Phidias, who flourished around 490–430 BCE, was an Athenian sculptor and artistic director for the Parthenon's construction. He created its most important religious images and likely designed its sculptural decoration. Phidias is famous for his monuments to Athena on the Athenian Acropolis, including the Athena Promachos, the Lemnian Athena, and the colossal Athena Parthenos, as well as the colossal seated Zeus for the Temple of Zeus at Olympia. Ancient writers considered his Zeus to be his masterpiece and one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Accused of impiety, he was imprisoned but may have been exiled to Elis, where a workshop believed to be his has been found in Olympia. Phidias is considered the initiator of the idealistic, Classical style that distinguishes Greek art in the later 5th and 4th centuries.

What kind of art did Phidias create?

Phidias, a renowned Athenian sculptor from the 5th century BCE, was the artistic director for the Parthenon's construction . He is celebrated for his sculptures of Athena and Zeus . Phidias's famous works include three monuments to Athena on the Athenian Acropolis: the Athena Promachos, the Lemnian Athena, and the colossal Athena Parthenos. He also created the colossal seated Zeus for the Temple of Zeus at Olympia, considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World . These sculptures were made of bronze, gold, and ivory. Although the originals no longer exist, copies and descriptions provide insight into Phidias's style, which is characterized by its idealistic and monumental qualities.

Why was Phidias important in ancient Greece?

Phidias, a sculptor who flourished around 490–430 BCE, was an Athenian artist and the artistic director for the construction of the Parthenon . He created the religious images and likely designed the sculptural decoration. His works include three monuments to Athena on the Athenian Acropolis and the colossal seated Zeus for the Temple of Zeus at Olympia, considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World . It was said that Phidias alone had seen the exact image of the gods and revealed it to man, establishing general conceptions of Zeus and Athena forever.

How did Phidias help with the Parthenon in Athens?

Phidias, an Athenian sculptor, served as the artistic director for the construction of the Parthenon . He created the religious images and likely designed the overall sculptural decoration. His most famous works include the colossal statue of Athena Parthenos, made of gold and ivory for the Parthenon, completed and dedicated in 438 BCE. Phidias and his assistants were also responsible for the marble sculptures adorning the Parthenon, most of which are now in the British Museum as the Elgin Marbles.

How has Phidias influenced later artists and the history of sculpture?

Phidias, a prominent Athenian sculptor and artistic director of the Parthenon's construction, significantly shaped the history of sculpture. He established general conceptions of gods like Zeus and Athena, influencing religious imagery for centuries. Phidias's idealistic, Classical style, characterized by restrained yet perfectly understood human anatomy, became a hallmark of Greek art in the later 5th and 4th centuries. His work on the Parthenon sculptures, especially, displayed the Classical qualities of idealization. Though few original sculptures remain, his influence is evident through copies and descriptions, marking him as a key figure in the transition to Hellenistic realism.

Phidias

Introduction References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics

Images & Videos

Marble statue by James Pradier depicting Phidias, shown standing with a draped cloak, one hand resting on his chin in a thoughtful pose.

Seven Wonders of the Ancient World: Statue of Zeus at Olympia

detail of a the Parthenon frieze with the Panathenaic procession

“Heracles,” marble statue produced in the workshop of Phidias, from the eastern pediment of the Parthenon, the Acropolis, Athens, c. 5th century bc; in the British Museum

At a Glance

Phidias summary

Quick Facts

Also spelled:: Pheidias

Flourished:: c. 490–430 bce

Flourished:: c.490 BCE - c.430 BCE

See all related content

Phidias

Greek sculptor

Also known as: Pheidias

Written and fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

History

Top Questions

Who was Phidias?
Phidias, who flourished around 490–430 BCE, was an Athenian sculptor and artistic director for the Parthenon's construction. He created its most important religious images and likely designed its sculptural decoration.

Phidias is famous for his monuments to Athena on the Athenian Acropolis, including the Athena Promachos, the Lemnian Athena, and the colossal Athena Parthenos, as well as the colossal seated Zeus for the Temple of Zeus at Olympia. Ancient writers considered his Zeus to be his masterpiece and one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

Accused of impiety, he was imprisoned but may have been exiled to Elis, where a workshop believed to be his has been found in Olympia. Phidias is considered the initiator of the idealistic, Classical style that distinguishes Greek art in the later 5th and 4th centuries.
1 Britannica Source
1. Phidias
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What kind of art did Phidias create?
Phidias, a renowned Athenian sculptor from the 5th century BCE, was the artistic director for the Parthenon's construction. He is celebrated for his sculptures of Athena and Zeus.

Phidias's famous works include three monuments to Athena on the Athenian Acropolis: the Athena Promachos, the Lemnian Athena, and the colossal Athena Parthenos. He also created the colossal seated Zeus for the Temple of Zeus at Olympia, considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. These sculptures were made of bronze, gold, and ivory. Although the originals no longer exist, copies and descriptions provide insight into Phidias's style, which is characterized by its idealistic and monumental qualities.
5 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Why was Phidias important in ancient Greece?
Phidias, a sculptor who flourished around 490–430 BCE, was an Athenian artist and the artistic director for the construction of the Parthenon. He created the religious images and likely designed the sculptural decoration. His works include three monuments to Athena on the Athenian Acropolis and the colossal seated Zeus for the Temple of Zeus at Olympia, considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It was said that Phidias alone had seen the exact image of the gods and revealed it to man, establishing general conceptions of Zeus and Athena forever.
2 Britannica Sources
1. Phidias
2. Statue of Zeus
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What were some famous works created by Phidias?
Phidias was an Athenian sculptor and artistic director of the Parthenon's construction, who lived from approximately 490–430 BCE. He created some of the most important religious images of his time and likely designed the sculptural decoration for the Parthenon.

Some of Phidias's most famous works include three monuments to Athena on the Athenian Acropolis:
* Athena Promachos
* Lemnian Athena
* Athena Parthenos

He is also known for the colossal seated Zeus for the Temple of Zeus at Olympia, considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Phidias also oversaw the marble sculptures that adorned the Parthenon, most of which are now in the British Museum.
4 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
How did Phidias help with the Parthenon in Athens?
Phidias, an Athenian sculptor, served as the artistic director for the construction of the Parthenon. He created the religious images and likely designed the overall sculptural decoration. His most famous works include the colossal statue of Athena Parthenos, made of gold and ivory for the Parthenon, completed and dedicated in 438 BCE. Phidias and his assistants were also responsible for the marble sculptures adorning the Parthenon, most of which are now in the British Museum as the Elgin Marbles.
1 Britannica Source
1. Phidias
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
How has Phidias influenced later artists and the history of sculpture?
Phidias, a prominent Athenian sculptor and artistic director of the Parthenon's construction, significantly shaped the history of sculpture. He established general conceptions of gods like Zeus and Athena, influencing religious imagery for centuries.

Phidias's idealistic, Classical style, characterized by restrained yet perfectly understood human anatomy, became a hallmark of Greek art in the later 5th and 4th centuries. His work on the Parthenon sculptures, especially, displayed the Classical qualities of idealization. Though few original sculptures remain, his influence is evident through copies and descriptions, marking him as a key figure in the transition to Hellenistic realism.
2 Britannica Sources
1. Western sculpture: High Classical period (c. 450–400 bce)
2. Phidias
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Phidias (flourished c. 490–430 bce) was an Athenian sculptor, the artistic director of the construction of the Parthenon, who created its most important religious images and supervised and probably designed its overall sculptural decoration. It is said of Phidias that he alone had seen the exact image of the gods and that he revealed it to man. He established forever general conceptions of Zeus and Athena.

Little is known about Phidias’s life. When Pericles rose to power in 449, he initiated a great building program in Athens and placed Phidias in charge of all artistic undertakings. Among works for which Phidias is famous are three monuments to Athena on the Athenian Acropolis (the Athena Promachos, the Lemnian Athena, and the colossal Athena Parthenos for the Parthenon) and the colossal seated Zeus for the Temple of Zeus at Olympia; none of these survives in the original.

The first of Phidias’s monuments to Athena, the bronze Athena Promachos, was one of his earliest works. It was placed on the Athenian Acropolis about 456. According to the preserved inscription, it measured about 30 feet (9 metres) high. At the time, it was the largest statue yet erected in Athens.

By clicking “Sign Up”, you consent to the Britannica Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Color pastels, colored chalk, colorful chalk. Hompepage blog 2009, arts and entertainment, history and society

Britannica Quiz

Ultimate Art Quiz

The so-called Lemnian Athena was dedicated as an offering by Athenian colonists who were sent to Lemnos between 451 and 448. A head of Athena in Bologna and two statues of Athena in Dresden are thought to be copies, in marble, of Phidias’s original work in bronze.

The colossal statue of the Athena Parthenos, which Phidias made for the Parthenon, was completed and dedicated in 438. The original work was made of gold and ivory and stood some 38 feet (12 metres) high. The goddess stood erect, wearing a tunic, aegis, and helmet and holding a Nike (goddess of victory) in her extended right hand and a spear in her left. A decorated shield and a serpent were by her side. Several copies have been identified from this description; among them are the Varakion, a Roman copy of about 130 ce (now in the National Archaeological Museum of Athens), and a Hellenistic copy, from about 160 bce, made for the main hall of the royal library at Pergamum (now in the Staatliche Museen Preussischer Kulturbesitz in Berlin).

The ancient writers considered Phidias’s Zeus, completed about 430, for the Temple of Zeus at Olympia to be his masterpiece; this colossal statue is now considered to be one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Zeus was seated on a throne, holding a Nike in his right hand and a sceptre in his left. His flesh was of ivory, his drapery of gold. The throneback rose above his head. Everything surrounding the figure, including the statues and paintings (by Panaenos), was richly decorated. The Olympian Zeus was about seven times life-size (or 42 feet [13 metres]) and occupied the full height of the temple.

Phidias’s last years remain a mystery. Pericles’ enemies accused Phidias of stealing gold from the statue of the Athena Parthenos in 432, but he was able to disprove the charge. They then accused him of impiety (for including portraits of Pericles and himself on the shield of Athena on the Athena Parthenos), and he was thrown into prison. Until recently, it was thought that Phidias died in prison shortly thereafter, but now it is believed that he was exiled to Elis, where he worked on the Olympian Zeus. A “workroom,” thought to be Phidias’s, has been found in Olympia. It contains a number of terra-cotta molds believed to have been used for the drapery of the Olympian Zeus.

Explore Britannica Premium!

The trusted destination for professionals, college students, and lifelong learners.

Phidias and his assistants were also responsible for the marble sculptures that adorned the Parthenon. Most of these remains (the Elgin Marbles) are now in the British Museum. Several of these sculptures have been attributed to Phidias, but none with certainty.

From these works one can gain some idea of Phidias’s style. Even when movement is represented in some of his reliefs, a monumental quality is imparted. Though the construction of the human body is perfectly understood, its rendering is restrained and harmonized. In other words, Phidias may be called the initiator of the idealistic, Classical style that distinguishes Greek art in the later 5th and the 4th centuries.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Encyclopaedia Britannica.

Phidias

Thank you for signing up!