Marble statue of the so-called Stephanos Athlete

late 1st century BCE or 1st century CE

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 162

This figure of a youth is one of the best-known examples of the type of sculpture acquired by the Roman upper classes, who sought to decorate their private villas in a way that evoked the sophistication and culture of the recently subdued Hellenistic kingdoms of the eastern Mediterranean. Greek sculptors in Athens and Rome itself could provide more or less exact replicas of well-known statues from the past as well as new creations that imitated or combined various earlier Greek styles. The Stephanos Youth is such a combination: The extremely broad shoulders and the stance bring to mind male statues of the second quarter of the fifth century B.C., while the small head and long legs derive from works created in the mid-fourth century B.C. by the famous Greek sculptor Lysippos. The soft modeling of the flesh is found in the statues of Praxiteles, another famous sculptor of the fourth century, as well as in Hellenistic sculpture of the third and second centuries B.C. A new creation resulted from these learned, eclectic combinations. The statue must have been very popular, for over seventeen ancient copies are known today. It was apparently typical of the sculpture available in the Roman workshop of the Greek sculptor Pasiteles, during the mid-first century B/C. A number of Roman writers commented on Pasiteles, and we have a rare sculptor’s signature by Staphanos, his pupil, on the most complete example of this work, which is now in the Villa Albani, Rome.

Artwork Details

Overview

References

Title: Marble statue of the so-called Stephanos Athlete
Period: Early Imperial
Date: late 1st century BCE or 1st century CE
Culture: Roman
Medium: Marble
Dimensions: H.: 43 1/4 in. (109.9 cm)
Classification: Stone Sculpture
Credit Line: Gift of Jan and Ellin Mitchell, 1962
Object Number: 62.4
Curatorial Department: Greek and Roman Art

More Artwork

In the same gallery

In the same medium

A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.

Marble statue of Eirene (the personification of peace), Kephisodotos, Marble, Pentelic ?, Roman — Marble statue of Eirene (the personification of peace)
Kephisodotos
ca. 14–68 CE

Fragments of a marble statue of the Diadoumenos (youth tying a fillet around his head), Polykleitos, Marble, Roman — Fragments of a marble statue of the Diadoumenos (youth tying a fillet around his head)
Polykleitos
ca. 69–96 CE

Marble statue of an old woman, Marble, Pentelic, Roman — Marble statue of an old woman
Roman
14–68 CE

Marble head and torso of Athena, Marble, Pentelic, Roman — Marble head and torso of Athena
Roman
1st–2nd century CE

Marble statue of a wounded warrior, Marble, Roman — Marble statue of a wounded warrior
Roman
ca. 138–181 CE

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.