受伤的亚马逊Wounded Amazon

The woman leans on a pillar to rest from her exhaustion. She's raised her right arm above her head, so her armpit is visible. Small drops of blood run from under her arm. She's wounded. The figure is of an Amazon, the mythical race of women warriors. Here she's shown pensive and resting. This form of representation is completely typical for the peak of the Classic Era, between about 450 and 420 BC. From ancient sources and other surviving Amazon statues, we know that the Greek original in bronze of this Amazon was first cast as part of a competition. Roman author Pliny writes of how the best-known artists of the Classical Era were invited to sculpt an Amazon for the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus. At the dedication ceremony, the artists present were supposed to pick the most beautiful. Of course, each artist chose his own Amazon statue. However, on the second vote, they all chose the one done by Polykleitos, who thus emerged from the competition the victor. There's much arguing over whether this is Polykleitos' Amazon and over ascribing the other statues to their respective sculptors. Many believe, however, that this statue is the one by Polykleitos and thus the most beautiful of all the Amazons created for Artemis.