On view
Ancient Mediterranean Art
Zeus,
ca. 460 BCE
Greek
y1937-343
This small bronze figurine depicts the god Zeus, raising one hand up high and stabilizing his movement with his outstretched back leg as he prepares to hurl his thunderbolt. The broad plains of the face and torso, carefully rolled up hair, and idealized, though serious, expression exemplify the artistic style of the early fifth century BCE. Similar figurines have been found at Olympia, the site of the famous sanctuary of Zeus Olympios, and an over-life-size example, also in bronze, is on display in the National Archaeological Museum, Athens, after having been recovered from the sea, off the coast of Cape Artemision, in northern Euboea, Greece.
Information
Title
Zeus
Dates
ca. 460 BCE
Medium
Bronze
Dimensions
15.1 x 11.2 x 5.5 cm (5 15/16 x 4 7/16 x 2 3/16 in.)
Credit Line
Museum purchase, Caroline G. Mather Fund
Object Number
y1937-343
Place Made
Europe, Aegina, Attica
Culture
Materials
Subject
Purchased by the Museum in 1937.
- G. W. Elderkin, "Bronze statuettes of Zeus Keraunios", American journal of archaeology 44, no. 2 (Apr.-Jun., 1940): p. 225-233.
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Karl Schefold, Orient, Hellas und Rom in der archälogischen Forschung seit 1939, (Bern: A. Francke, 1949).
, p. 65; pl. 7,3 - Oberlin College, Allen Memorial Art Museum: the art department and the museum, (New York?: Oberlin College; M. Knoedler & Co., 1954).
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"Oberlin College, the Art Department and the Museum", Bulletin (Allen Memorial Art Museum) 11, no. 2 (1954).
, p. 150-151 - "[Frank Jewett Mather, Jr. 1868-1953: In memoriam]", Record of the Art Museum, Princeton University 13, no. 1 (1954): p. 2-19., p. 7 (illus.)
- F. F. Jones and R. Goldberg, Ancient art in the Art Museum: Princeton University, (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1960)., p. 10; p. 11 (illus.)
- Willy Schwabacher, "The Olympian Zeus before Phidias", Archaeology 14, no. 2 (Jun., 1961): p. 104-109., p. 104ff; Fig F
- Willy Schwabacher, "Olympischer Blitzschwinger", Antike kunst 5, no .1 (1962): p. 9-17., p. 9ff
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"Galleries of Ancient Art: given by the Class of 1929," Record of the Art Museum, Princeton University 25, no. 1/2 (1966): 46–48.
, p. 48 (illus.) - H.R.H., "The Art Museum at Princeton University: a selection from the collections", Art Journal 26, no. 2 (Winter, 1966-1967): p. 172+174+176+178., fig. 4
- John D. Cooney, "Siren and Ba, birds of a feather", Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 55, no. 8 (1968): p. 262-271., p. 262ff
- Allen Rosenbaum and Francis F. Jones, Selections from The Art Museum, Princeton University, (Princeton, NJ: The Art Museum, Princeton University, 1986), p. 93 (illus.)
- Elena Walter-Karydi, Die äginetische Bildhauerschule: Werke und schriftliche Quellen, (Mainz am Rhein: P. von Zabern, 1987)., p. 34, 84, 90-1, 96, 101; pl. 44-5; no. 61.
