Cephisodotus the Elder facts for kids
Cephisodotus (also spelled Kephisodotos) was an important Greek sculptor. He lived around 400 to 360 BC. He might have been the father or an uncle of Praxiteles, another very famous sculptor. One of Cephisodotus's own sons was also a sculptor, named Cephisodotus the Younger.
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Famous Sculptures by Cephisodotus
Eirene and Ploutos
Cephisodotus is best known for his sculpture called Eirene (Peace) bearing the infant Ploutos (Wealth). This artwork was created around 380–370 BC. Eirene was the Greek goddess of peace, and Ploutos was the god of wealth.
The original sculpture is now lost. However, a Roman copy of it can be seen at the Glyptothek museum in Munich, Germany. Other small pieces of the sculpture are in different collections. The city of Athens asked Cephisodotus to create this sculpture. It was placed on the Areopagus, a famous hill in Athens. A writer named Pausanias wrote about it in the 2nd century AD. He was the one who said Cephisodotus made it.
Other Important Works
Cephisodotus also created a sculpture of Hermes carrying the child Dionysus. Hermes was the messenger god, and Dionysus was the god of wine. It is possible that his son also made a similar sculpture.
He also sculpted several statues for the city of Megalopolis. This city was founded in 369 BC by a general named Epaminondas. Pausanias saw these statues in the city's main temple in the 2nd century AD.
Apollo Heads
For a long time, two stone heads were thought to be of women. One was in the Lansdowne collection, and the other was in the Massarenti collection in Rome. In 1974, an expert named Dorothy Kent Hill realized they were actually heads of the god Apollo. She believed that Cephisodotus was the sculptor who made them.
See also
In Spanish: Cefisodoto el Viejo para niños
