How Did Aphroditeles Influence The Art World

There are many people throughout history to look to. In the Ancient Rome and Greece times there are just are many people that have influenced our society today. Praxiteles is one of those people. Praxiteles is perhaps one of the most influential artists in history. He has influenced the art world in many different ways. He has set the stage for the expectations of art and the methods that artists to come use and even use today.
Sculpture was seen as a prestigious occupation in ancient Rome and Praxiteles one of the most notable sculptors in this era. His sculpting career lasted from 370 BCE to 340 BCE.Praxiteles broke tradition and made the whole greek world gasp. Praxiteles was known for known for giving his sculptures a humanistic appearance

which was influenced by the Peloponnesian War which before the common style of sculpture was idealistic of Phidia.He is the first artist to create the whole female nude with his sculpture Aphrodite of Knidos. Praxiteles was a very giving man, he was very well known to give extravagant and expensive gifts to those he cared well for.
The female nude was taboo and still is, to some extent. A nude female was not to be sculpted not even goddesses were to be shown nude. Even though for over 350 years the male nude has been on display. Being a sculptor made him a highly respected artist in the Greek world. Praxiteles also, introduced contrapposto in sculpture which is very widely used and first seen in the works of Polykleitos. Contrapposto is the stance that the figure takes, leaning all weight on a single straight leg and twisting the body to balance on the other side for balance, this creates the illusion of life in sculpture. It is kind of like how people stand while waiting in line; all of the weight on one leg and the arms swung slightly to the other side or the opposite hip is popped. Contrapposto is from Attic sculpture.
Praxiteles had a style of his own. Many called it redefined and graceful to the looks. His works are so celebrated that some of his sculptures are engraved on Roman coins. Praxiteles had such a unique style that his sculptures of the gods gave them a humanizing sight. He was very interested in young gods and goddesses like Hermes and Apollo unlike the more elderly gods like Zeus and Poseidon.
Although, a talented sculptor just like any artist Praxiteles had his influence. His father and/or teacher (still to be debated) Kephisodotos was also a sculpture. It is presumed that Kephisodotos is Praxiteles’ father because Praxiteles names one of his sons after him and that they share many stylistic resemblances. Many of his sculptures are in the likeness of a woman named Phryne. She was his favorite model and it has been rumored that they were perhaps lovers as well. Praxiteles’ most famous sculpture is in her likeness, Aphrodite of Knidos. As Praxiteles has said himself when asked what his favorite pieces are, “Those to which Nicias has put his hand so much did a prize of the application of color of that artist.” Then Nicas who is his favorite painter, painted many of his sculptures and those painted by him are Praxiteles’ favorites.
Praxiteles created many sculptures in his lifetime. Some of his most notable pieces are Aphrodite of Knidos as mentioned before and Hermes with Infant Dionysus.
The sculpture Aphrodite of Knidos is about the Greek goddess, Aphrodite and her renewal of virginity.

Aphrodite is the goddess of love. It was originally commissioned in 330 BCE by the island of Kos but because of the scandalous nudity of the sculpture they rejected it thus the island of Knidos purchasing the sculpture instead. Even though the sculpture is nude Aphrodite positions her hands in a modest way that also invites the viewers attention to her nudity. Almost, daring the view to look beyond her hands. The sculpture was so highly admired that Knidos refused to sell the sculpture to King Nicomedes who was willing to erase the city’s debt for it.This sculpture is taled to be in such the likeness of her that Aphrodite herself visited the sculpture and said, “When did Praxiteles see me naked?” Also, that the sculpture was so beautiful that a man snuck into the place where the statue was being displayed and had certain relations with the statue, leaving an unpleasant stain on her thigh. Aphrodite of Knidos is such an important sculpture that it is the first known full female nude. But, we only know what has been recorded of the sculpture and know its likeness from the Roman copies made of it. It is believed that the original sculpture was burned in a fire in 476 AD and the last known location of the sculpture is in the Palace of Lausus in

Constantinople.
Another very notable sculpture of Praxiteles is Hermes with Infant Dionysus which is believed to be his only surviving sculpture. It was found in 1877 AD in the Heraion at Olympia.He blends humanitivity with divinity in this sculpture which is one of his trademark attributes. Although, the authenticity of this sculpture being an original is doubted by some historians.This sculpture described as delicate and exquisite. Praxiteles makes the sculpture humorous by making infant Dionysus greedily reaching for a group of grapes referring to his destiny of being the god of wine. This sculpture is similar to his father’s sculpture Eirene and Ploutos. Even though Praxiteles uses the contrapposto of Polykleitos, he abandons Polykleitos’ rules of proportion to make Hermes appear more elegant and fluid.
Praxiteles no doubt left his mark in history. He influenced all types of styles of art that preceded him. Including, Hellenistic art, Classical, and even Renaissance styles and there are traces of his influence in many other types of art. Praxiteles had two sons both of which followed in his footsteps and became notable sculptors as well. Then with his most famous sculpture, Aphrodite of Knidos many artists made replicas of her in their and his likeness.