Object Description
A plaster wall hanging bust of Colossus after the antique. At over life size, this plaster face is after the Colossus of Rhodes – a colossal statue of the Greek sun god Helios that stood in the ancient city of Rhodes and was one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
This early 20th century depiction shows Helios with a vacant stare and large features with a smart painted finish. A striking piece of neoclassical wall art for a home looking to showcase Greek history.
Colossus of Rhodes
The giant statue of Helios, who is believed to have drove a chariot across the sky every day to create day and night, was sculpted by Charles of Lyndus in commemoration of the raising of Demetrius I Poliorcetes’ long siege (305 BCE) of Rhodes.
Made of bronze and reinforced with iron the statue is said to be 105 feet and took 12 years to build. In approx 225 AD Colossus was toppled by an earthquake until Arabian forces raided Rhodes in 654 AD, and the pieces of him were sold for scrap.