Apoxyomenos

The term Apoxyomenos comes from the Greek verb meaning to clean oneself: ancient Greek athletes used to scrape off the oils used to anoint the body before competitions with sand and a sort of spoon, called the strigil. This athlete is figured whilst he is removing the sand and oil from his extended right arm with the strigil in his left hand. The statue was made around the year 50 A.D. and is a copy in marble of the bronze masterpiece by Lysippus in his later years, around 320 B.C. The Greek artist has managed to render the movement of the arm, which, with its strong forward movement, creates a space and gives depth to the image. The statue was discovered in 1849 in Trastevere during the excavation of a building from the Imperial age.

The Apoxyomenos is a famous ancient Greek sculpture depicting an athlete or a "scraper." The term "Apoxyomenos" comes from the Greek word "apoxyo," which means "to scrape off" or "to clean." The sculpture represents an athlete in the act of using a strigil, a curved tool used by ancient Greek athletes to scrape oil, sweat, and dirt from their bodies after exercising in the gymnasium. The most well-known version of the Apoxyomenos is a Roman marble copy of the original Greek bronze statue attributed to the ancient Greek sculptor Lysippos. The original sculpture is thought to have been created in the 4th century BCE. The Roman copy, known as the "Lysippos' Apoxyomenos," was rediscovered in 1849 on the island of Lošinj in Croatia. It is now housed in the Louvre Museum in Paris. The statue is notable for its depiction of a well-proportioned and athletic figure, capturing the idealized beauty and athleticism that were highly valued in ancient Greek culture. The Apoxyomenos is considered a significant work of ancient Greek art and provides insight into the aesthetic ideals and athletic practices of the time.