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Farnese Diadumenos

Farnese Diadumenos is a 1st-century Roman marble sculpture measuring 1.49 m, slightly under life size. It depicts a young athlete wearing a band on his head, indicating victory in some contest. The statue is believed to be a Roman copy of an ancient Greek original, probably the Anadumenos created by Phidias in Olympia. Its subject is similar to Polykleitos’ Diadumenos, though the athlete’s pose differs slightly. Formerly part of the Farnese Collection, it is now in the British Museum in London.

Farnese Diadumenos marble statue of a nude male athlete tying a band around his head
The Farnese Diadumenos, a marble statue of a victorious young athlete, displayed in a museum gallery.
February 2016 © · CC BY-SA 2.0
Farnese Diadumenos, a white marble nude male statue adjusting a headband with his right hand and missing his left arm.
The Farnese Diadumenos shown as a white marble statue of a nude male figure tying a headband around his head.
© · Public domain
Farnese Diadumenos marble statue of a young athlete tying a ribbon around his head.
The Farnese Diadumenos, a marble statue of a young athlete fastening a ribbon around his head.
July 2012 © · CC BY-SA 2.0
Farnese Diadumenos marble sculpture shown in close-up, with the athletic figure adjusting a band around his head
Close-up of the Farnese Diadumenos, showing the athlete tying the victor’s ribbon around his head.
© Copy of Pheidias · CC BY 2.5
Farnese Diadumenos marble bust with a band on his head, holding a ribbon in his raised right hand.
The Farnese Diadumenos, shown in a marble bust as the figure ties or unties a ribbon.
July 2012 © · CC BY-SA 2.0

Identification

TitleFarnese Diadumenos
Alternative namesDiadúmeno Farnésio; Diadúmeno Farnese; Diadumenos; Anadumeno Farnesio
TypeRoman sculpture

Historical context

Date1st century AD
Cultural origin of originalClassical Greek

Creator

Original sculptorPolykleitos
Original workDiadumenos
Original modelProbably a copy of the Greek sculpture Anadoumenos / Anadumeno attributed to Phidias in Olympia

Discovery and provenance

Former collectionFarnese Collection
AcquisitionAcquired from the Farnese Collection in 1864
Comparative referencesCompared by scholars with the replica from Delos now in Athens, figure V from the west frieze of the Parthenon, and the Copenhagen Anakreon
Related ancient worksAn ivory relief of the same name attributed to Phidias, near the Temple of Zeus, Olympia, c. 430 BC; a round bronze statue of the same name by Phidias; a statue of the athlete Pantarkes by an unknown author
Scholarly attribution historyUsually identified as a late Roman marble copy of Polykleitos's Diadumenos, though some scholars instead connect it with the Pheidian Anadoumenos; proposed dates for the original range from around 450–440 BC to the early 1st century BC

Location and ownership

Current locationBritish Museum, London, United Kingdom
Current collectionBritish Museum collection

Materials

MaterialMarble

Physical characteristics

ConditionThe left arm and shoulder are lost; the hair is blurred by weathering; the right leg has been altered and repaired; remains of a palm support are present beside the statue
SupportA tree-trunk support was added in the marble copies; the original bronze did not have it
Height1.49 m
ScaleSlightly smaller than life-size
Original materialBronze

Appearance

Depicted figureA nude young athlete
Action depictedBinding a victory ribbon or band around his head
Arm positionThe arms were raised

Iconography and meaning

Related workSimilar to Polykleitos's Diadumenos, but with a different pose
Possible identificationSome scholars associate it with the Pheidian Anadoumenos, a ribbon-wearing athlete known from ancient sources
InterpretationBelieved to represent a young athlete who won an event
EtymologyFrom Greek διαδούμενος (diadoúmenos), from διαδέω (diadéô), meaning "to attach" or "to bind"
Name meaning"The one who binds himself with the band"
SubjectA young athlete wearing a headband or diadem, indicating victory in a contest

Other

ProportionsThe statue closely follows Polyclitus's Canon: the total height equals seven times the height of the head; the head height equals the length of the foot and the distance between the nipples; the torso fits within a square
Scholarly notesJohn Boardman described it as a copy of an earlier work from around 450–440 BC in a pre-Polykleitan style, with both heels on the ground; A. Corso agreed with an original date around 450–440 BC and noted that the statue has been overly polished, producing a softer line more in keeping with the copyist's taste than the original design

Significance

Artistic significanceA symbol of early Greek classicism
StyleBalances equilibrium and dynamism
Formal compositionIts harmony comes from the coordination of the shoulders, hips, head, and legs