Artemision Zeus

myminifactory

When the ancient bronze statue emerged from the depths of the sea, its raised right hand was empty. We cannot determine whether this figure represents Poseidon, the powerful sea god who wields his mighty trident, or Zeus, the ruler of the gods, brandishing his formidable thunderbolt. The statue is a prime example of the strict classical style that marks a significant transition from the rigid Archaic era to a more expressive art form. As we behold the figure, frozen in the moment before unleashing its fury and strength, we witness a range of emotions that were previously unimaginable in classical art. This remarkable statue was gifted to the CAFA Art Academy in Beijing in 2008 as part of an exchange program, replacing several works that had been destroyed during the tumultuous Cultural Revolution of the 1960s. The casts have been used by students at the academy for drawing classes, a tradition that continues to thrive in China and Japan, while Europe has long since abandoned this artistic practice. Henrik Holm, senior research curator at SMK, notes: "This is a 3D scan of a plaster cast of the sculpture 'Zeus or Poseidon from the Artemision', dating back to circa 460-450 BCE. The scan was made from the original cast (ref. KAS2100) in The Royal Cast Collection at SMK – National Gallery of Denmark." This downscaled version is available for viewing, while high-resolution models can be downloaded from www.smk.dk/3d. If you create new work using this model and wish to share it with us, please contact web@smk.dk.