Jockey of Artemision - Athens, Greece
Posted by: Superted
N 37° 59.358 E 023° 43.948
34S E 739960 N 4208151
Inside the National Archaeological Museum of Athens. The statue of a young man riding a horse with reins in his left hand and a whip in the right. It was found in pieces, in the area of a shipwreck off the cape Artemision, in north Euboea.
Waymark Code: WM6E67
Location: Greece
Date Posted: 05/20/2009
Views: 14
Dates from around 150-146 BC some say around 200 BC.
length: 2,90 m, height: 2,10 m
Discovered 1926 by two fishermen in Cape Artemision (some sources say 1928, some parts found 8 years later). One of the few representations of Greek horse race monuments (eg. like the Delphi charioteer) probably some dedication to the gods by a wealthy person for a horse race victory.
This most thrilling cast statue of a horse and its rider was found in fragments in an ancient shipwreck. Part of the horse's tail and belly have been restored. A figure of Nike holding a wreath in her raised hands, a common brand for thoroughbreds in antiquity, is engraved on the animal's right thigh. The horse gallops with tremendous speed; its movement and anatomy are rendered with extreme realism. It is mounted by a very young African boy, whose tiny contorted figure and constricted face contrast with the animal's majestic presence. The boy wears sandals and a short chiton, which is blown back by the wind. He held reigns in his left hand and a whip in his right. The sculpture, whose creator remains unknown, was probably dedicated at an important sanctuary.
Identity of Rider: Unknown
Identity of Horse: Unknown
Name of artist: Unknown
Date of Dedication: ~200BC
Material: Other
Unusual Features: Made from copper
Position: Two Hooves Raised
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