c. 490 B.C.E.–c. 417 B.C.E.

Sculptor

The Greatest Greek Sculptor.

Phidias was not only the most important sculptor produced by the artistic center of Athens but the most important artist of the fifth century B.C.E. He is responsible for two of the most impressive cult statues produced in Greece—the Athena Parthenos and the Zeus at Olympia—and, according to ancient sources, was in charge of the creation of the Parthenon, Greece's most recognizable structure. His skill as a sculptor in a number of mediums, including bronze and marble as well as the combination of gold, ivory, and wood used in his chryselephantine statues, made him an extremely versatile artist whose work inspired generations of artists after him. It was largely due to his reputation that Athens became the trendsetter for Greek sculpture. Although none of his works survived to modern times, his...