproduction of a Hellenistic painting, captures the intensity and drama of the ancient event. The complex details in the mosaic, along with the expressions of the squaddies and the use of light and shadow, exhibit the excessive level of skill and artistry all through the Hellenistic period.