Motya Charioteer
, 450 BCE
181 x 40 cm (h x w)
Marble
This is a very rare surviving example of an original Greek victor statue. The athlete stands in a confident pose, raising his right arm probably to place or adjust a victor's wreath on his head. The wreath would have been metal attached to the head by pins. The statue is renowned for its remarkable touches of realism, such as the way the fingers of the left hand press into the hip and pull the fine fabric-something that was not usually affixed to a sculptures form.