Apollo Lykeios
Unknown (Roman, after a type attributed to Praxiteles) · 100-150 AD
Over two metres tall, Apollo stands naked with his right arm raised and bent back to rest on his head, a pose of ease after exertion. His long hair is tied in a topknot over the brow and a bun at the nape. The pose comes from a famous statue attributed to Praxiteles that stood in the Lykeion gymnasium in Athens, which gave the type its name. Little is original: only the torso, with the start of the right arm, survives from antiquity. The head, of Parian marble, was joined to the body in modern times and its nose, lips, chin and front locks are restored, as are the neck and limbs.
The Roman version was carved in the first half of the second century AD, probably under Hadrian, whose passion for Greek sculpture filled Italian villas with such copies. A scar on the left shoulder blade marks where the original support once met the figure. The statue came to the Louvre in 1807 when Napoleon bought the Borghese collection from his brother in law. Look at the relaxed hip and the raised elbow: the whole figure is a study in weight shifted onto one leg.
Did You Know? The arm resting on the head was such a recognisable pose that ancient writers used it to describe the Lykeios type without naming the sculptor.
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