Eros, the god of love, was one of the most ancient Greek gods. He was especially held in high regard in the city of Thespiae in Boeotia where the god's main sanctuary was found, which was adorned with his representartions created by the most prominent sculptors of Greece, such as Praxiteles and Lysippus. The statue by Lysippus, who lived in the second half of the 4th century BC, served as the model for the Roman copy from the time of Emperor Augustus now in the Hermitage collection. Eros is depicted as an adolescent, whose body, though becoming a little angular, still retains a childish softness. The young god is drawing a bowstring. While his posture being entirely natural, Lysippus created a complex spatial composition, placing parts of the figure in different intersecting planes. This imparts special dynamism to the depiction.
Information about the original:
Title:
Eros Pulling his Bowstring
Place:
Date:
Material:
Dimensions:
133,2 cm
Acquisition date:
Entered the Hermitage in 1851; presented by Pope Pius IX
Inventory Number:
ГР-3102
Category:
Collection:
