Cresilas

PericlesRoman marble copy of an original sculpture of Pericles by Greek sculptor Cresilas, c. 420 bce; in the collection of the Vatican Museums, Rome.

Cresilas (flourished 5th century bce, Athens) was a sculptor whose portrait of the Athenian statesman Pericles generated a type of noble, idealized portraiture. Cresilas was a contemporary of Phidias and one of the sculptors in a competition at Ephesus about 440 bce. His entry, a figure of a wounded Amazon, is ascribed to him from its resemblance in style to his head of Pericles. The figure is known only through copies.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Encyclopaedia Britannica.
Citation Information
Article Title: Cresilas
Website Name: Encyclopaedia Britannica
Publisher: Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
Date Published: 23 February 2024
Access Date: February 23, 2025